Hair control

I have what I like to call a “confused” hair texture. A cross between curls underneath, and frizzy waves on top does not make my hair the easiest to just jump out of the shower and you’re good for the day kind of hair. I usually have to air dry it just right so that it has the least amount of frizz, and then use a curl wand. If I want it straight I have to blow dry it with a big round brush and then straighten it with a flat-iron. Then if I don’t use some kind of heat tool, it is automatically in a messy bun to hide the identity crisis that is my hair.

Recently I wanted to try a Brazillian blowout, but the thought of shelling out $300+ at a salon was not appealing. I was offered to try the DIY Brazillian Keratin Treatment from a dear friend of mine, and was excited to try it. The steps seemed easy enough to do at home, and the kit comes with all the formulas and a few tools to help with the process. Plus, it is formaldehyde free.

Here is what was included:

Purifying shampoo
Keratin treatment
Shampoo and conditioner
Moroccan Argon Oil
V-comb
Tail-end comb
Tint brush
Hair cap
Gloves

The first step is to wash your hair with the purifying shampoo to get rid of any product buildup that would interfere with the keratin absorption. Then blow dry your hair completely dry, and apply the keratin formula with the tint brush as if you were coloring your hair at home with a drugstore box. Next you pin up your hair and put the hair cap on to let the keratin absorb for 20 minutes. When it’s done, blow dry your hair with the keratin still in your hair. This part felt a little unusual because I knew there was product still in my hair, and I had to work it a little differently to get it dry. Then you flat iron your hair after blow drying. This seals the keratin to the hair.

The final step is wait to wash your hair for three days. I was not so good at this part. I applied the treatment on Saturday morning, and because I have such an oily scalp, my hair felt too greasy by Sunday night, and I had work the next morning so I washed my hair that night. I knew this probably mean it wouldn’t last as long for me. Keratin treatment is supposed to last about 3 months.

Immediately after I showered and let my hair air dry I could see the results. My hair was a lot less frizzy, and my waves and curls were much more defined. Overall my hair felt smoother and rested more flat.

From here I still used my curl wand to enhance the outer layers and make it match the underneath texture of my hair, but the time it took was reduced by half. Two days later when I blow dried it straight, it cooperated much more willingly and looked great in the end. Here are the after pictures of both the curly and straight version.

Needless to say, I would definitely use the treatment again, and the great thing about the kit is you can use the product more than once. It’s important to maintain the treatment by using only sulfate and salt free shampoo and conditioner, and using a conditioning spray with keratin in it. Using the Argon oil on your ends helps too.

If you are interested in trying it yourself, you can buy the kit here.

And here are a few of the products I have been using to keep the keratin treatment lasting as long as possible.

One. Two. Three. Four