Keratin Hair Straightening: Must Know Facts

Keratin hair straightening has been popular amongst beauty editors, bloggers and curly-haired gals for quite some time. But in the last few years, we've heard a few horror stories about the levels of formaldehyde (what you might know as the liquid used to preserve dead things) in the keratin treatments, making people sick. Learn what you need to know about keratin straightening treatments to make sure that your lovely locks end up sleek and smooth rather than frizzy and burnt.

What Even Is It?

What is keratin anyway? Well, it's a hair straightening treatment designed to smooth out curly, frizzy or wavy locks. Here are the facts.

• Keratin is a protein that exists naturally in each and every strand of hair. It's one of the building blocks of strong, healthy hair and without it, hair is frizzy and weakened.
• The process is pretty simple, really. A keratin product is applied to the hair from root to tip then sealed in using a flat iron. There are a vast number of products on the market and which product your salon uses really depends on whether they're high end or budget - but what you need to know is that for this, you really need to go to somewhere a little more high-end. The cheaper the treatment, the more damage it's likely to do to your hair.
• If you usually blow dry your hair straight, with a barrel brush and a pair of straighteners, salons say that getting a keratin straightening treatment will reduce your styling time by 40-60%.
• Keratin treatments reduce frizz. They effectively seal each hair cuticle, keeping it smooth, straight and frizz-free, so even if you go out in the rain or in the heat or if it's humid outside, your hair will stay wonderfully soft and straight.
• The best way to "keep" your keratin, and to make it work properly is to keep your hair unwashed for four days following treatment. It takes a little while to penetrate the hair fibers and if you wash your hair, you'll wash the solution right out. Once you do start to wash your hair again, use a sodium and sulfates free shampoo.
• Keratin treatments typically last for around ten weeks, so if you're someone who blow dries and straightens their hair once a day, it could save you a significant amount of time.

Formaldehyde

So what's all the fuss over formaldehyde? Well, it's a pretty strong chemical and in large quantities can be quite dangerous, but more for the person giving the keratin treatment than the person receiving the treatment.

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If you have a reaction, or if you have any concerns, speak to the person giving the keratin treatment. And keep in mind that generally, it isn't the formaldehyde that causes dry hair or breakages, but the straighteners used on the hair to seal in the treatment afterwards.

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. 

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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!