At Home or Salon: Keratin Treatments
Like most things hair related, I’m not afraid to try things at home or do them myself. I know the common rule is that if you aren’t a professional, you should go to the salon but my dad, mom, and gma all did cosmetology + barbering so I know more than average and I’m comfortable with that! Which brings me to how I ended up doing a keratin treatment at home.
A keratin treatment is a form of Brazilian hair straightening, like the Brazilian blow-out that was ever popular during the days of Jersey Shore (at least in my area lol) This type of straightening is semi-permanent and seals a liquid keratin and preservative to the hair using heat.
My hair goes all the way to my tailbone and I haven’t cut it since my gma died, so frizz makes it look really untamed, unkempt, and in need of a cut. Because I have the length, course strands, and thick hair I figured there’d be no harm in doing a home treatment!
The price difference is pretty large when it comes to salon v. home. At a salon you’ll pay anywhere from $250 to $450 based on things like hair type, length, previous processing, and other factors. And it makes sense: you’re also paying someone for their expertise and time. I used UNIQUE STEP, a new three step set from Nutree Cosmetics, that offers straight hair for 3-4 months. This treatment doesn’t contain formaldehyde and is enriched with thermo-hydrolyzed proteins so it sounded great to me! Not to mention the cost is $59.99* and they have other straightening kits available, so you can find the best one for you.
At first I was excited but when I had the product in hand I realized there wasn’t enough. My hair is 28″ long and pretty thick, so I usually use double to triple the amount provided for full coverage of my hair. The shampoo and conditioner are the perfect size though, at least for 4 uses! Since I grew up watching people get their hair done I knew how to dilute the first step for full coverage, but that meant it wasn’t as strong. I rinsed, air dried in front of a heater, straightened, and then washed my hair.
The first look I took after straightening it shocked me. My hair has never, ever been that straight and it was the perfect look I was going for! Of course I had to jump on Snapchat to get some cute videos and pics. I knew it probably wouldn’t be as sleek, but I figured it would stay nearly as straight.
Which it didn’t...and that was my fault.
After it was completely dry again you could see some waves but my hair was mostly straight and there wasn’t nearly as much frizz. The week went on nicely and my hair slowly started to go wavy again, so I’m planning to do it again.
I was using my custom shampoo and conditioner, which are also a straightening type, from Formulate. The issue is with my hair length being so excessive for such a small amount of product. Since my hair is so thick it would probably need to be around 20″ or less to work with diluted or small amounts of the product. Since my hair didn’t adjust to my Formulate set, I want to try Unique Step set again in hopes that it’ll bond to my hair properly!
They also point out that previously dyed hair can lighten 0.5-1 level, which mine did. My hair is naturally dark and appears almost black in photos when not treated, but was currently dyed medium brown. I posted a photo from approximately 2 to 3 weeks after the keratin treatment and someone said they liked my red hair, because although it didn’t lighten too much, the red undertones have definitely made an appearance! I’m currently using their shampoo and conditioner twice a week!
Soon after contacting the company about getting Step One singles, I discovered that Nutree Cosmetics DOES offer a larger size of their step one - the salon size of 16.2oz, which is perfect for someone who has hair like mine and plans to re-up at home as well. And, while every salon will vary, there will be some that stock Nutree Cosmetics which means you’re getting salon quality product at home! (You know, since people will say that cosmetologists have access to products we don’t. While this is true, there are many products sold at beauty supply that are just marked up when sold to the public! Like: Redken, Biolage, etc.)
Considering trying this for yourself? Use the code FOLLOWME for 15% off of your order or check out this simple tutorial the company posted so you can see how easy it is for yourself!
*I received this product free to test & review. All opinions are my own, and no links are affiliate links.
