Hey,
Kind of Excited !!
I never thought I would ever write about my hair story as I never had the most beautiful hair in the world (except when my mom used to take care of them until I grew up into some lost teenager trying to prove a point, and some high school nutties plotted against my mane- Well, that’s another ridiculous story. So, Some other day!), but here I am. With treatments and true hair care, you might achieve the hair you like.
Now, that I have started writing about the post, I am going to jot down everything I know about Keratin, Smoothing, hair growth, and other tips that helped.
This is the third time I got this hair treatment done. So, It starts with Smoothing. So, Lets talk about that first.
What is smoothing?
Hair smoothing or smoothening is a chemical process that uses a formaldehyde solution to saturate your hair strands, post which a flat iron + Blow dryer is used to set it.
Why Hair Smoothing?
We all want our hair to be smooth and glossy as hell. For me, there’s another reason too. I have naturally curly hair and not just nice settled Kangana Ranaut curls. My hair has ridiculous amount of frizz. A frizz that shows in my pictures which I can’t afford to have. It’s not that I don’t like curls, I love everything God blessed me with, but I prefer straight or wavy hair to Curly.
How to go about it?
Go to the salon that doesn’t cheat with the quality of the products and is well ventilated. Go to the one that you trust. I have been going to ‘Jawed Habib- Hair and beauty’ for more than a decade and I swear by that place. So, anyhow, I got my Smoothing treatment there for the third time and I will tell you how it works.
PS: Both genders can go for these treatments.
Also, now that Covid19 has strived the nation, we obviously need to visit salons where extra care is taken, where combs and scissors are sanitised as well.
For super curly hair, Smoothing will only make your hair sit nicely. I mean, your frizz will settle down. It is not going to make your hair super straight and glossy if you have hardcore frizzy curls like me.
Some Pros and Cons :
Pros:
Hair becomes less frizzy.
When merged with Keratin; The result is no less than magic.
Cons:
You may feel nauseated or headache the day you get the treatment done.
Major hair care needs to be followed post the treatment.
I noticed some good amount of hair fall (only) the last time I got it done.
It is a long process. Carry your food!
Expensive.
Roots before the treatment. After the treatment.
I usually get Smoothing treatment done first followed by another long process of Keratin (post 3 days). Not everyone goes this way. People might go for rebonding but I prefer this one. I have never got Rebonding done on my hair. Keratin when merged with smoothing gives a little health to hair as well and that flowing hair effect that I like the most about this treatment.
Some pictures before the treatment when my roots started to turn a bit curly again, I wanted a touch up but ended up getting it all redone.
Bottom three were all clicked after the treatment.
What is Keratin?
Keratin is a hair protein that gives hair its strength. Let me tell you that both these treatments are chemical treatments and large doses can be really harmful. So, you NEED to get these treatments done by a professional who knows what he’s doing and how much product he is using. Keratin only lasts for about 4 months.
For both these treatments, they use a good amount of heat to let the treatments settle in through blow dryer and a hair straightener. If your hair is too thin, you might want to avoid it. You aren’t supposed to wash or tie your hair until 2-3 days as suggested by your professional.
Pros and Cons of Keratin:
Pros:
Makes my hair softer and shinier.
Hair becomes manageable.
You don’t need to blow dry your hair every second day.
Cons:
Makes your hair super greasy within 2-3 days that makes you want to wash it every second day.
While the treatment goes on, the chemical is so harsh, it might make you cry.
It doesn’t last long.
I noticed my hair colour fade post keratin.
Some more pictures from both the sittings.
Some myths:
- Hair becomes very dull after these treatments.
On the contrary, hair becomes shinier. If you ignore taking care of it or if you don’t use the correct products, you may lose everything you paid for. I am someone who doesn’t invest a lot of time and effort especially when I used to work long hours but during the Pandemic while I stayed inside and took care of my health and was mostly not working initially for few months, I took care of my hair. Not that I was drenched in coconut oil, but I just took care. I know I did more than other parts of my life where all I cared about was hustling. Its true, you really need to take care of your hair if you want it to grow or become glossier.
2. Hair growth stops post chemical treatments.
I won’t type a word, Just posting these pictures here along with the dates.
First three pictures: My hair length in Feb.
Fourth pic: Hair in August.
I had my last hair cut on February 3rd, 2020. Post which, I gave my mane a bit of a trim.
My hair’s thin right now from the bottom, but they aren’t totally dead. I gave them a little trim, and didn’t let the salon guy touch the length. But now that I am at home, I am trying to work on the volume. Thinking of keeping them more nourished with frequent oiling and home made hair masks.
3. Some people who have great hair, they are just blessed even when they treat them like shit.
Those people are selfish liars !
Hope you liked the post. You are free to ask <Polite> questions in the comment box or on my instagram DM.
Polite, because on one of my previous posts got unsolicited advices by some “know it all” uncles who judged me as some ‘immature’ narcissist, so I want to address them as ‘uncles’ 😉
Saving the TMI for my best friend.
Until then, Keep wearing that Self Confidence like your crown.
Much Love,
Sonal Arora.
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