Guest Post: Keratin Treatment

Check out a first-hand account of keratin treatment from my friend and fellow blogger Miss MacKenzie. Check her out over at Isle12 for a mish mosh of musings from the classroom and home décor.

Miss MacKenzie writes: 
BK, (before keratin) I would spend up to forty-five minutes taming my long locks. As a full-time teacher and wife, it had become increasingly difficult to perform my extensive straightening ritual.  I began to wear my dirty (but straight!) hair back in ponytails or low buns for the majority of my week (Thank goodness for dry shampoo and the highly anticipated comeback of plastic headbands.)  After twenty-eight years of letting my hair rule my “getting ready routine,” this summer, I finally decided to take action.

First, I should tell you, allow for two and a half to three hours of salon time for your treatment. After shampooing my hair three times to remove any product or build-up, my stylist placed me under the automatic dryer until my hair was completely dry. (Picture Diana Ross in the late 80’s.) Then, she painted the gooey treatment on my naturally unruly hair with a small brush as if she were applying color.

The good news is that the treatment smelled like coconut and did not bother my scalp at all. The bad news is my eyes did water from the chemicals but only during the application.

After applying, she actually blew out my hair and flat-ironed it in small sections with the treatment still in my hair. Yes, it was greasy. Yes, I felt gross. And this was just day one. You must leave the treatment in your hair for seventy-two hours. You cannot tuck it behind you ear. You cannot get it wet. You cannot put it in a ponytail. 

My suggestion: Get the treatment done on a Thursday because you can wash your hair on a Sunday and return to work on Monday. Lucky for me, I’m a teacher with my summer off so looking like I washed my hair with a bottle of Crisco for three days was no problemo.

On the third day I.could.not.wait.to wash my hair. I used the suggestion of the hair salon which was the original Keratin Shampoo and Conditioner. (You must use a sulfate-free shampoo. I did not like the way the Keratin S & C lathered and so I went back to Loreal’s Ever-Pure line which is also conveniently sulfate-free.) When I first got out of the shower, I noticed an immediate difference. Upon towel-drying, there was no frizz, and not a curl in sight. I waited about a half hour to see if my curls would make an appearance but much to my delight, they were a no-show.

I soon became impatient and started to move the blow-dryer slowly around my head while combing my hair with just my fingers. I was shocked to see my hair dry straight in just seven minutes with no giant-round brush, no product and NO flat iron. Now remember, you reading the thoughts of a girl had to section the hair, blow out the section, flat iron the section, and then move to the next section in order to achieve the look of straight hair. The results were simply amazing.

Overall Impression: SO worth the $300. When I do take the time to blow my hair out with a brush and run the flat iron over it, the results are unbelievable--smooth, shiny and easy to manage. But I must admit my favorite thing about this life-changing treatment is the fact that I can do my hair in ten minutes and walk out the door (without looking like I may/may not have stuck a metal fork in an electrical socket.) Oh, and no worries--my hair will still hold a curl if I get crazy and decide I want a different look.

Tips for Your Treatment: Definitely follow the aftercare instructions. I do notice some slight kinks where I tucked a strand behind my ear by accident. Stick to sulfate free products and avoid the ocean. Try not to wash your hair everyday (even though you totally can!) The treatment supposedly lasts eighty washes. If you are debating between the Keratin Complex Treatment and the Brazilian Blowout, definitely go with Keratin.

I know the Brazilian does not require you to wait the 72 hours BUT it is also notorious for the premature return of frizz in just three weeks. I’m in my third week now and my curls are still hibernating. When they do finally wake up, you better believe I’ll be heading back to the salon for another Keratin Complex Treatment.

Before

After