Hair Care

How To Do Keratin Treatment At Home: The Ultimate DIY!

DIY keratin treatment is a great way to save yourself from expensive and harmful chemicals.


Written by Manal Yahya

On Apr 5, 2023 – 9 minutes read

Keratin treatment at home

Did you know you can skip trips to the salon and perform keratin treatment at home instead? Yes, convenience is becoming more accessible in nearly every aspect! Typically, you’d need to visit the salon every four weeks to maintain smooth and shiny strands with keratin treatment. But can you do a keratin treatment at home?

Fortunately, now you can ditch the hefty costs of professional hair care treatments. Moreover, considering the current serious circumstances, it’s not recommended or prudent to visit a hair salon for a treatment you can easily administer at home. You can now conduct at-home keratin treatment right from your own bathroom!

Keratin Treatment At Home: Time To Save Your Money!

Keratin is a kind of insoluble fibrous protein found naturally in nails and hair strands, among other things. As it builds the outer layer of hair and skin, keratin gives structure to the hair.

For those who are unfamiliar with keratin treatments, here is what it is. Keratin treatment is the process of semi-permanent chemical treatment of hair that lasts longer than you expect. In Keratin treatment,  soothing properties together with hydrating and strengthening proteins are used to smooth flyaways and add shine to hair.

It also helps repair hair damage, replaces the lost protein due to chemical treatments and heat styling, adds moisture to the strands, eliminates frizz, and creates frizz-free and conditioned hair.

https://soulfactors.com/blog/best-keratin-treatment-products/

As a result, this topical treatment that forms a protective layer around each hair strand cuts down your styling time. This also makes the treatment ideal for hair that is reactive to humidity.

Keratin Treatment At Home vs At The Salon

Having learned about the benefits of keratin treatment, it’s essential to acknowledge its drawbacks when done at a salon. Depending on your hair’s length and thickness, salon sessions can demand anywhere from two to six hours of your time. Additionally, each appointment could cost around $300 or more, making it financially inaccessible for many. Recognizing this, permanent keratin treatment at home kits have emerged to address these issues.

Keratin treatment at home offers a professional-like experience, albeit without harsh chemicals like formaldehyde, which is a significant advantage of using these kits. The Keratin treatment at home kit is cost-effective compared to frequent salon visits, easy to apply, and comes in various forms, such as convenient hair masks, nourishing keratin oils, and lightweight leave-in treatments.

Before you get overly optimistic, it’s important to clarify one thing: keratin treatment at home doesn’t come close to the power and effectiveness of salon-grade treatments performed by professionals. Naturally, salons employ experienced hairstylists for a reason. Additionally, the keratin treatment at home ingredients may not match the quality and potency of those used in professional settings.

When it comes to at-home keratin treatments, they won’t have the lasting power of salon treatments since they only coat the hair instead of altering its structure. However, there’s a compelling reason to opt for the best keratin treatment at home kit: it gets the job done while saving a significant amount of money!

Do you want to know more? Keep scrolling!

Keratin Hair Treatments: What Options Do You Have?

Numerous keratin treatments exist, but those administered in salons can gradually harm your hair in the long term, particularly those aimed at hair smoothening. This is often due to the mixture of keratins with other harmful chemicals and artificial substitutes. Hence, alternative options like keratin treatment at home for curly hair seem more enticing. However, it’s crucial to note that not all available keratin hair treatments are suitable for use.

Keratin treatment at home kit

You have two options for keratin treatment: using an at-home kit with treatment products or concocting natural ingredients for a DIY treatment (listed below). However, neither of these methods typically yields the desired results compared to a trained stylist, especially when it comes to smoothening your hair. If you’re determined to try it at home, here’s how to do a keratin treatment at home. Professionals can assess your hair and tailor the formula accordingly, minimizing the risk of tonal changes. Nonetheless, these at-home options are less damaging, which compensates for their shortcomings.

A warning when choosing an at-home keratin treatment: the one ingredient that you have to stay away from is formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a harmful gas and is considered to be a carcinogen. Hence,  you should look for formulas that are free of formaldehyde. It can actually cause health problems.

Also, reading the reviews before choosing comes without saying. Another tip for choosing at-home keratin treatment is: for thicker hair strands, look for keratin treatment formulas that add shine as well as moisture. But for damaged hair, look for formulas with soothing and softening ingredients.

Step By Step Process Of How To Do Keratin Treatment At Home

After buying a formaldehyde-free keratin treatment product, you can do keratin treatment at home by yourself. But you have to be careful while choosing the right brand and right product for your hair.

Keratin treatment steps are pretty easy to follow. But you cannot rush the process. It takes time to work properly. So remember to be patient while working slowly!

Step 1. Shampoo

The first step is always cleaning your hair from dirt, oil, and build-ups. This step ensures your hair cuticles open up and helps hair strands absorb the treatment better and, most importantly, evenly.

