Is Keratin Treatment Worth It?
With so many treatments available to fix any possible problem you could think of, it's often hard to know just which are effective and worth spending the money on. One of my goals here at Belle by Laurelle is to be a resource for you guys and try to help you navigate those decisions, so when I test something, I try to give you the full scoop on it. I recently had Keratin Treatment given to my hair, so read on to find out what it is, where I had it done, what results I saw at first and over time, as well as if I liked it and thought it was worth it!
What is Keratin Treatment?
It's a treatment done to hair that is meant to leave it smooth, silk, and frizz-free for months. It's done by soaking the hair in a formaldehyde treatment, drying it, and then flat ironing it.
Where Did I Go?
Back in August, I went to the the Sally Dormer Color at Sally Hershberger Salon on the Upper East Side to have the highly praised Jennifer Nast give my hair Keratin Treatment. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, which isn't always the case at salons.
Often times, I find salon trips to be awkward. For some reason, there is this pressure for you and your stylist to converse the whole time, even when you're both wracking your brain for random topics of conversation that might work, but who knows, because you're both totally different people with totally different interests (which is totally fine!! as is letting there be silence.) But the team at the SDSH Salon are so colorful and friendly, I chatted with them the whole time and sincerely enjoyed it! I was headed to LA the next week, and Jennifer, along with Michael who was helping her out, was so kind and helpful. They gave me great recommendations for some must-go places for photos and eats!
In addition to having great staff, the salon is gorgeous and serene, an escape from the hectic city! I sipped tea and enjoyed the sunlight streaming in the window near my seat while I chatted with the team, and it was so relaxing!
What to Expect?
Having had the treatment for two months, I feel like I can offer a pretty good description of what to expect for Keratin Treatment...
The first week, it's not so fun. You can't wash your hair for 3 days, and since its pin-straight and has some formaldehyde solution in it, it's pretty darn flat and greasy-looking by day 3. Then, you get to wash it...
The first month was really impressive; my hair dried so fast (at least twice as fast as normal) after showering and it was silky it was all the time! As someone with naturally curly, abundant, and frizzy hair, it was amazing. My only complaint was that it did get oily/dirty faster and didn't have as much volume. That said, it was also 10x easier to wash, dry, and style, so washing more wasn't really a problem.
After the first 2-3 weeks was when I really started to enjoy my hair. It's back to being almost as curtly as it was, it has almost as much volume as it did, but still dries faster and is MUCH less frizzier. It looks so silky and healthy, especially if I style it! I have not struggled frizzy hair or frazzled ends once since the treatment was performed, and it's kind of surreal, considering how much both of those things were a problem for me. My hair may be abundant, but it's super fine, which is why it holds curl so well, but also why it used to get so frizzy. It's very slowly starting wearing off a bit now, about 3 months after I had the treatment done, but it's still so much silkier, healthier, and frizz-free than pre-treatment.
Did I Like It/Would I Do it Again?
Absolutely! I've found with most beauty treatments I've tried is that the first week is a little rough, but then the next several months are amazing and well-worth it; that's exactly how I feel about getting Keratin Treatment. It usually costs around a few hundred dollars (in NYC, $400-$500, other areas probably a bit lower, maybe $300-$400). For months of hair that's beautiful and much easier AND faster to manage, I feel like thats a small price to pay. Even just the time-saving aspect made it worth it to me, as I'm always working with half the time I need to get everything I need to done! I don't enjoy doing my hair, and having it so much faster and easier to style was a game-changer.
If you feel like those results are worth investing in, I would highly recommend making sure you're going somewhere that you can trust. If the price is much lower than what I shared above, be skeptical and do a ton of research before committing. Your stylist should spend adequate time straightening your hair, adjust the temperature of the iron to match your hair, and use a good quality keratin. To be effective, the formulaneeds to have some formaldehyde, but should be a small amount, around 2%-4% and he procedure should be done in a well ventilated room).
If you're based in or visiting New York, I highly recommend visiting the SDSH Salon! The team is wonderful, and the results are beautiful. Ask for Jennifer Nast! <3