If you’ve heard someone saying “I’m getting a Brazilian” in the past few months, you might be surprised to discover they’re not referring to a wax. Brazilian keratin hair treatment is the latest popular trend for straightening hair without using strong chemicals like in rebonding, and it works extremely well on those with stubbornly frizzy or kinky hair. So what exactly is keratin hair treatment and does it really work miracles on your hair?

Keratin Hair Treatment vs. Hair Rebonding

Your hair, being made of protein, contains natural protein bonds that give it its shape and curl. Rebonding does exactly what its name suggests – it breaks these natural protein bonds, using harsh chemicals to open up the hair cuticle, and leaves your hair stick-straight. However, this also means that your hair loses its tensile strength, becoming dry and brittle. That’s why rebonded hair requires lots of care and treatment to prevent damage.

Brazilian keratin hair treatment or keratin hair straightening, on the other hand, repairs cracks and damage to the hair cuticle using keratin (the natural protein found in your hair). Pioneered in Brazil, the treatment also coats the hair to give you silky, shiny, straight locks. With keratin hair treatment, you can also dye your hair without worrying about excessive damage.

In both rebonding and keratin hair treatment, a formula is applied to your hair before being sealed in with a flat iron. Keratin hair treatment is more expensive at about $300 for medium-length hair, and doesn’t last as long – only 2 to 3 months while rebonding can last up to 6 months. However, keratin hair treatment is not only a straightening process but also a highly repairing and conditioning hair treatment, which makes it worth the money!

Keratin Hair Treatment Dangers

Brazilian keratin hair treatment isn’t perfect, though. The most publicized concern about keratin hair treatment is that it uses formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, as the key effective ingredient in the keratin formula. Exposure to formaldehyde has been linked to health problems such as runny nose, headache, eye irritation, and itchy skin.

While most keratin hair treatment formulas use safe levels of formaldehyde, you can never be sure if salons mix in more formaldehyde to make the formula stronger. Brazilian Blowout, a company producing keratin hair treatments, had up to 12% formaldehyde in its formula (the permitted level in the US and Canada is 0.2%).

Keratin Hair Treatment Products and Maintenance

After undergoing Brazilian keratin hair treatment, it’s important not to wash your hair for 3 days. You also can only wash your hair with sulfate-free shampoos, as sulfates will strip the keratin treatment from your hair. Other than that, you can still blow-dry and style your hair as usual.

Would I get a Brazilian keratin hair treatment? Perhaps when I let my hair grow long again! I do have rather stubborn hair and have rebonded my hair a few times, but rebonding is terribly damaging to my fine hair and troublesome to care for.

Have you tried keratin hair straightening? What’s your take on it? Do leave your reviews and salon recommendations. Thank you!