Do Keratin Treatments Work on African American Hair?

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And today, it has become the term of choice for hair-straightening process with different names. These include Global keratin complex, Brazilian keratin treatment, Brazilian hair straightening, Brazilian blowout, La-Brasiliana treatment, and Coppola.

It can be used by women of different races with wavy, curly, or kinky hair who want to expect straight and shiny hair. But since it also carries health risks, there are some precautions you need to know before taking it!

Formaldehyde is the key of why keratin treatment can straighten hair. But unfortunately, it is harmful chemical (it is toxic).

The long-term health risks to formaldehyde are more troubling. One of them could be the increased risk of cancer. Even EPA (the Environmental Protection Agency) has classified this chemical as a suspected human carcinogen.

In general, the main health concern from this treatment is focused to salon workers or anyone who get long exposure to formaldehyde. But this doesn’t mean that the risk for people who get the treatment can be ignored! In fact, it also has been scientifically confirmed that it carries the risk of short-term, immediate irritation of the skin, upper part of respiratory system, and eyes.

Are there any formaldehyde-free keratin treatments?

Nowadays, many companies and salon claim that their keratin hair-straightening products are free of formaldehyde. But just because they say it’s formaldehyde-free, this actually doesn’t mean it is!

Technically, the treatment may not contain formaldehyde. But it contains particular ingredients that can release formaldehyde if heated or/and mixed with water! Some of these ingredients include formalin, methylene glycol, methanediol, and methanol.

So it’s unlikely for keratin treatments could strengthen hair for weeks and months with formaldehyde-free. Forget about the words of safe amino acids, keratin, or proprietary conditioners (it’s just a marketing buzzword) – none of these ingredients ‘without formaldehyde’ can provide frizz-free hair through multiple shampoos!

Since keratin treatments with formaldehyde have health risks that may outweigh the benefit, some new treatments are offered for alternatives. Yap, there are some alternative choices to replace the use of formaldehyde.

These include Trissola Solo, Cezanne Perfect Finish, Goldwell Kerasilk, and supersilk smoothing treatment. They are 100 % free of formaldehyde. But the drawback, the result lasts in a few weeks (typically not longer than 2 months). And they also don’t dramatically straighten the frizzy hair as well as what you find with formaldehyde.

Precautions checklists

If you do believe that you can get more benefits from keratin treatment, do it as safe as possible! The following are other tips, facts, and precautions checklists you need to read before taking the treatment:

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