Keratin Hair Treatment: Make Your Hair Smooth and Healthy

Dr. Poonam Naphade

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Poonam Naphade

Dermatologist

7 min read

Synopsis

Keratin hair treatments are generally safe, with few side effects. The most common side effects include mild redness and stinging, which may last up to 48 hours. Keratin treatments can also cause some temporary hair loss and itching. 

Key Takeaways

  • Keratin treatments are a great way to get your hair looking its best.
  • Keratin hair treatment will not damage your natural hair color
  • After-care becomes easier after keratin treatment

Keratin is a naturally occurring protein in your skin, hair, and nails. Keratin is what gives your hair its strength and elasticity. Strand by strand, keratin helps make up the core of each strand of human hair. As you age, however, your body loses its ability to produce keratin. That's why some people get a keratin hair treatment that adds more keratin to their skin or hair follicles.

While there's no one-size-fits-all approach to hair care, there are plenty of options out there. It is one of the popular options. It's a chemical process that smoothers and straightens your hair by removing the keratin protein from its roots.

Keratin hair treatments can be expensive, but they're also widely available across the country and in several different salons—from high-end spas to discount beauty supply stores. This article will explain what happens in a keratin treatment and how it works on your hair so that you can decide if it's right for you.

Additional Read: Hair Care Tips

Keratin Hair Treatment Benefits

Keratin treatments are a great way to get your hair to look healthy and shiny. Keratin treatments can help strengthen your hair, making it less prone to breakage and stronger and more resilient. Let us see in detail:

Hair Look Sleeker And Smoother

If you're hoping for a sleek and silky finish, then it's possible that a keratin treatment can help. Keratin treatments are designed to add moisture and shine to your hair. They also make the hair appear more voluminous, making it easier to style. It can be beneficial if you have thin or damaged locks that need extra volume to look their best.

Many people who use this type of product report that they see an immediate improvement after just one use! This may be because the product contains ingredients like collagen or keratin, which help strengthen weak areas where frizz tends to form (such as at the ends).

Additional Read: 6 Effective Home Remedies to Avoid Hair FallKeratin Hair Treatment benefits

Keratin Hair Treatment Other Benefits

Keratin treatments can be used on any hair type, but some types benefit more than others. Keratin hair treatments are great for: 

  • Hair that is damaged or broken. It includes color-treated hair because it helps repair the damage caused by coloring or bleaching products. It also works well with curly and frizzy hair that has been chemically relaxed or straightening tools. 
  • Frizzy or curly strands due to dryness and heat styling tools like flat irons, curling irons, and blow dryers (or excessive humidity). If you have long-term issues with frizziness due to these causes, then your stylist may recommend this type of treatment as an alternative solution rather than just using product after product trying to combat it.
  • Your hair needs to be clean and free of moisture before you can get a keratin treatment.

It's also essential that your hair isn't too oily or greasy, as this can make it difficult for the stylist applying the treatment to get an even distribution throughout. You should also avoid using styling products like gel or mousse on your head while waiting for your keratin treatment appointment. These products can cause a buildup of oils in your hair that could interfere with how good a job they do at protecting against damage caused by heat during styling sessions (and thus reduce their effectiveness).

Finally, once your stylist has prepped you, they will need to wash away any residual oils from day-to-day living before starting any chemical service involving chemicals applied directly onto the scalp.

Additional Read: 10 Greasy Hair Treatments

Getting a keratin treatment takes a while (two to three hours)

The keratin treatment is relatively simple: You'll be shampooed with a special solution that removes all the sebum (oil) from your scalp, then rinsed off in warm water. Then comes the lifting stage: A technician uses heated rollers to straighten out any knots or frizziness in your locks so they can become smooth again; this part should take around an hour for most people.

Finally, another technician applies products like waxes/lotions/conditioners as needed before applying clips and combs at specific intervals throughout the drying process — up until about daybreak when everything's fully dry (usually overnight).

