Keratin hair treatment has been a buzzword for quite some time now. Hair salons have moved on from promoting rebonding to keratin as the go-to treatment. It’s ...
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Keratin hair treatment has been a buzzword for quite some time now. Hair salons have moved on from promoting rebonding to keratin as the go-to treatment. It’s seen as the perfect solution for dry, frizzy hair that prone to severe hair loss and breakage.
In this post, you will learn:
1. What is keratin?
2. Types of keratin treatments available in India
3. Keratin hair treatments’ pros and cons
4. Cost of keratin hair treatment in India
5. Keratin hair treatment process
Keratin is a protein that is naturally occurring in our hair. It constitutes 91% of our hair. Over time, due to the impact of hair styling, chemical products and age, the amount of keratin decreases. As a result, our hair become dry, coarse and lose out on the natural shine and gloss. To remedy this, keratin hair treatments have become a go-to. The treatment adds a layer of protein (keratin) to your hair, thus strengthening them and making them manageable.
Before making your hair undergo keratin treatment, it’s important to know which one to go for. There are essentially two types of keratin treatments out there.
1. Brazilian blowout: It straightens out your hair texture and lasts up to 3 months
2. Smoothing treatments: they de-frizz your hair and add shine but don’t change the hair texture. As these do not use formaldehyde in the process, their effect lasts up to 6 months.
So, if you don’t want to say bye to your curls just yet, opt for smoothing treatments. However, if you want a straighter look (something that resembles the effect of flat iron on hair) Brazilian blowout is your thing.
As it’s a chemical treatment, it’s not 100% safe. In Brazilian blowout, a formaldehyde-releasing solution is applied on the hair. While this chemical makes hair frizz free, large doses are harmful. Smoothing treatments, however, do not use formaldehyde, making them a safer option.
Advantages of keratin-treated hair:
1. Makes hair silky smooth and manageable
2. Is temporary, so there’s no lasting damage
Keratin hair treatment side effects are as follows
1. Reduces hair volume
2. Makes hair greasy
3. Might lead to color fading in the case of colored hair
4. Might not give straight hair in the case of heavily curled hair and a flat iron might be needed later on for styling
Keratin is most suited for people who have very dry, frizzy, curly and unruly hair. The treatment can also be availed by those who find their hair very thick or very voluminous.
The longevity of keratin treatments depends on your hair texture and how religiously you follow the after-care routines. The Brazilian Blowout treatment usually lasts up to 2-3 months while smoothing treatments up to 6 months.
Keratin hair treatment is a multi-step process:
1. Your hair are washed thoroughly.
2. Hair are split in different sections and keratin (in the form of serum) is applied to every strand.
3. To activate the keratin, hair are made to undergo a heat treatment via a steam machine. This step can take up to 20-40 minutes depending on the hair texture. If you have very curly hair, then instead of steam, a blow dry might be done for quicker and lasting absorption of keratin.
4. Hair are washed again to rinse off keratin.
5. Hair are dried and straightened to complete the process.
This process is repeated in later sittings also.
[Also Read: How To Wash Hair The Right Way]
Keratin treatment requires a couple of sittings, with each being 2-3 hour long, depending on the type and length of hair.
Depending on the hair and length salon you choose, keratin treatment in India can cost anywhere between Rs 4,000 and Rs 8,000, excluding follow-up sessions.
Yes, you can do keratin hair treatment at home. However, it won’t be as effective as the one done in a salon. Nowadays, you have hair creams, masques, shampoos and sprays with keratin as their main component. You can use the full keratin range of products and see the effect. Some of the brands you can try are Schwarzkopf, Marc Anthony, Tresemme, Amazon Keratin and more.
With every treatment, come certain dos and don’ts and keratin is no different.
After-care for keratin-treated hair:
1. Don’t tie (like a ponytail) or wash hair for 2 days after getting the treatment.
2. Use sulfate-free and parabens-free shampoos and conditioners only.
3. Use homemade hair masks to help keep the hair hair silky smooth and manageable.
Both are very different treatments and their end results differ significantly. Keratin aims to smoothen hair, relax them and make them manageable. Your hair will still have soft curls and won’t be poker straight. Contrary to this, permanent hair straightening or rebonding changes the chemical composition of hair making them poker straight.
[Also read: How To Blow Dry Hair At Home]
Yes, you can give your colored hair keratin treatment. The only downside is that your color may fade slightly.
Keratin repairs and strengthens hair by covering hair shafts. It makes hair less prone to breakage, so less hairfall. As there is less hairfall and hair feel stronger one gets the impression that the hair have become thick, which may not be necessarily true.
It’s best to give your hair some time to breathe once the complete cycle of your keratin treatment is over. This is because, the treatment does involve chemicals, and frequent application can cause more harm than good – making hair more brittle and prone to breakage. Ideally 3-4 months’ gap in the second complete cycle would be best.
People who already have smooth hair don’t need to get the treatment. Also, keratin hair treatments, more specifically Brazilian Blowout, are not recommended for pregnant women given the chemicals (formaldehyde) used.
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