Straight hair has been one of the longest-running fashion trends of all time. It’s not surprising that a lot of women love the poker-straight look and are willing to go to any lengths to achieve it. I’ve used a variety of hair-straightening products myself, including hot irons, creams, blow-drying with a brush and much more. Some of these methods have worked, while others have let me down terribly, but I still keep trying!
Recently, I heard about keratin hair straightening and I was intrigued. According to my stylist and some friends who had tried it, this was one way to get sleek, straight hair, guaranteed. Of course, I had to check it out for myself and I have to say that it was much better than I had expected.
After sitting in the hairstyling chair for almost an hour, I was hoping that it would at least last longer than the straightening iron! I had seen silky smooth hair of my friends, but my hair seems to be exceptionally prone to frizz and dryness. I wasn’t sure that it would turn out the same way.
Well, the result was beautiful! I had straight strands hanging down my neck and they felt silky soft to the touch. I was very curious about how it worked, so I sat down to learn the facts and here’s what I found.
Facts About Keratin Hair Straightening
- This procedure, also known as Brazilian hair straightening, involves the use of keratin and formaldehyde to change the structure of your hair. Keratin is a protein that is found in human hair and it is mixed with formaldehyde and applied on the hair. The hair is then straightened with a flat iron to seal in the effects.
- The effects of keratin hair straightening can last up to 75 days, but you have to make sure that you do not wash your hair for at least 72 hours after the treatment. This ensures that the effects are long-lasting and is necessary for the treatment to be effective.
- Hair that has been straightened with keratin can be coloured or highlighted. If you want to change your hair colour or touch it up after a few weeks, you can do that the way you normally would.
- These treatments are a little expensive, but they cut down the cost and effort of styling your hair regularly. If you are going in for these straightening treatments every few months though, they can be very heavy on your pocket.
- There are medical concerns about the use of formaldehyde in the keratin straightening treatment. Formaldehyde is a suspected carcinogenic substance and some people have reported the occurrence of rashes and irritation after the use of the product. Normally, the companies that produce keratin products for hair straightening use a medically approved level of the chemical, but some salons and stylists mix their own products to make it more effective.
In order to avoid any side effects, speak to your stylist before you get the treatment. Ensure that they do not use their own mixtures and do not believe them if they say they don’t use formaldehyde. I would love to know your views on the article, do write to me.
