If you are wondering what the secret behind so many women’s smooth and shiny hair is, the answer is keratin treatment. Keratin treatments are becoming more and more popular day by day, and why wouldn’t it? The process works as a magic to transform your frizzy hair into silky smooth hair. This is why many women visit a keratin treatments salon after every 6 -8  months.

If you are trying to learn more about the process and whether or not it is beneficial, you have come to the right place. The following article covers all details about keratin treatments and the factors surrounding it so that you can decide whether it is the right step for you or not.

A simple guide for keratin treatment

Keratin treatment is a chemical process that works at de-frizzing your hair and making it smoother and shinier. There are various different types of keratin treatments based on their formulas. Some of them release formaldehyde when heated while others are formaldehyde free.

All these keratin treatments last up to 6 months. The porous areas in the hair follicles are injected with keratin, which is a very important hair protein, due to which your hair appear healthier, smoother and shinier. The cost will depend on your hair length and also on your hairstylist.

Process

The time it takes to complete the process depends on various different aspects. Your hair type and how much hair you have, the type of formula being used, and your hair texture all determine how long the treatment will take to be completed.

However, the general time lasts from 2 to 4 hours so expect to stay at the salon for a couple of hours. The process depends on your hairstylist and the type of hair you have. Either your hairstylist will wash your hair, blow dry it and then apply the keratin treatment or he or she will wash your hair and apply the treatment on wet hair and let it saturate for about half an hour.

Then the treatment is sealed in with a hot iron, with the heat between mild to moderate. Once the treatment is sealed in, you are good to go. It is better to shower once or twice a week only and that too without using a shampoo. Instead just wash your hair with water and use a conditioner later on.

Can this be done at home?

Yes, it can be done at home. However, the results may not be the best at home. Using the right products play an essential role in this. While may products may say “keratin”, that does not automatically mean that they are actually keratin treatments. Because keratin is an essential hair protein, a lot of hair products say they include keratin.

Keratin treatments, however, are different. The best way is to look at the ingredients list and instructions. If they do not include intense silicone and conditioning treatments and do not provide proper instructions on how to wash, dry and straighten your hair, it is probably just a normal hair product. However even if you buy an actual keratin treatment, the results may not match that of the salon’s neither will they last as long.

How safe is it?

We mentioned earlier that a lot of keratin treatments release formaldehyde when heated. Formaldehyde is a carcinogen. While the quantity of formaldehyde in the keratin treatment is not too much, it should still be avoided, especially by pregnant women.

Some keratin treatments are also formaldehyde free and therefore it is better to use them. However, they are not as effective or long lasting as the ones with formaldehyde. Despite that, it is still safe to go with formaldehyde free treatments. If you choose a high end keratin treatment by hair stylist, you will not have to worry about the use of formaldehyde.