Hair "Smoothing" Treatments?
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free skin care · Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:31 am

Have any of you tried any of the current hair smoothing treatments that are usually available through a local salon or sometimes via kits sold online?

These are not hair relaxers, they are often called "straighteners" or "smoothers" and are often targeted toward relaxing curl or reducing frizz.

Please share any experiences and include brand names/formulations.

Thanks, BFG

Thu Jan 31, 2013 8:20 am

Not sure if this is what you are looking for, BFG, but Crack Leave-In Hair Cream is fantastic at eliminating frizz / smoothing and it lasts a long time as you use very little of it. Their promotional video showing what it does is pretty accurate, IMO, at least on my hair whenever I've used it.

free skin care · Thu Jan 31, 2013 9:46 am

Hi Havana,

Thanks...I have used that product before it - it's more of a leave in product.

I was referring to the products that are applied after a clarifying shampoo and blow dried, prior to drying again and sealing with a flat iron...

They penetrate the hair cuticle, I think.

BFG

free skin care · Fri Feb 01, 2013 8:40 am

I'm sorry, I just remembered these are also known as "keratin treatments"

Thanks again

Fri Feb 01, 2013 8:26 pm

Hi BFG,

I had a Brazilian Blowout about two weeks ago. My hair is basically straight but getting more coarse and wiry as I grow more gray. I loved what the BB did for my hair – made it very shiny and silky – but there is a lot more to the aftercare than I expected, not to mention the serious health issues related to a treatment involving formaldehyde.

The people who developed the BB also sell a trio of hair products that they promote as vital to extending the effect of your treatment. My stylist pushed me to buy the set from her for $150, but you can get it for much less on Amazon. The reviews of the product are pretty favorable; I didn’t look at the ingredients. I bought some sulfate-free shampoo, which I believe is important for maintaining the effect.

I bought a Groupon deal on impulse for $99 and didn’t look into the process until after I had it done. The health effects of the treatment are alarming, especially if you don’t have proper ventilation. The company has not been forthcoming about the ingredients, and there is a fair amount of controversy surrounding the whole process.

I’ve only washed my hair twice since I had it done. My hair still looks and feels like I had a professional blowout, even though I spent less than 5 minutes on it. The BB people also recommend using a flat iron, but that’s more maintenance than I’m up for. I’ll report back on how long it lasts, which I’m sure won't be as long as it could if I were willing to put in more effort.

So, bottom line is I loved the effect on my hair but I wouldn’t do it again based on what I’ve learned so far about the health issues.

-jwaduveev

free skin care · Fri Feb 01, 2013 8:51 pm

I've considered them, but then I learned that the formaldehyde is necessary to break the hair bonds and make it straight. After that you apply the keratin treatment which fills in the broken up bonds and reverses the damage done by the formaldehyde. There seems to be quite a bit to the maintenance afterwards and sweating is not recommended or the treatment doesn't last very long. That was the final part that turned me off. I train most night of the week and sweat profusely. My hair is soaking wet by the time I'm done. I would not want to stop training for the sake of having smooth hair.

I tried using an at home Brazilian Blowout treatment without the formaldehyde. It's a keratin rich shampoo, followed by a keratin rich conditioner. Then I had to spray my hair with some flat iron keratin rich spray (really, really soak it), blow dry and finally flat iron.
...and I won't do it again. I hated the smell of the products and my hair turned wavy as soon as I got sweaty. It looked nice for a while but it was a lot of work that I am not willing to repeat.

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