Diving Deep on the Difference Between Smoothing Treatments
Who doesn’t love smooth, soft, frizz-free, and manageable hair? I know we do! And so do many of you too. I’m sure most of you have heard of the terms “Brazilian Blowout” and “Keratin” when it comes to topics of treatments used for fighting frizz and smoothing down the hair, or even gotten them done yourself in the past. But what is the difference? And how do you know which one is the right one for your hair? Well today we have the answers for you!
To start, some of the similarities between the two include an application time of around 3 hours, both last for up to 3-4 months, and both decrease the drying time of your hair. When it comes to the actual application process and post treatment maintenance is where things start to differ. After clarifying the hair and applying the solution, Keratin has to process in your hair before it gets blown dry, whereas with the Brazilian Blowout you immediately begin drying the product into the hair. Once dried, flat ironed, re-wet and redried, the treatment is complete! But with Keratin you can’t do things such as wear hats, put it up in a ponytail, go swimming, sweat due to exercise, or wash your hair for a few days after the treatment. With Brazilian Blowouts, once you’re out the door you’re free to enjoy your treatment however you’d like!
Onto the main question: Which one should I get? Well, let's start with what exactly a Brazilian Blowout is. This treatment's main goal is combat frizz, add shine, and for those with wavier hair that enjoy wearing it on the straighter side. If your main challenge is frizz, and you love styling your hair but some days it feels like it takes until the end of time to complete, this treatment is probably the one for you. Even just letting your hair air dry with this treatment will give it a more polished, less undone look. If your hair is on the curlier side, it will ultimately eliminate frizz over everything, not compromise your curl pattern nor relax your hair completely. A great recommendation from our owner, Brittany, is to get Brazilian Blowouts in the spring, summer, and fall (especially since those are hot months for us now too!) because that humidity in Richmond, Virginia doesn’t quit and they will help tame that frizz!
Now onto Keratin. The treatment is in the name itself, it adds protein (Keratin) and strength to your hair! This helps the hair appear healthier, fuller, and significantly more smooth. With the chemical makeup of this treatment, it is slightly more permanent, which causes it to have more of a straightening effect to take place. With that being said this treatment is not a relaxer for the hair. A good indicator for if this treatment is right for you is if you tend to struggle with more brittle hair and damage due to heat use. And for those with curlier hair, it won’t compromise your curl pattern, but slightly loosen the curl and add shine!
While both treatments help with decreasing the usage of heat, add shine, and make your hair feel so dang good, they both come with their own differences that you should know about! The main difference between the two is that the Brazilian Blowout acts as a laminator for each hair strand, adding in amino acids to help smooth the cuticle layer, boost shine and even out porosity, while the Keratin is more of a treatment that chemically changes the make-up of the hair to help smooth, straighten and de-frizz. The only thing we want here at PRISM Hair in Richmond, Virginia is for you to feel that you are making the absolute best decisions for your hair, and we’re here to help you along every step of the way! If you still have more questions, be sure to take our matchmaking survey to find who here at PRISM Hair in Richmond, Virginia is the best fit for you!
