Keratin hair treatments use formaldehyde to envelop each strand with protective protein that repairs damaged cuticles, providing smoothing and strengthening benefits to damaged hair. Treatments typically last from three to five months depending on your formula choice and hair texture.
An excessively frequent application can damage your hair over time. Many salons now provide formaldehyde-free treatments.
1. It Helps to Reduce Frizz
Keratin treatments smooth hair strands to eliminate frizz and flyaways while also helping eliminate split ends, giving your tresses a healthier and lustrous finish. The process typically takes one to three hours, during which your stylist will shampoo your locks to remove residue or impurities before administering keratin treatments to each section of your head.
After receiving a keratin treatment, your hair may remain sleek and shiny for six months or more. However, humidity can wreak havoc with these shiny locks, leading them back towards their original texture and creating havoc amongst those that want the full benefits of their keratin treatment.
Many keratin treatments contain formaldehyde, which is known as a carcinogen and may cause various side effects. However, newer keratin treatments use lesser harmful chemicals without formaldehyde content.
2. It Helps to Repair Damaged Hair
Keratin treatments work by smoothening out your cuticle layer, giving it a sleeker, glossier appearance while strengthening strands to increase resistance to damage and frizz.
Keratin is an essential structural protein found naturally in your skin, nails and hair that works to keep them strong, resilient and healthy. Unfortunately, when natural levels decrease through chemical processing, age or diet you could end up experiencing dry, fragile and dull locks.
Unfortunately, some keratin treatments contain formaldehyde which can be dangerous when inhaled in large doses and cause nose and eye irritation. Therefore, it’s essential that consumers carefully read ingredient lists of in-salon keratin treatments for signs of formaldehyde (or its substitutes such as methylene glycol) or other toxic chemicals to ensure their own safety and ask their stylist for formaldehyde-free alternatives in order to safeguard themselves.
3. It Helps to Make Your Hair Smoother
Keratin is the primary protein component of hair and works to seal in its cuticle for easier styling and silkier locks. A keratin treatment helps make styling your locks silkier and simpler than ever!
However, not all keratin treatments are created equal. Traditional forms contain formaldehyde which is an extremely harmful chemical which can do irreparable damage to both hair and scalp over time. Many salons now provide formaldehyde-free versions using safer ingredients like glyoxylic acid and carbocyanine that help strengthen, repair, and smooth your locks without subjecting you to harmful toxins.
After receiving a keratin treatment, it’s essential to follow your stylist’s aftercare instructions in order to maximize results and extend them. This means using sulfate-free shampoo and forgoing heat styling as much as possible – also avoid pulling your hair up into ponytails or buns until the results have set in. Instead, wear your hair loosely throughout.
4. It Helps to Make Your Hair Silkier
Keratin treatments work to smooth hair cuticles and fill damaged areas, creating a surface that better reflects light. This results in healthy-looking radiant shine which is particularly noticeable on curly and wavy textures which tend to absorb light more readily than their straight counterparts.
Keratin can reduce the appearance of split ends. Furthermore, it helps seal in color for longer, keeping its vibrancy alive and beautiful.
After getting your hair treated with keratin, it is imperative that you follow your stylist’s instructions closely. Washing too soon or getting wet (whether by swimming in a pool or getting caught in the rain) may cause the keratin to come right off – for best results wait at least several days after receiving an appointment before engaging in such activities.
5. It Helps to Make Your Hair Longer
Keratin is a natural protein found in your hair, skin, nails and other body parts that works to strengthen and smooth out your strands, making styling simpler and reducing frizziness. Furthermore, it protects the scalp – essential for healthy hair growth!
Concerns surrounding traditional salon keratin treatments stem from their use of formaldehyde, an established carcinogen that releases into the atmosphere when subjected to extreme heat (for instance when used with flat irons). If this concerns you, Fitzsimons suggests asking your stylist for an exclusively formaldehyde-free service.
Once you’ve had a keratin treatment, it’s important to adhere to its aftercare instructions for maximum success. This often means using sulfate-free shampoo and waiting three days before colouring or bleaching your hair.
