The Best Keratin Hair Treatments

Best choice

Super soft formula

It's A 10 Miracle Leave-in Plus Keratin can be used as a maintenance product after a keratin hair treatment, or on its own to provide extra strength and reduce frizz.

Best choice

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Pros:
Whether your hair is naturally straight or straight as a result of heat or chemical processing, this product is meant to help you maintain your look by providing supple, smooth hair. It’s a quick fix for frizz and hair that has a mind of its own. If you live in humid conditions or even rainy locations, this leave-in will help protect your hair from frizzing up. Simply spray it on and brush.

Cons:
This salon product gives such excellent results that there have been knock-offs occasionally. If you’re already familiar with the product, you’ll be able to recognize the difference before applying it to your hair. This product is not intended for curly hair.

For smoother hair

Perfect for home use

Keratin Research Professional Keratin Hair Treatment is an excellent and complete keratin hair treatment. And the price is a fraction of what you'd pay in a salon for the same process.

For smoother hair

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Pros:
Just like the salon versions, the results of this keratin treatment are temporary. The treatment lasts four to six months, at the end of which you’ll have your naturally textured curls back. People with coarse, frizzy hair say it’s well worth the time and effort. Results tend towards straight, bouncing hair that’s very easy to maintain for up to six months with a few additional products. Expect very smooth hair after the typical treatment time of three to four hours.

Cons:
Like almost all complete keratin hair treatments, this product contains formaldehyde or chemicals that emit formaldehyde. These chemicals help the keratin adhere to your hair. Make sure to use the treatment in a very well ventilated area, or even outside, to avoid toxic fumes during the heat phases.

For Dry And Colored Hair

Excellent all-in-one

Pure Biology Reviva Hair Conditioner really does revive hair in all it's varying states and conditions. It strengthens the hair, helps heal breakage, and stops hair fall and thinning.

For Dry And Colored Hair

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Pros:
Pure Biology is expensive and worth every cent. It is an all-around hair health product that contains biotin and other ingredients, making it very effective in combating hair loss. It isn’t strictly a keratin treatment, although it does contain keratin to provide extra strength to your hair. Unlike other products that contain keratin, it doesn’t aim at straightening the hair or even maintaining a straight hair texture. It is designed to recover a healthy head of hair for all textures.

Cons:
The price is a bit of a drawback, but if your hair is in trouble, this product is worth the damage to your purse. Some of the ingredients have residue potential, so it’s a good idea to rinse long and thoroughly.

Best Restoring Formula

Volumizing hair care set

The Keranique Shampoo and Conditioner Set for Hair Growth and Thinning Hair features a special amino acid complex that focuses on enhancing the growth of the user’s hair.

Best Restoring Formula

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Pros:
A combination set that comes with both a shampoo and a conditioner product. The product uses a special formula that contains a Keratin Amino Complex. The amino complex focuses on helping to stimulate the growth of hair in the patient. The product also focuses on improving the thickness of hair, which is ideal for people who are struggling with thinning hair. The shampoo and conditioner products in this kit contain no sulfates or parabens.

Cons:
Some people may find the price too high for their budget. There are a few sulfate-free products on the market that helps with hair growth at a lower price point. The bottles are also relatively small, which means they may not last for too long. A larger bottle is available, but it comes at an increased price tag.

Best For Damaged Hair

Treatment Maintenance

Like the Revivacare keratin mask, the Natural Formula Professional Keratin Intense Pro Straight Hair Mask also bonds keratin to your hair strands. The repair action is almost immediate.

Best For Damaged Hair

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Pros:
This mask uses hydantoin instead of diazolidinyl urea to release formaldehyde, bonding keratin to your hair in a quick fix with positive cumulative results. Shine, strength, and softness are just a few of its benefits. It can mildly straighten over time, but as a maintenance product, it helps full salon keratin hair treatments last twice as long. Helping a complete keratin treatment last longer makes it a huge money saver, especially as it is less expensive than some of its counterparts among keratin masks.

Cons:
Because of the “pro straight” name, consumers often mistake it for a full keratin hair treatment. This mask is merely a maintenance product, although it might provide limited hair straightening after repeated use.

What really matters?

Using the right products.

Many products have keratin on the label, but the use of these differs widely. Some products are complete keratin straightening treatments, but most are maintenance conditioners to be used after your treatment. Still, others are cumulative products that straighten your hair gradually.

Once you have the correct product, if you like it, consider purchasing the entire line. That way, you’ll have a range of products that work in conjunction to maintain your keratin hair treatment or repair damaged tresses.

Finding a great salon for a complete keratin treatment.

While salon keratin hair treatments are expensive, it’s worth it to have a pro do your first treatment, at least. This way, if you choose to do the procedure at home with a product like Keratin Research, you’ll have had a live physical demonstration first. The process is involved! Keratin hair treatments, at home or in a salon, take up to four hours to complete.

