As a semi-permanent hair smoothing treatment, the Brazilian blowout is an excellent way to get the silky hair of your dreams, but before you jump into a Brazilian blowout salon, you should know that the treatment comes with one major danger—formaldehyde.
According to the FDA, the main reason Brazilian blowout is dangerous is because the hairstylist has to apply heat to the hair smoothing treatment.
To understand this better, let us look at how the stylist goes about it. When you visit a hair salon, the stylist applies the hair smoothing treatment to your hair then uses a heat source such as a flatiron or blow dryer to encourage the formaldehyde to bond to the hair strands.
As the stylist heats the hair smoothing treatment, formaldehyde gets into the air, and the stylist and you (client) are at the risk of inhaling it and suffering from breathing problems.
Signs of formaldehyde exposure
According to the National Cancer Institute, you will likely show poisoning signs when the formaldehyde levels above 0.1 parts per million. When the concentration goes past this level, you are bound to have these symptoms:
- Itching
- Coughing
- Chest pain
- Burning sensations in the eyes, nose, and throat
- Watery eyes
- Wheezing
- Difficulty breathing
- Nausea
- Mood changes
- Scalp burns and blisters
- Runny nose
Are there less toxic ways to get the Brazilian blowout effect?
While you should stay away from formaldehyde, it doesn’t mean you should let go of your silky hair dreams, as there are plenty of ways to make your hair smoother safely.
If you still love the Brazilian blowout, you should take your time and find formaldehyde-free keratin treatments. This calls to be ultra-cautious when buying the product from the market and ensuring that the product doesn’t have any formaldehyde.
There is also vegan keratin in the market that is 100% safe you can use on your hair.
How to take care of your Brazilian blowout
Due to the risks that come with continuously exposing yourself and your stylist to formaldehyde, minimize the time you have to redo your hair. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways you can make your Brazilian blowout last for as long as possible. Some of these ways include:
Deep condition the hair
It’s normal for salon-treated hair to be more prone to dryness, and it can easily get damaged if you don’t fix it early enough. One way to go about it is to deep condition it in your weekly hair care. This calls for you to use premium hair conditioning products. For the best outcome, go for products specially designed for Brazilian blowout hair.
Stay away from the pool.
As much as you love exercising and enjoying the water, chlorine-treated water can harm your hair. When you expose your hair to the chlorinated water, the chlorine strips the hair the treatment adhered to the strands, and within a matter of a few days, you back to your old days.
If you have to go swimming, ensure that you fully cover your hair, so it doesn’t come into contact with the water. How do you do this? Always ensure that you wear a shower cap or any other material to keep the harmful water away.
Use specialized Brazilian blowout products.
When you are washing, conditioning, or doing any other thing to your hair, don’t use just any product—use products specially designed for Brazilian blowout hair. One of the best places to know about these products is from the Brazilian keratin salon Rockville stylists.