Do you have a lot of hair? Do you have long, curly, or frizzy hair? If so, then a Brazilian Keratin Treatment might be right for you.
A Brazilian Keratin treatment can help your hair become smoother and shinier. It also helps to prevent split ends. This article will show you how to do a DIY Keratin Treatment at home!
The word Keratin has become a buzzword in the hair world. It’s time to get educated on what it can do for you and your hair type.
If you’re looking to restore and replenish your color treated tresses, this treatment can work wonders.
What’s amazing about keratin treatments is not just that they transform your dry, color-damaged hair into silky smooth tresses, they also help you to control your hair better in the months that it lasts.
That’s why we’re here to guide you through how to get it right first time!
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Table of Contents
- What is keratin?
- What are the benefits of keratin?
- How To Do A Brazilian Keratin Treatment At Home step by step.
- Watch and learn: How to Apply A Brazilian Keratin Treatment
- Brazilian keratin treatment before and after
- Does keratin make your hair straight?
- What is a keratin treatment?
- How long does a keratin treatment last?
- Does a keratin treatment damage your hair?
- Are keratin treatments safe for colored hair?
- Can you give yourself a keratin treatment at home?
- TOP TIP!
- Which is the best at-home keratin treatment?
- TOP PICK!
- Cocochoco Professional Gold Premium Keratin Hair Treatment
- How do I look after my keratin treated hair?
- What happens when my keratin treatment wears off?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Parting words.
What is keratin?
Keratin is a protein that makes up the main structure of your hair and skin. It acts as a natural, protective shield against heat, humidity and frizz.
You might have seen the word keratin on shampoo bottles and wondered what it is.
Put simply, it’s the protein that makes up your outer skin, hair and nails.
Over time, your hair loses keratin from things like dyeing and straightening your hair. And from things like exposure to the sun and weather.
Keratin contains powerful amino acids that work by smoothing over the cells that make up your hair strands.
Keratin helps maintain the health of your hair by giving it strength and protecting it from breakage.
It can help to make your hair smooth and straighten out so it becomes more manageable.
What are the benefits of keratin?
- Helps to improve the overall quality of the hair
- Increases hair strength
- Enhances hair elasticity
- Makes hair look more shiny & healthy
- Helps protect hair from harsh salon processes & environmental stressors
- Locks in color and helps it last for longer
How To Do A Brazilian Keratin Treatment At Home step by step.
What you’ll need:
- Clarifying shampoo to remove dirt, debris and styling products from your hair.
- Hair straighteners that can heat up to at least 185 degrees.
- A hair dryer with both medium and high heat settings.
- Butterfly clips to hold upper sections of hair in place while you straighten the under-layers.
- A plastic bowl and brush (optional) to pour COCOCHOCO Gold Hair Treatment into for ease of application.
- A wide-tooth comb to separate hair sections and remove knots after shampooing.
- A mask for the fumes if not included (it isn’t always).
- A friend to help straighten your hair/amuse you (optional).
Set the scene.
You’re going to need to set aside anywhere between 2.5-3 hours to do this from start to finish. So make sure you’ve got the time, and the patience.
Although our chosen keratin treatment is formaldehyde free, it still contains magic-making chemicals that work wonders on repairing your hair.
It really does smell!
So make sure the room you apply it in is well ventilated.
Step one: Wash your hair
Wash your hair TWICE with Clarifying Shampoo, to make sure all dirt and debris is removed.
This makes sure the keratin treatment can really get into the fabric of your hair and fortify the bonds. Then, you rinse and towel dry. Easy so far!
Step two: Dry your hair
Dry your hair on a medium heat with a hair dryer until it’s completely dry.
You don’t need to worry about products or styling it.
The point of this step is to make sure your hair is completely moisture free so that the keratin treatment has no barriers to penetrate your hair.
Step three: Prepare the treatment
Comb your hair thoroughly and shake the product well before use. Pour it into your bowl.
Step four: Apply the treatment
Brush the Brazilian Keratin Treatment onto sections of hair (avoiding the scalp) and comb out the excess.
Don’t worry if your eyes start watering! Leave this on for 10 minutes.
Step five: Dry your hair
When your 10 minutes is up, dry your hair with a hair dryer again on a medium setting.
Don’t use any styling products.
You should already start to feel the difference in the texture of your hair. Exciting!
Step five: Straighten your hair (a lot!)
This is the part of the process where the hair shaft is sealed, and the new proteins that are restoring your hair start to get locked in with the irons.
This is where you may want to get some help for the hard to reach areas.