Make sure to follow the instructions thoroughly. You’ve probably heard misinformation about keratin treatments being damaging to the hair. It isn’t a detrimental procedure, but damage can occur if the hair has been chemically processed too many times in too short a succession or if the hair is fragile.

Waiting to get your hair wet.

Part of the post-treatment for some keratin straightening procedures is not to get your hair wet for several days. That includes working up a sweat, so be prepared to swear off the gym for a while. Once you do wash your hair, make sure to use a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo.

What’s in right now?

Formaldehyde-free keratin hair treatments are what’s in! Keratin treatments that straighten the hair contain formaldehyde or at least contain chemicals that release formaldehyde during the treatment. Keratin treatments utilize formaldehyde even if they claim to be formaldehyde-free. Formaldehyde helps the keratin bond strongly to the hair. When used with high heat, the hair gets very straight, and the results last four to six months. These chemicals don’t pose much of a health risk for clients, but they do for stylists who are in contact with a wide variety of harsh chemicals daily.

If you prefer a truly formaldehyde-free formula, like Cezanne, you’ll get smoother, healthier hair that’s easier to maintain, but it won’t be straight. The results will last about three months.

Prices

Expensive

$100-$450. If you’re paying over $100 for a keratin hair treatment, you’re going to get a salon-quality product. On the higher end, you’ll receive an entire set of them. Your stylist will recommend which of these products is best for you.

Mid-range

$35-$100. Home keratin hair treatments are in this category. They include the hair lotion and the instructions you’ll need to get your hair smooth and straight. If the price is closer to $100, there may be some maintenance products include also.

Cheap

$10-$35. These products are not full, keratin hair treatments. They are conditioning products designed to boost your hair or to maintain the results of a keratin treatment.

FAQ

What’s involved in a full keratin treatment?

A complete keratin treatment starts on hair cleansed with a clarifying shampoo. Then the full strength keratin lotion is applied to the hair shaft, without reaching the scalp. The solution is then allowed to rest on the hair for anywhere between twenty minutes to two hours. This depends on the product being used, it’s strength, your original hair texture, and the results you’re trying to achieve.

After this phase, the hair is blow-dried with the keratin hair treatment still in the hair. Then it is flat-ironed in small sections to seal the keratin into your hair strands. After this, the product is fully rinsed, but the keratin that has bonded to your strands remains behind. The hair is then shampooed again, and finally blowed-out again. The entire process might vary slightly, but the result is hair that is beautiful, smooth, and coated with healing, protective keratin.

Are keratin hair treatments safe?

Keratin hair treatments are much safer than other chemical treatment done in a salon, all of which do pose some health risks like hair damage and skin and lung sensitivities. If you see all the stylists at the salon wearing face masks and gloves, it’s because they deal with chemicals all day long.

The high heat temperatures used in keratin hair treatments are what can pose a risk to your hair. If your strands are extremely damaged at the start, if you suffer from hair loss or thinning, or if your hair strands are naturally delicate and prone to breakage, using a keratin-infused mask regularly might be a better option than a full treatment. Ask your stylist for a strand test.

What’s the difference between a home keratin treatment and one done in a salon?

Salon products are generally of higher quality, and the technicians are adept with several hair procedures, including keratin treatments. If you’re ready to perform the entire prolonged process yourself and are confident you can treat the back of your hair as well, you’ll need a few extra items to see it through.

The right shampoo is critical. You’ll need a clarifying shampoo, to begin with, and gentle, sulfate-free shampoo for the middle phase. Shampoos that contain sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate can break down the added keratin in your hair. Your flat iron and blow dryer should be of professional quality with very high temperatures. Armed with these, you can mimic the salon procedure at home, and likely save yourself hundreds of dollars.

Can keratin treatments be done on top of chemically treated hair?

Yes, they can. Keratin treatments are recommended for hair that’s been treated with chemicals because keratin fills in damaged areas of the hair strand. Keratin treatments are, in essence, made to help restore dull and lifeless hair.

But if your hair has already undergone more than one chemical treatment in quick succession, use caution and request a strand test. The high heat used during the procedure might be more than your hair can handle.

Can I curl my hair after a keratin treatment?

After receiving or performing your keratin hair treatment, a lot of caution should be exercised during the first week. In the first week, the keratin applied to your hair is still setting in and remains flexible. Not even headbands or ponytails are recommended for use during the first week because your hair might become bent. If this happens, use a flat iron on medium heat to smooth your hair again.

If your hair can get bent from a ponytail, just imagine what will happen if you use a curling iron on your hair during the first week. Those curls might be in your hair for a good long time. After the first week passes, you change up your look by using your normal heat tools on medium heat.

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