Towel dried hair. 5 months post heat abuse!

Since I've stopped using heat, I've noticed a major texture difference in my new growth compared to the rest of my hair. To give a summary of my journey, I transitioned from relaxed hair to natural and then got the Brazilian keratin treatment (BKT). Am I still classed as natural even with a keratin treatment? That's a debate for another time, but the BKT is definitely something I would like to talk about today.

I love my keratin treatments - it smooths my hair, gives it strength, shine and movement. However, there is one downside to it that I would like to warn others about.

It speeds up heat damage.

The keratin treatment itself does not straighten hair, it simply smooths it, sometimes temporarily loosening the curl pattern. When the hair is taken care of, the treatment (at least the one I use) washes out over time, revealing the hair's natural texture after a few months.

Up until a few months ago I was using heat very frequently. In fact, I used heat regularly throughout my entire transition and it didn't affect my curl pattern at all - my strands remained kinky and coily.

However, after some months of being keratin treated, my regular flat ironing routine affected my hair permanently, creating straight strands that wouldn't revert even when wet. My theory that too much heat causes premature straightening on keratin treated hair was confirmed by a conversation with my stylist's daughter. She had decided to cut down her treatments to just twice a year as she too found that the regular flat ironing of her fringe (bangs) caused permanently straight hair.

I must reiterate that it is not the keratin treatments themselves that cause permanent straightening. It is the the regular use of heat on the keratin treated hair that will expedite this outcome.

Note that my new growth is keratin treated also, it just hasn't been exposed to the crazy heat.

It's been five months since I curbed my heat addiction, and this change is reflected in the texture of my new growth. The keratin treatments I've had in these last five months have not affected the texture of my first few inches of growth, because that hair hasn't been troubled by the harsh amounts of heat I was previously using.

I'm aware that my situation could have happened without these treatments. If used enough, heat can permanently straighten anyone's hair. But in my case the keratin treatment simply sped the process up.

Don't get me wrong: keratin treatments can be great for those who are sensible with their heat use, or those who always wear their hair straight like I did. They can help with manageability, help flat ironed hair fight humidity and strengthen, but there are precautions to take.

Now that I've finally gained the confidence to stray away from my straight style and wear heatless styles such as buns, I'm itching for my thicker, textured hair again.

At this moment in time, I'm not sure whether I will stop the treatments completely or just get them twice a year. But I definitely know that 2016 is going to be a big year for change in regards to my hair.

I plan to continue with limited heat and low-manipulation styles to ensure my natural texture grows and maintains in tact.  That's the beauty of a journey - there are twists and turns, minds change and new decisions are made!

Bonjour everyone!

I'm back with a fresh Brazilian keratin treatment (nicknamed the 'hair fertiliser' by my stylist) and I've finally got a trim! This is just a quick post to keep you updated on what's been going on with my hair.

For the last few months I've cut down to using heat once a week, but in the last few weeks I've cut out heat completely, damp bunning everyday in a bid to retain length and moisture. It's definitely working! My hairdresser commented straight away on how my hair has grown and picked up in thickness - I couldn't help but do the cabbage patch dance in the chair.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to take a photo of my hair before I had it trimmed, but I could feel it touching a lower part of my back which I was happy about. Because of the trim, I'm at roughly the same length as my last BKT, but I don't mind simply because I know I have fresh ends that will retain length better than before. With my no-heat regime, I'm even more hopeful for good results. In fact, I'm seriously considering a 3 month bunning challenge in the New Year (details coming soon). Will you join me?

Overall, I'm happy with my hair and feel confident that I'll be able to see even more progress in the coming months. I've enjoyed my hair for two days and now it's going straight back into a protective/low manipulation style. Oh, the sacrifices...

BKT an a trim - 12 Dec 2015

It's been such a long time since I last posted. I've been so busy with my last year of university, going on holiday and then starting a new job. But now I'm back to blogging, so I thought I'd start with a post about the Brazilian Keratin Treatment (BKT) I received today.

I blogged about my first BKT here, but I didn't document the second one which I had on 22nd April. I wanted more of a blunt style at the time so my stylist cut off quite a bit, leaving me back at square one in terms of length progress:

22 April 2015

My hair has been doing well since and I can now feel it touching the bottom of my neck - a welcomed indicator that it's gaining length! I don't plan on cutting my hair again unless it's absolutely necessary.

11 July 2015

3rd Keratin Treatment - 11 July 2015

As usual after every treatment, my hair was swinging, shiny and smooth. Now, I'm sure we've been here before (I recognise that tree*), but I'm definitely going to focus on retaining my length. Every three months I'll be taking length pictures to compare my progress.

*For all you Gilmore Girls fans, here's a reference for ya

As of 7th February 2015, my hair is now keratin treated!

My hairdresser uses the K Fusion Smoothing Treatment, which is formaldehyde-free.

What is a keratin treatment?

Hair is made up of a protein called keratin. Heat, harsh chemicals and daily manipulation breaks down the protein bonds in the hair, weakening the strand and making it prone to breakage. A keratin treatment works to infuse the protein back into the hair, temporarily filling in weak spots and working to condition, strengthen and smooth the strands.

With this particular treatment, the results last 3-4 months and wash out over time.

How to do a keratin treatment:

1. My hair was washed and blowdried 90% dry. 
2. The keratin treatment was applied in small sections and left to air dry for about 45 minutes
3. The treatment was rinsed out (no shampoo used) and blowdried again. 
4. Hair was straightened with the flat iron to seal in the treatment 
5. Avoid getting hair wet, tying it up or using clips for 48 hours
6. Wash treatment out and style as usual

Does the keratin treatment damage hair? That's a lot of heat!

I had this conversation with my stylist. She explained that the product acts as a protector against heat providing it is applied correctly. You may have also heard the horror stories about using up to 10 passes with the straighteners to seal in the treatment. My hair dresser uses two passes on my hair - she's very concerned with the health of a client's hair and does not use more heat than necessary.

Keratin treatment results

• My hair was swinging and blinging, it was so shiny and had movement that I've never experienced before
• It felt really soft and smooth. 
• It also (temporarily) loosened my curl pattern - noticeable when wet
• Straightening my hair doesn't take as long 
• My hair doesn't revert if I get caught in the rain or humid weather.

First day of getting the treatment

Last words:

I'm very happy with this treatment. I'm currently experimenting with wash & gos as my texture is much looser now. Talking with my hairdresser's other clients, many of them raved about their hair never being as long as it is now due to regular keratin treatments. I think I'm going to stick with getting it done every 3 - 4 months. I'm ready to attempt to grow my hair longer as I've been wearing this bob for a couple of years now.

Towel dried hair before the treatment

Towel dried hair after treatment