What Can I Expect With Keratin Hair Straightening?

Unfortunately, there isn't any one-size-fits-all description of a keratin straightening treatment. What the process involves depends on the salon and because it isn't regulated, the steps may differ from place to place. In general, though, your hair will be thoroughly washed with a super-duper clarifying shampoo so that the keratin can really get into the heart of each strand of hair. Then, your hair will be roughly towel-dried so that it's no longer soaking wet. The stylist will then paint the solution onto your hair, strand by strand, bit by bit, until each and every bit of hair is completely covered. Hair will then be blow-dried completely straight, and once dry, will be straightened using a pair of flat irons. Then, you're good to go.

Aftercare

You shouldn't put your hair up, use hairbands or hair ties or do anything that'll make a kink or a curl in your hair, which means that you'll have to sleep in some uncomfortable positions to make sure that your hair remains soft and sleek. This is just for the first few days though - once you've washed your hair for the first time, you'll be good to go.

What About a Home Straightening Kit?

Home straightening kits are easy to come by. You'll find them in virtually every supermarket and they generally claim to make your hair smooth and sleek for up to ten weeks. But the reality is that these budget kits will more often that not fail to be a match for a salon treatment, and that's actually because they don't contain formaldehyde. The reason that salon kits tend to work so well is because of the formaldehyde. The straightening activates it, which effectively bonds the conditioner to your hair - that's what keeps it soft for so long.

A number of salons claim to use formulas that are formaldehyde free, but in something like 50% of formaldehyde free keratin straightening treatments, tests showed that the formulas contained around 8-12% formaldehyde. Definitely not formaldehyde free. 

See Also: How To Tame Curly Hair

Benefits

There are tons of benefits to having a keratin straightening treatment, especially if you're getting a bit sick and tired of taming your frizz and slathering your hair with products every morning. It'll shave off loads of time each morning when you're styling your hair and it also means that any style is more likely to stick, too, as heat and humidity will affect your hair much less once you've had your treatment. You might think of this as a benefit, or you might not: once you've had a treatment it is advised that you wash your hair less frequently - 3 times a week or so - so that the treatment sticks. Which means less time in the shower!