I’ve hit a rough patch with my hair. While I am starting to see some length retention, it’s taking longer than I would like. I have fine hair, which means the strands are extremely delicate and prone to breakage from styling, dryness, and the environment. After a lot of research (and a breakdown during wash day), I decided on getting a keratin treatment for my natural hair woes.
Not all keratin treatments contain formaldehyde
I got a keratin treatment or a “Brazilian blowout” back in the early 2010s that left my hair dry, brittle, and broken. Keratin treatments of the past were filled with harsh chemicals like lye and formaldehyde, the latter of which the FDA is moving to ban from hair products for its carcinogenic effects. Because of this bad experience, I had completely sworn off any type of smoothing treatment. That is until I saw an Instagram reel from Jaxcee, the owner of The Coily Collective salon in New York City, about the benefits of keratin treatments for natural hair.
The keratin treatment that The Coily Collective uses is formaldehyde and lye free and won’t permanently straighten your curls out. My goal with the keratin treatment was to make my hair less frizzy and more manageable. I wanted less tangles and breakage so I could finally start retaining all my growth.
How keratin treatments work
Your hair is primarily made up of a protein called keratin. The smoothing agent in the keratin treatment (glyoxylic acid or a similar compound) works by temporarily breaking some of these bonds, particularly the disulfide bonds. This allows the hair structure to be more malleable and susceptible to reshaping.
Reshaping the hair.
The heat helps to reshape the hair into a smoother configuration. It also helps the keratin treatment to penetrate deeper into the hair shaft. As the hair cools, the broken bonds start to reform, but now in the new, smoother alignment.
Jaxcee started out by throughly cleansing and detangling my hair. Then she applied the keratin solution to my hair section by section. After that, I put on a plastic cap and sat under the dryer for about 20 minutes.
After rinsing the solution, Jaxcee blow dried my hair straight. This is the point where you should talk to your stylist about the results you are looking for. Because I like to wear my hair mostly curly, I didn’t want my curls to be too loosened. Additionally, the hair at the front of my hair is looser compared to the back. After giving Jaxcee all these specifications, she decided to go over the pieces in the back of head about five to seven times and the hair in the front around three times with the flat iron. The more times you go over the hair with the flat iron, the looser your curl and the straighter your hair will be.
The results
I immediately noticed how smooth and shiny my hair got in this silk press. My hair usually straightens easily but I never had this level of bounce and shine! In addition to the shine, I noticed the color of my hair was more vibrant, not it’s usual mousey brown. My hair just felt super smooth in a way I have never felt it before.
The maintenance
Jaxcee advised me to not keep my hair straight for longer than seven to ten days. She recommended to use REDKEN Acidic Bonding Shampoo and Conditioner to extend the life of the keratin treatment and do a wash and go or twist out as my next style. To maintain my results and not loosen my curls too much, I’ll likely only be wearing my hair straight once a month. The results of the keratin treatment can last three to four months before washing out completely.
On day seven of wearing my hair straight, it was time for wash day. I’ll admit it: I started to panic a little bit when my hair didn’t immediately revert to curly when I got into the shower. But, like Jaxcee said, my curls bounced back. My hair was easier than ever to wash, I didn’t have the level of tangles I usually did, and had minimal shedding.
My curls in the back were looser; more in line with the curls in the front of my head. I styled my hair in a twist out, using my usual products — Kinky Curly Knot Today and Kinky Curly Curling Custard. After drying my hair under my hooded dryer, I unraveled my twists and was shocked at how bouncy, soft, and frizz free my hair is. Days later, my hair is still frizz free.
Getting a keratin treatment was exactly what my natural hair needed and I’m excited to see the progress my hair makes over the next couple of months. If you’re interested in getting one, find a good salon and get a thorough consultation to talk through your hair type and expectations. While there are at-home keratin treatment kits out there, I would strongly advise against doing this yourself. Go to professional!
If you have any questions about my keratin treatment experience, leave them in the comments.
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