Also known as Brazilian hair treatments, keratin hair treatments are a semi-permanent, hair-smoothing, curl-softening professional chemical treatment. They make hair straighter, shinier and even healthier. The treatments are usually made up of a chemical like formaldehyde (which creates the long-lasting smoothing effect), conditioners, and some keratin (a protein our hair is made of to add strength).
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Keratin vs. Japanese Hair Straightening
The Japanese hair straightening treatment (a.k.a. thermal reconditioning) is permanent — it actually changes the internal structure of your hair, removes all curl to create pin-straight strands and may damage hair. It's also not very popular anymore. "Japanese doesn't fight frizz or cut blow dry time in half," says Rosado. "It just straightens your hair."
Comparatively, keratin treatments only last three to six months (depending on the product used and your lifestyle). They will not straighten — only soften — curl (though they will straighten waves). However, they do eliminate frizz and can make hair healthier over time.
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Keratin treatments for straight, smooth hair has reached major popularity among our readers. According to Eric Rosado, Artistic Director at Ted Gibson Salon in New York City, keratin treatments are truly, "the best option for defrizzing and smoothing many textures of hair from curly to relaxed."
Mauricio Ribeiro, creator of the Brazilian Blowout, says that since their launch, keratin treatments have evolved so much — and customers no longer complain about a strong chemical smell. That said, the process won't work without chemicals.
"To get shiny, straight hair for months, formaldehyde or other aldehydes must be used," explains Chemist Doug Schoon, president of School Scientific in Dana Point, California. "I believe [clients] have no risk" of being harmed by the treatments, he added.
Bottom line, the choice is yours when it comes to deciding if a Brazilian keratin hair treatment is right for you. To make your decision easier, read on to get answers to commonly asked questions about keratin and feedback from readers on some of the big-name treatments.
There are so many keratin hair treatments available now, so if we missed one that you love or one that you had a bad experience with, please tell us about it by commenting on this story.
