I got my first Keratin Hair Treatment in December 2009. I love it, because:
- For almost 8 weeks, I don't use any product in my hair;
- My hair takes about 5 minutes to style;
- I can literally wash-and-go, if I want;
- Keratin does not damage hair;
- I don't need as many haircuts (remember this to justify the cost);
- NO FRIZZ
Here is the process, in a nutshell:
- Stylist washes hair
- Stylist applies keratin product
- Stylist blow dries hair
- Stylist flat irons hair
- You do not get hair wet (water or sweat) for 3 days (total torture, but worth it)!
- You cannot bend your hair ( no tucking behind the ears, no ponytail/barrettes, nothing--more torture)
- You wash hair and cry tears of joy when you realize how awesome your hair is!
If you have fine and wavy hair, like I do, a Keratin hair treatment will straighten your hair and get rid of all the frizz. If you have thick hair, the Keratin treatment will get rid of the frizz, but not straigthen your hair. If you hair is thick, you should look into the Japanese hair treatment
The first time I got the treatment, my hair was super flat for the first few weeks. So, the next time I had the treatment, about 15 weeks later, my stylist did not flat iron my hair to set the product. She blow dried my hair straight with a round brush only. My hair had more body and wavy, with no frizz, but it did not last as long (about 12 weeks).
The last time I had it done, my stylist flat ironed my hair, but I washed my hair after 2.5 days, instead of 3 days. It has been about six weeks now and I am just about to the point of having to put a little product in my hair to style it. The wave is gradually coming back, but without frizz! I think it is a success.
Costs really vary from salon to salon and stylist to stylist. I recommend that you consult with a few stylists. Note that the thicker and/or longer your hair is, the more it will cost. This is because it will take the stylist longer to work on your hair and we all know that TIME = MONEY!
There are few different companies that make the Keratin hair treatment products. I use
Coppola Keratin Complex and have great results.
I also color my hair and it is safe for color. There is even a special formula for blonds. You will get the best results if you color your hair, then apply the Keratin treatment immediately afterwards. However, you can't always get the timing of your color and Keratin perfect, so don't freak out if you can't do both processes at the same time. It isn't that big of a deal.
If you stylist tells you to use the shampoo and conditioner for keratin treated hair, just do it. It isn't worth the risk of stripping out the treatment.
For those of you in Houston, my stylist is Elia at
Salon Ceron in the Uptown Park shopping center. I highly recommend her.