Referred to as Brazilian Straightening

Keratin treatments and Brazilian blowouts are different in many ways. While they both involve heated metal rollers and a chemical process to smooth your hair, keratin is a natural protein found in the human scalp that causes the hair growth to longer and straighter. Brazilian blowouts have become quite popular over the past few years, but they're not as safe or effective as keratin treatments are.

Keratin treatments can last up to four months (depending on how frequently you wash your hair), while Brazilian blowouts only last six weeks at best—and even then, there's an increased risk for damage caused by heat styling tools like flat irons or straightening irons used during the treatment process.

Additional Read: Hair Care Tips during Monsoon 

Keratin Hair Hair Smooth

Keratin Hair Treatment Side Effects

Keratin treatments are a way to revitalize your hair and make it look healthy. However, sometimes the results don't last, and you may experience side effects from the treatment.

Because it's a chemical process, it's possible to have an allergic reaction to the solution used to smooth your hair. Contact the doctor immediately if you're experiencing redness or itchiness around your scalp.  

If you do have an allergic reaction or are concerned about damaged hair after using keratin treatments:

  • Contact or consult a dermatologist so that they can assess whether there is any damage present on your scalp. 
  • Be sure not to shampoo for at least 24 hours after applying any kind of treatment, and consult with a dermatologist before beginning any new treatment.
  • Keratin treatment side effects may include eye and scalp irritation

Side effects may include eye and scalp irritation. The fumes from the keratin treatment can cause eye irritation, or it can be caused by the solution used to smooth your hair. If you experience eye irritation, wash your eyes with cold water until they feel better, then use an over-the-counter moisturizer on them if needed. See a doctor immediately if your scalp becomes irritated during or after a keratin treatment (or any other chemical process).

Sometimes, a keratin treatment can leave hair feeling stiff and "crunchy."

This temporary effect will go away after you wash and condition your hair. It's not an overly severe side effect; however, you can avoid it by using moisturizing shampoo or conditioner before and after the treatment. 

  • There are risks associated with getting a keratin treatment 
  • Hair loss can occur, especially in those with thinning hair or a genetic predisposition to baldness. It's not always easy to predict how much hair fall will out following the procedure, but you may lose more than usual if you have an unusually high number of follicles (the small structures that produce actual hairs). 
  • The treatment itself may irritate your scalp and skin—particularly if you've had previous problems with other treatments like bleach or dye jobs, which can cause inflammation and redness.

Tips For Keratin Hair Treatment

If you color your hair regularly, don't get a keratin treatment. This is because the buildup of product in your hair will lift out of the cuticles when it comes in contact with the keratin treatment and cause damage to your strands. If you plan on getting a keratin treatment done, wait at least six weeks before getting a color service done. 

At this point, you should have a good idea about the benefits of getting a keratin hair treatment and how it can help with your hair. However, there are also some risks that you should be aware of before booking an appointment. If you decide to get one for yourself or someone else, remember to take care of your skin before beginning the process so that nothing gets damaged during application time.

Keratin treatments are a great option if you're looking for new ways to make your hair look better. While the cost of this procedure may be high, there are many benefits and no significant side effects. If you're also interested in keratin treatments, then consider starting with a trial run at home before going to an actual salon or consult a dermatologist online without any hassle with the help of Bajaj Finserv Health. Check out their online doctor consultation services now!

Published on 15 Sep 2022Last updated on 7 Apr 2023

Please note that this article is solely meant for informational purposes and Bajaj Finserv Health Limited (“BFHL”) does not shoulder any responsibility of the views/advice/information expressed/given by the writer/reviewer/originator. This article should not be considered as a substitute for any medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your trusted physician/qualified healthcare professional to evaluate your medical condition. The above article has been reviewed by a qualified doctor and BFHL is not responsible for any damages for any information or services provided by any third party.

Dr. Poonam Naphade

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Poonam Naphade

, MBBS 1 , Diploma in Dermatology Venereology and Leprosy 2

Dr. Poonam Naphade is a Consultant dermatologist with 10 years of experience in dermatology , treating patients in IPD & OPD. With special interest in dermatosurgery, hair transplant, lasers, cosmetic & clinical Dermatology.

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