If you have very thick, frizzy, or curly hair, or you just do not like the texture, you might be thinking of paying for a Brazilian keratin straightening service. Keep in mind that they have chemicals and sometimes they have side effects that are scary and inconvenient, and hair damage is the least of it.

This article is not to discourage you, but just to make you more aware. Hair treatments work and they make your hair look amazing as long as it is professionally done. Read on to find out more.

The Chemicals Work by Altering Your Hair’s Structure

Each hair is made of keratin chain groups, which is a natural protein in the hair. These chains are affected by the chemical treatments and they are held together so that each strand is effectively de-coiled. There are several kinds of in-salon hair treatments to smoothen hair and the Brazilian treatment is one of the most common among them. These processes are about coating every strand with a chemical, then warming it up so that the formula is activated.

The Process Takes 2 to 3 Hours

In the salon, the stylist will put shampoo on your hair, then apply those chemicals to make the hair section dry or damp per section. The different formulas need various amounts of processing time, so you need to wait for a bit. After that, your stylist will blow dry your hair and flat irons with tight heat. Your hair will now be straight, silky, and shiny but flat and filled with a product that can make it greasy and strongly smells like chemicals.

It is Different from a Chemical Relaxer

Even if keratin treatments are only temporary and they wash out after a couple of months, the straightening chemical relaxers have a permanent effect. These treatments use different ingredients to achieve different results. By using sodium hydroxide as the main ingredient, potassium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, or guanidine hydroxide, the chemical relaxers restructure those bonds if you have curly hair, so it becomes weaker and straightens up. Instead of changing your hair’s chemical composition, keratin treatments will inject the porous sections of your hair using keratin treatment, so it becomes smoother. After a couple of months, this will wash out. Take note that some treatments might have formaldehyde when there is heat exposure.

You Do Not Want to Get a Chemical Hair Treatment While Pregnant or Trying

Formaldehyde exposure affects fertility or cause miscarriage when you are pregnant. When the manufacture says do not use their product on pregnant women, that is an indication that it can cause infertility. You can experience adverse side effects after being exposed to chemicals even if you are still trying to get pregnant.

Can it be Done at Home?

Yes, but you cannot expect to have salon results. You first have to buy the important products but do not buy the professional-grade ones for at-home use because they need an expert so they can correctly be applied and safely. A lot of treatments indicate they contain “keratin” but that does not mean they are treatments. Hairs are made up of keratin proteins, so products containing them are common.

If you are looking for a keratin treatment salon Potomac, you will not have a hard time. This treatment is popular and has been done by many.