Keratin Treatments – Everything You Need To Know

You may have seen “keratin treatment” on the service list at your favorite salon. What is this, and do you need one? In this post I’m going to talk about what keratin is, why keratin treatments are beneficial, the cons of keratin treatments, as well as compare them to other similarly related services.

What is keratin?

Keratin is the protein that is found inside of your hair, skin, and nails. Essentially it’s what your hair is made up of.

What is a keratin treatment?

Since keratin is a protein, a keratin treatment is a protein treatment for the hair. It makes the hair stronger, less frizzy, and more manageable. This comes in the form as a chemical service performed in the salon. It replenishes lost protein in damaged hair.

What are the benefits of keratin treatments?

To fully understand the benefits of keratin treatments, you first need to understand a little about the anatomy of a hair strand.

Below I’ve given a quick summary, but for a full explanation on the anatomy of hair see my post here.

Hair anatomy

To start, every strand of hair contains 2-3 layers. Fine hair only has 2 layers, while coarse hair has 3 layers.

The outer layer is called the cuticle and resembles fish scales. This is the protective layer of a hair strand. The scales open when exposed to heat and steam, and close with cold. When hair is damaged, the outer scales are damaged and don’t close properly. This is what makes hair appear frizzy.

When this layer is damaged, hair will not hold onto color very well. This is because there isn’t much to protect the second layer where hair color lives. When this layer is healthy, the hair is smooth and silky.

The middle inner layer of a hair strand is called the cortex. The cortex is where hair color and wave pattern live. If this layer becomes damaged, the hair will go straight and become very porous. For fine hair, this is the deepest layer of hair.

When this layer is healthy the hair is strong, in it’s natural wave pattern, and holds onto hair color well.

The third layer is called the medulla. As mentioned, not all hair contains a medulla. Only course hair has this layer. If hair contains this layer, it will need excess deep moisturizing to reach the center. This is why coarse hair has the tendency to become dry.

Traditional conditioners won’t usually penetrate this layer. Deep conditioning treatments are necessary to moisturize the medulla.

Benefits

The benefits to keratin treatments are as follows:

• Reduces frizz
• Locks in hair color
• Strengthens the hair
• Protects against humidity
• Increases shine
• Makes hair more manageable
• Reduces blow drying time

How long do keratin treatments last?

***Since I’m sharing the products that I love to use with you guys, this page includes affiliate links to these products. If you take action and purchase a product through clicking one of my links, I’ll make some commission money from it at no extra cost to you. This enables me to be able to continue giving you awesome hair tips, so thanks! ***

Keratin treatments typically last anywhere from 3-5 months. This is dependent on how damaged your hair is to begin with. If your cuticle is severely damaged, the longevity of the keratin treatment will decrease.

Also keep in mind that the more you wash your hair, the less time your treatment will last for. After each shampoo you are removing small amounts of the keratin treatment.

I recommend using keratin-based products to increase the longevity of your treatment. Here you can find my favorite kit which includes a shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in treatment.

Will I lose my curls with a keratin treatment?

With a typical keratin treatment you will not lose your curls. This is because it is not a straightening treatment.

I have had some clients say that their curls became more defined after getting a keratin treatment because it made their hair super healthy and emphasized the natural wave pattern.

I’ve had other clients say that their curls were slightly looser than normal, and I believe this is because the hair was smooth and healthy. When the hair is healthy, it’s less frizzy which may mean a decrease in volume.

If the hair lost all of its wave pattern, then it was not a keratin treatment that you received. It was likely a straightening treatment made with some sort of hair relaxer. We’ll talk more about that in a later section.

Are keratin treatments bad for your hair?

Keratin treatments themselves are not damaging to your hair. That being said, there are a number of considerations to be aware of that can be damaging to your hair.

1. It is possible to over-keratinize your hair. If there is too much of a protein build-up on the hair strand, it can actually do the opposite and cause breakage. This is why it’s important to not do keratin treatments any sooner than 3-5 months.
2. High heat is required to apply the treatment. The service itself involves blow-drying and flat ironing the keratin into your hair. Typically you need to pass the iron 7-12 times over each section to fully saturate the hair strand. If this isn’t done properly or in excess, the heat can be damaging to your hair.
3. Some keratin treatments involve the use of formaldehyde (not all brands do, though). There are mixed opinions on if this is damaging to the hair, but no one can argue that it’s not great to breathe in. When these treatments are performed, you’ll need to have a fan going to keep it from burning your eyes or irritating your lungs. Because of this, I always used a formaldehyde-free keratin treatment.

How much do keratin treatments cost?

Because of the use of protein keratin treatments are a pretty expensive service. This is because the product alone is costly. A small 8oz bottle is several hundred dollars for the salon to purchase.

And aside from the cost of the product, these treatments typically take several hours to perform depending on the length and thickness of the hair. On average, it takes roughly 3 hours to complete.

So with the cost of the product to the stylists’ time, you can expect to pay $150-800 for a keratin treatment. This is based on your location, the brand of product used, and your stylists’ experience and hourly rate.

Keratin vs straightening services

As I mentioned earlier, keratin does not straighten the hair. Services that straighten the hair are typically referred to as chemical relaxers. A relaxer will permanently straighten the wave pattern of the hair. Essentially it is doing the same thing that a perm is doing, except permanently straightening instead of permanently curling.

These services are a lot more damaging than keratin treatments are. This is because the service is permanent and penetrates the cortex of the hair, adjusting the wave pattern. This is compared to coating the outer later with keratin.

A relaxer typically does not fade away, and the hair will be straight until it is grown out and cut off. The new hair that grows in will be the natural wave pattern again.

Typically I never suggest relaxing (or perming) the hair on top of highlighting or bleaching services. If the hair has been bleached (or you plan to bleach it in the future) I suggest staying away from relaxers. I always recommend choosing one or the other when it comes to these harsher chemical services.

Is Brazilian blowout a keratin treatment?

Yes, a Brazilian blowout is a keratin treatment. The reason it has this name is simply because it’s the most popular brand of keratin treatments. It is so well known, that people often refer to them as “Brazilians” instead of keratin treatments.

I actually am not a fan of the brand Brazilian Blowout. This is because this brand contains formaldehyde. I am already sensitive to chemicals, and certainly don’t need to be breathing this in all day at work–let alone exposing my clients to it.

Conclusion

Keratin is the protein that is found inside of your hair, skin, and nails. So a keratin treatment is a protein treatment that coats the hair with the protein it is made up of.

Keratin treatments:

• Reduce frizz
• Lock in hair color
• Strengthen the hair
• Protect against humidity
• Increase shine
• Make hair more manageable
• Reduce blow drying time

These treatments last from 3-5 months with proper after care.

You will not lose your wave pattern with this service, but you will lose frizz which can decrease the volume of your hair.

Keratin treatments aren’t bad for your hair but be aware of:

1. Not over-doing it. Too much keratin can cause breakage.
2. Be sure the service is done properly. Since high heat is needed, the hair can become damaged if proper technique isn’t used.
3. Formaldehyde is in some keratin treatments. This can be an irritant to the eyes and lungs.

These services typically cost $150-$800 based on the brand used, location, and the stylists’ experience.

This service is not to be confused with chemical relaxers. Relaxers permanently straighten the hair and are more damaging.

The most popular brand of keratin treatments is the Brazilian Blowout.

If you have any further questions or comments on this service, leave them for me in the comments! As always, Have A Good Hair Day!