I have battled my frizzy uncontrollable hair for as long as I can remember. And this past year, I spent so many hours in the early summer using my hair dryers and straighteners that it got hella ridiculous before I threw my hands in the air and I was like I really cannot do this anymore. The hours spent on my hair really needed to be spent on having a good time in the summer air as opposed to my hair battle. With a little bit of search, the only solution seemed ‘Keratin Treatment’ because what else could possibly make my life any easier???
What is a Keratin Treatment?
Keratin is one of the main heavy voluminous proteins that is makes up your hair and acts as a crazy protectant to begin with. You know those ‘Keratin’ advertised products? Exactly. Those are the ones aiming to get you to go buy them so you can have as much keratin protein in your hair strands as possible for it to be super shiny! The treatment basically involves fusing that keratin back to the hair making it stronger, shinier all while eliminating frizz. One thing to note is that while the hair looks straight right after, after the first wash you will retain the natural texture of your hair sans any frizz.
Depending on how well you take care of your hair, the treatment should easily last you for three months. Personally for me, I just wanted to get through the summer with frizz free hair so this timeline worked super well for me.
The Process of Getting a Keratin Treatment
The entire process (depending on hair length) will take around 3-5 hours. This process involves washing of the hair and application of the keratin chemicals by the hair stylist, leaving it on for 45 minutes to an hour. Then it is washed out with special shampoos and some heavy blow drying later, a fresh coat of more keratin products is applied followed by some insane level hair straightening to seal the product into the hair.
Be prepared for this to take up most of your day as the process is extremely lengthy and you will need loads of reading material to keep you occupied while you wait. Also be prepared for some extremely strong smells and scents that emanate from the keratin treatment that is being used. More on the chemical aspect in the cons section.
The Cost
Keratin treatments are quite an expensive feat to take on. Having had done this at the $600 price point, the longer the hair is, the more expensive the treatment will be. In my case, the thicker the hair is also seems to add to the labor by the stylist and may be factored into the final cost.
Another thing I would most definitely add to the cost is the upkeep of the process through sulfate free shampoos, hair masks and conditioners to ensure the longevity of the treatment. This is a major key to making your sure your hair actually lasts even well past the 3 month mark.
The Cons
So before I took the plunge with the process, I was actually also warned of all the negative aspects of a Keratin treatment. The main one is the exposure to the insane amount of chemicals, main one being: formaldehyde, a famously well known carcinogen. So if you are into clean beauty, then maybe take a double take when considering this experience. This is definitely a big deal breaker for many and especially if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant then this treatment is not a good idea.
For some hair types, the process can also cause a whole load of damage to the hair causing increase in hair fall (which will happen anyway) and dryness of the hair. I personally did experience a decent amount of increase in hair fall in the months that followed the treatment BUT I already have super SUPER thick hair so at least for now and in the grand scheme of things, didn’t really ruin my life as it would for a person with already thinning hair.
More on Keratin Treatment’s in one of the first and best article’s I read on Harper’s Bazaar.
