Keratin Straightening Treatment

02.07.10

Three Saturdays ago I got the Brazilian Keratin Straightening Treatment and I am in love. I have straighter, more manageable hair and most importantly, I have hair that dries fast. Blow-dry time has dropped from 2+ hours to 20 minutes tops! And with minimal use of a brush or straightening iron, my hair is transformed into the neat stye that I prefer. As an added bonus, my hair is
incredibly soft and shiny. I couldn't be more pleased! FOr those of you who are interested, here are the details:

The trip to the salon will last about 3 hours. Your hair is shampooed and then the keratin is applied. The keratin is a completely natural product and is not damaging to your hair. My stylist, Alex Safar, at Salon Acote said that the keratin specialist who did the demo at their salon actually ATE the keratin and applied it without gloves! My eyes did water a bit (as though I was slicing an onion) when the keratin was applied to the hairline around my face, but other than that I didn't notice a smell or anything else off-putting.

Once the keratin was applied evenly through every inch of my hair, I was put in a cap and left alone to read my trashy celebrity magazine for 20 minutes.

Once the 20 minutes was up, my stylist blew out my hair with the keratin product still in! Apparently the heat of the blow-dry forces the keratin into the cuticle of the hair. It seemed to be a sticky process at first, but the end product looked like a normal blow-dry!

Immediately following the blow-dry, my hair was straightened with a special straightening iron made especially for the Keratin Straightening Treatment that heats up to 450 degrees. This additional heat further forces the keratin into the cuticle of the hair. At the end of the process my hair was stick-straight, but did not look odd. It simply looked like I had been to the salon and asked to have my hair styled super-straight.

Once my hair was flat-ironed, I was sent home, but with strict instructions not to wet my hair or where any clips, headbands or elastic bands in it for 72 hours. This may sound hard, but I wasn't as inconvenienced as I thought. My hair was parted and styled so that it was out of my face and I donned a shower cap when I hopped in the shower. I couldn't go to the gym, but I enjoyed a few luxuriously lazy nights at home cooking with my husband.

At the end of the 72 hours, I scrubbed my hair with my new sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner - a must-have for keratin straightened hair - and marveled at the ease at which I dried and
styled my new hair.

The process is a little costly - ususally somewhere between $300-$500, but for someone with hair like mine who struggles to get her natural hair dry in under 2 hours, time is money!! Also, this process is especially appealing for those women who color their hair since you can color your hair and treat it with keratin at the same time. (Something that you can't do with all straightening techniques...) Furthermore, the keratin fades out evenly over time - usually between 3 and 4 months - instead of growing out from the roots. This saves you costly touch-ups and allows you to return to your curls if desired.

I will probably let my curls come back for summer when my boho tops and wide-leg jeans come out of the closet and its warm enough to air-dry my hair. But - for now - when walking out of the house with a wet head is not an option, I love my straight hair!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               --Marisa