We found the 185 degree heat of our ghd straighteners was hot enough and we wouldn’t have liked to go any hotter on our color-treated hair.
It’s a real arm-ache straightening your hair five times!
We divided our hair into sections using the clips.
With shoulder-length, thick hair, this was about 8 sections.
We worked through each section, straightening it five times each. A heat proof glove would have been useful as our hair got very hot to touch!
Depending on the length and the thickness of your hair, the treatment and its application can take anywhere from an hour and a half to up to three hours.
It took us two and a half with shoulder-length hair but we were extra thorough on the straightening part.
Step six: Be amazed!
ADMIRE and BE AMAZED!
What keeps you going with the straightening is that you can see and feel the results straight away.
Our hair is so much smoother, shinier and glossier then it ever is when we straighten it.
Our color just seemed to pop more and your hair feels healthy and like new.
“For the person who has severely damaged and over processed hair, it’s definitely worth it. The treatment will allow them to grow out their hair while keeping it looking decent, and while helping to prevent more damage.”
Ginger Knowles, Licensed Cosmetologist
Watch and learn: How to Apply A Brazilian Keratin Treatment
Here’s a great video tutorial that guides you through how to apply your keratin treatment for glossy, silky locks.
Brazilian keratin treatment before and after
Does keratin make your hair straight?
Yes. A Brazilian keratin treatment is a straightening process for your hair.
Keratin products are used primarily for smoothing curly or frizzy wavy hair by reducing the formation of new waves or curls after they have formed.
If you want to use keratin in order to make your hair straight, it’s the product for you.
What is a keratin treatment?
Hair can get frizzy, dry, and unmanageable. A keratin treatment is a solution for this!
In just one session it repairs damage. Your hair will be frizz-free, softer, shinier and smoother. You’ll have less breakage and more volume.
The treatment helps to seal the cuticle of the hair which results in less damage from heat, styling tools or environmental factors – such as pollution or UV rays.
Keratin treatments are good for all types of hair including color-treated hair because it seals in moisture while restoring elasticity for better manageability.
In a nutshell, keratin treatments (aka Brazillian blow-dry) work by filling the broken bonds in your hair with keratin goodness and then you seal it in with straightening irons.
It’s a lengthy process and expensive if you’re getting a professional to do it for you.
But when it’s done, you’ll have silky straight and smooth hair that should last for up to 3 months.
How long does a keratin treatment last?
Keratin treatments are a great way to give your hair a break from the harsh chemicals and heat damage of styling tools. But how long do they last?
Well, a keratin treatment lasts up to three months, and can be done on all lengths and types of hair.
Depending on your lifestyle, it can be cut shorter or even longer in some cases.
For example, if you have naturally curly hair that requires more maintenance than straightened locks, then you’ll find it wears off quicker.
In general, you can expect to go 3-4 months before having another session done. Plenty of time to save up!
Does a keratin treatment damage your hair?
Many people think that hair straightening treatments like the keratin treatment are bad for your hair.
But what is really true? Is it damaging or not? The truth is, if done correctly, a keratin treatment can be beneficial to your locks.
It’s all in how you prepare for it and how you take care of your hair after the treatment.
Having keratin treatments too often CAN damage your hair because of the chemicals and processing involved.
If you have too many treatments, your hair with dry, break and frizz and you could end up with split ends. All the things you’re trying to cure!
If you’re in any doubt about whether your hair is in the right condition for a keratin treatment, always consult with your hairdresser.
Are keratin treatments safe for colored hair?
Keratin is perfectly safe to use on colored hair and a long-lasting way to lock the color and shine in.
The treatments are usually made up of a chemical like formaldehyde – which creates the long-lasting smoothing effect – conditioners like coconut oil, argan oil and most importantly, keratin.
There was a point not long ago where people got scared of the amount of chemicals in keratin treatments. But since then there are a lot more products available that aren’t so harsh on colored hair.
Can you give yourself a keratin treatment at home?
It’s a good idea to get your keratin treatment done at the salon as:
a) the professionals have done this many times before, and
b) it’s quite a laborious process, especially at the straightening stage.
So it’s a much nicer experience to have this done to you while you get on with drinking coffee and reading a magazine.
TOP TIP!
Color your hair BEFORE the treatment.
Keratin treatments are great for locking color in and restoring shine.
The keratin seals your hair shaft and forms a protective layer over it. So you need to make sure your color is in BEFORE you do the treatment not afterwards.
We recommend waiting at least a week after your color has been put in to make sure it’s really set.
Which is the best at-home keratin treatment?
Some keratin treatments contain formaldehyde, however there are many on the market today that don’t. ALWAYS check the label and know what you’re putting on your hair.
