Keratin hair treatment: Overview, benefits, care, and more

Table Of Content

• Find the Best Keratin Smoothing Treatment for Your Hair Type
• Where can you go for a keratin hair treatment?
• Things to Know About Hair-Smoothing Keratin Treatments
• What’s in My Hair Today: Keratin Shampoo and Conditioner
• Dove RE+AL Bio-Mimetic Repair Coconut + Vegan Keratin Sulfate-Free Shampoo
• What is Keratin? Everything You Need to Know About this Hair Protein

As hair becomes damaged, it needs all the help it can get to repair and boost its natural structure. Keratin treatments and keratin-infused products offer many benefits to your hair. Some employees at hair salons even reported nosebleeds and respiratory problems from handling the keratin treatment products and inhaling their fumes repeatedly over time. These levels of formaldehyde exceeded the national safety standard for chemical exposure by five times. People with a sensitivity to formaldehyde or respiratory problems should also avoid keratin treatments.

Find the Best Keratin Smoothing Treatment for Your Hair Type

As someone who struggles with thick frizzy hair and unruly curls, I was eager to find out if a keratin treatment could tame my locks and help me in any way. Seeing as it usually takes me over two hours to straighten my whole head of hair, it seemed worth a shot and essentially everyone I know had recommended I try it, if only to give me a bit more time each day. Using a heat protection spray after you’ve had a treatment (and any time you use heat on your hair) is important, as too much heat can reduce its effects. If you’ve ever wondered how A-listers like Jennifer Aniston maintain their perennially sleek and shiny hair, the answer probably lies in a keratin treatment. Also known as a Brazilian blow dry, a keratin treatment is many people’s preferred way of getting sleeker, straighter, frizz-free hair on a more long-term basis. To find out everything you need to know about the treatment, and what to expect if you opt for it, Vogue spoke to keratin expert and colourist Damian Gray, who’s based at London salon Hershesons.

Where can you go for a keratin hair treatment?

18 Best At-Home Keratin Treatments 2024, Reviewed by Editors - MarieClaire.com

18 Best At-Home Keratin Treatments 2024, Reviewed by Editors.

Posted: Wed, 24 Apr 2024 15:26:27 GMT [source]

These smoothing hair treatments—which are one in the same—are known for their ability to make hair look straight, smooth, and shiny for up to six months. The only problem is, they’re loaded with chemicals and often get a bad rap as a result. Because of that, and knowing full well just how beneficial keratin can be on its own as a haircare ingredient, beauty brands have begun formulating keratin-infused at-home products. The biggest misconception about keratin treatments is that they are hair-straightening treatments and when I got mine I expected the same results as a permanent hair straightening. A keratin hair treatment is actually a hair relaxing treatment, smoothing out the frizz and making your hair easier to straighten. Each time I washed my hair, it wouldn’t dry straight, it would dry curly as normal but would be noticeably smoother and sleeker, making it a lot more manageable.

Things to Know About Hair-Smoothing Keratin Treatments

On a day-to-day basis, you’ll want to find a way to incorporate a product into your routine to promote the health of your hair. Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion Smoothing Hair Serum is one of our favorites. It’s a lightweight formula that will add shine to your strands while fighting frizziness. Like many salon treatments, a keratin treatment starts with shampooing. This gets your hair squeaky clean, so when the keratin treatment is applied, it can really sink in and bond to your strands. It's a temporary chemical treatment that softens your hair, adding shine and removing frizz.

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The treatment is done in the salon, and involves applying a high concentration keratin solution to freshly washed hair. The treatment is then heat-sealed into the hair shaft with a straightener. How long the process takes depends on how long and thick your hair is, but you should set aside anywhere between two and four hours for your visit.

Ready to go on your hairspray shopping journey with the help of a trusty expert who'll point you in the right direction? Countless spritzes and reviews later, we’ve managed to round up the 14 best hairsprays for holding curls, setting updos, and keeping fine hairs in check. Currently, no credible evidence supports the use of collagen for hair growth in humans. Studies on the effect of collagen supplementation on hair growth tend to be in vitro, on animals, or poor quality. While studies such as these may be a starting point for further research, there is not enough evidence to show collagen supplementation promotes hair growth in humans. I went to Lockonego on the King’s Road where the treatments started at £200, lasting for around three months.

There has been some controversy surrounding keratin treatments, because they use formaldehyde or other chemicals that release formaldehyde. A person can expect to pay up to $400 or more, depending on their hair and the salon. They may also need to buy potentially costly specialized hair products. Depending on hair thickness or length, as the chemicals diffuse into the hair, they alter the cross-linking of the keratin strands.

A keratin treatment is a temporary straightening process that is used to mend frizzy, unmanageable locks and turn them into super shiny, straight tresses that pretty much epitomize the look of hair health. The keratin treatment is bound to the hair by using a high-temp hair straightener. A keratin treatment is a temporary smoothing treatment that infuses hair with keratin, a fibrous protein found in hair, skin, and fingernails. It's great for someone who wants to tone down their nature curl texture and make styling a seamless process, Lorean Cairns, founder of Fox & Jane, tells Glamour. I'd rather not spend the time attempting styles like wash-and-gos or twist-outs.

What is Keratin? Everything You Need to Know About this Hair Protein

The main portion of the hair structure that contributes to its elastic properties is the cortex – a cluster of protein (keratin) bonds that chain together to support tension and stretch. A keratin treatment adds progressive enhancements to each hair strand to preserve its visual quality and smooth feel. Similarly, when you overwork your hair with chemical treatments and heat styling, they ruffle up and crack.

However, the results will eventually fade, and an individual will need to repeat the treatment to maintain straight, smooth hair. More permanent straightening options like relaxers (sometimes called Japanese straightening) actually break hair bonds using the ingredients ammonium thioglycolate and sodium hydroxide. This makes for permanent results, but can also cause an awkward growing out phase with non-treated hair growing in curly at the roots. There are keratin treatments that are formaldehyde-free (they use glyoxylic acid instead) but they’re not quite as effective. There are several ways to use keratin for hair to get all the benefits, including stronger hair that is shiny and frizz free.

Keratin treatments can be relatively expensive and time-consuming, requiring a visit to a professional salon. Additionally, the treatment might require a time commitment of several hours at the hair salon. Keratin treatments make hair more manageable, especially if your hair is particularly frizzy or thick. If you’re not sure if keratin treatment is right for you, weigh the pros and cons below. This affordable high street option is formulated with fine, flat hair in mind. It has such great reviews for its strong hold with no stickiness or crunch.