411 on Smoothing Treatments
Wanna know the truth???
Smoothing treatments, also known as keratin treatments or brazilian blowouts, got a bad rap a few years ago right after they first came on the scene. There was a lot of misinformation about how harmful they were to clients, stylists and the hair.
I want to clear a few things up.
Most are formaldehyde free.
The truth is that most manufacturers can truthfully say that their product is formaldehyde free because formaldehyde is what gets released in the air once heat is introduced to the smoothing solution, it isn’t actually in the product. The levels of formaldehyde release in the air are totally safe and are in the tiniest parts per million.
Specially trained, well educated and certified stylists know that they can also mitigate any risk to clients or themselves by properly ventilating the area, wearing protective eye wear and only using the proper amount of solution and levels of heat that the manufacturer recommends.
You can control the amount of curl reduction.
The amount of curl and volume a client wishes to keep or eliminate is totally customizable. In the early days of these treatments, I think a lot of us stylists were tempted to really make everyone’s hair super straight and flat (that was also the style trend a few years ago). But, the real benefit to these treatments is the ability to eliminate frizz, decrease styling and drying time and improve manageability and shine.
They are semi permanent.
Most smoothing treatments are semi permanent. (There are permanent straighteners but they work completely differently and that is not what this post is about) They create a shield that wraps around each hair strand and fills in the nooks and crannies of the hair’s outermost layer, the cuticle. During the treatment process; heat from a blow dryer and flat iron help to seal the product into the cuticle layer. The results last for about 12 weeks depending on how you take care of your hair at home. It is imperative that you use sulfate free products. We recommend any of LANZA’s awesome product line up.
They’re great solutions for frizz control even for fine and thin hair.
As a stylist, I have used many different smoothing treatments but my favorite is Brazilian Blowout. I am able to customize it for almost any client, even those with fine or thin hair. If frizz reduction and ease of care is something a client mentions during our consultation, a Brazilian Blowout treatment is really an amazing solution.
Use the correct after care.
I cannot stress enough the importance of proper home hair care after a smoothing treatment. Use the products that your stylist recommends. Almost every manufacturer recommends sulfate and paraben free shampoos, conditioners and styling products to ensure the longevity of the treatment. My usual recommendation is the LANZA Glossifying system or the LANZA Keratin Healing Oil regimen.
They are not for pregnant or nursing moms.
If you are pregnant or nursing or planning to become pregnant, it is not advisable to have a smoothing treatment. I think this is probably a common sense statement but bears mentioning. When in doubt, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Curious about our smoothing treatments?