We’re choosing a formaldehyde-free formula that has excellent reviews on Amazon, social channels full of tips and tricks and was our fave in Best keratin treatments your colored hair needs today
TOP PICK!
Cocochoco Professional Gold Premium Keratin Hair Treatment
Best For: Brighter and more vibrant hair color
This one of the best keratin treatment products for us in terms of value for money and results. Our color just seemed to pop more after use and our hair had a glossy sheen that lasted even after the first wash.
We didn’t have to be so thorough with our flat irons again. For how long it lasts, this is the best keratin treatment on the list for us. And we love the Cocochoco brand!
Pros
- Easy application
- True to description color
- Leaves hair feeling soft and silky
- Color lasts for a long time
- Easy to use
- Smells great
- Almost black on dark brown, dyed hair
Cons
- Messy application
How do I look after my keratin treated hair?
You’ve just had your hair treated with keratin and now you’re wondering what to do next. Here are a few do’s a don’ts to keep your hair silky smooth.
DON’T:
- You cannot wash or tie your hair up for 3 days after the treatment.
- After that, try not to wash your hair too much as this will remove the treatment product which has been applied during the process.
DO:
- If hair gets wet, you must re-straighten it. Use a shower cap to protect it in the shower!
- When you do wash it, use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner.
- Stick with shampoo only every other day.
- Always use a conditioner after washing as it helps put moisture back into your hair.
- Sleep carefully after a keratin treatment – on your back and on a silk pillow!
What happens when my keratin treatment wears off?
Our hair had a glossy sheen that lasted well after the first wash.
The results began to fade after a month or so. But our hair was still straighter after six weeks and looked smoother. The color was dulled a little.
We wouldn’t recommend doing this more than 2-3 times a year because of the chemical processing involved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to apply a Brazilian keratin treatment to wet or dry hair?
It’s best to apply keratin to dry hair.
When your hair is wet, it can be more fragile and prone to damage. Plus, applying keratin to dry hair makes it easier to evenly distribute the product throughout your strands.
How long do you leave keratin in hair?
The good news is that it’s not a long process – just 10 minutes!
Of course, every product might have slightly different instructions, so make sure you look at the manufacturers label before you go to apply it.
How long does a keratin treatment take?
Typically, keratin treatments take about two to three hours to complete, depending on the length of your hair and the product being used.
While the treatment may take a few hours to complete, the results will last for months. So, sit back, relax, and let the keratin do its thing.
Why is my hair still frizzy after keratin treatment?
You spend all this money and time getting a keratin treatment, just to find your locks still full of frizz. But don’t worry, there are a few reasons why your hair might still be acting up:
- One possible culprit could be the shampoo you’re using. Make sure you’re using a sulfate-free formula to keep your hair as smooth as possible.
- Another thing to consider is the level of humidity in the air. Sometimes, even with a keratin treatment, the weather can still cause frizz.
- And lastly, it’s possible that the treatment was not applied correctly or evenly. Don’t hesitate to talk to your stylist and let them know your concerns.
Can I flat iron my hair after keratin treatment?
Yes, you can definitely flat iron your hair after getting a keratin treatment!
In fact, post-keratin treatment, flat ironing or blow-drying your hair is a great way to activate and maximize the keratin’s smoothing effect.
The treatment essentially creates a protective layer around your hair strands, allowing for a longer-lasting, frizz-free style.
But, it’s important to remember to wait at least 72 hours after the treatment before using any hot tools, like a flat iron. This will allow the keratin to fully settle into your hair, ensuring the best possible results.
How do I sleep after a keratin treatment?
So, you’ve just had a keratin treatment and you’re wondering how on earth you’re going to get some shut-eye tonight.
The good news is that there are a few things you can do to help you sleep after a keratin treatment without ruining your freshly smoothed locks.
- First, avoid getting the treatment wet or sweaty for at least 24 hours after application, which means you’ll want to avoid exercising or taking a steamy shower before bed.
- You should also avoid sleeping with your hair tied up or putting any pressure on your scalp or hair, as this can cause dents and creases.
- Lastly, sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase to reduce any friction and avoid tangles. So go ahead, relax and get some rest!
Parting words.
If you’ve been looking for a way to save money on salon treatments, or if you are simply too busy to make time for it in your life, then this article is right up your alley.
You can try your hand at doing a DIY Keratin Treatment yourself using the steps we outlined here to get smooth and shiny hair without spending an arm and leg on salon prices!
We hope that the steps we have laid out will help lead you towards smoother and shinier hair! Good luck!