So, start with a clarifying shampoo (anti-residue shampoo) for complimentary benefits. Massage it into your hair with your fingertips (instead of nails) and work up a lather.

keratin treatment at home ingredients

For a DIY keratin treatment at home, allow it to sit for three to five minutes before thoroughly washing your hair. If your hair is laden with styling products or chemicals, resistant to treatments, or if this is your first keratin treatment, consider shampooing twice or even thrice for optimal results. A crucial caution: refrain from using conditioner!

Keratin Treatment At Home: Step 2. Dry your hair

After you are done with rinsing your shampoo, the next step is drying your hair you can either do towel dry or blow-dry until it’s completely dry. A Brazilian treatment, however, requires slightly damp hair.

As you blow-dry on a medium heat setting, run your fingers through strands. So, dry your hair until completely dry unless the product states otherwise.

Step 3. Section

The next step is sectioning or parting your hair into 4 to 8 sections using a comb.

Best keratin treatment at home

Clip each section tightly to ensure it doesn’t get in the middle of the application process.

Step 4. Apply

After sectioning comes the good part of keratin treatment at home! Wear your gloves and get ready to start applying! It is extremely important to follow the instructions on whatever product you are using.

Read and follow all directions and safety precautions. Once you are ready, start applying and coating your hair strand with the treatment product using a hair coloring brush or your gloved hands.

Keratin treatment at home for curly hair

Begin by sectioning your hair and apply the product from the tips upwards, stopping about an inch away from the scalp, or start from the roots and work towards the ends. Begin with a small amount and gradually increase, ensuring thorough coverage without over-saturation.

Use a fine-tooth comb to evenly distribute the product throughout each section. If the product accumulates on the comb, remove the excess until clean.

Apply generously to ensure your strands are fully coated with keratin, but avoid excessive dripping. This will help make hair fluffy. Repeat the process for each section, and once complete, securely clip each section up.

Keratin Treatment At Home: Step 5. Wait

After applying, cover your hair with a shower cap and let it sit on your hair for 20 minutes (fine hair) or 40-50 minutes (thick or coarse hair). This waiting time usually varies depending on the hair type as well as the manufacturer.

To prevent your hair from curling, you can comb your hair every five minutes and break the sulfur bonds.

Step 6. Rinse

This is an optional step. Because some products require you to wash your hair after the processing time before drying while many don’t.

how to do keratin treatment at home

Depending on your product, if it does ask you to rinse, wash your hair thoroughly before the next step. Use warm water and rinse until the water runs clear.

Step 7. Blow-Dry

If your product doesn’t ask you to rinse, take off all the clips and blow-dry your hair with the product still on it.

diy keratin treatment at home

Use the “cool” or “hot” setting (depending on the product) to blow-dry each section without brushing. This may take a while as your hair is richly coated with the product. But the next step requires dried hair.

Keratin Treatment At Home: Step 8. Iron

Once completely dry, separate your hair into small sections again. It’s time to lock the keratin in! This is the most important step in the entire process.

can you do a keratin treatment at home

Utilize a high-quality flat iron heated between 350-430 degrees. Take each section and iron meticulously until no visible product vapor remains on the strands, typically requiring 8-10 passes. Continue ironing each section until your entire head of hair is sleek and smooth. Avoid high temperatures on fine, damaged, or chemically processed hair.

Step 9. Wash

After you are done ironing, some products ask you to rinse your hair with warm water while it is still hard. Massage your scalp to ensure your hair is clean. It is also important to mention that many products ask you to wait for 48 hours after ironing to wash your hair to give keratin more time.

Some even wait for a week before washing! Meanwhile, you can use dry shampoo if the lack of washing bothers you. After the required time, you can wash your hair with shampoo.

Aftercare

  • Don’t use hair ties (especially tight ones) for at least 48 hours
  • Avoid using hair clips for at least 48 hours
  • Don’t tuck hair behind your ears
  • Use a fabric bandana
  • Avoid heat styling
  • Use only sulfate-free shampoo after washing

How To Do Keratin Treatment At Home Naturally?

If you want to go completely natural, there are several ingredients in your pantry that you can put to use. But since these are combined for a DIY keratin treatment, you have to try them several times to work. Listed below are a few of the natural keratin treatment ingredients you can whip up:

How To Do Keratin Treatment At Home Naturally 03 (1)
  • Avocado: 1 ripe
  • Mayonnaise: 1 tablespoon

Mix, apply, and leave it on for one hour. Rinse with cold water and mild shampoo followed by a hair serum.

How To Do Keratin Treatment At Home Naturally 02
  • Egg Yolk: 1
  • Honey: 1 tablespoon
  • Almond oil: 1 tablespoon

Mix, apply, and leave it for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with cool water followed by a mild shampoo.

How To Do Keratin Treatment At Home Naturally 03
  • Banana: 1 ripe
  • Avocado: 1 ripe
  • Rose oil: 1 teaspoon
  • Wheat germ oil: 1 tablespoon

Mix without any lumps and make a paste. Apply and leave it on for 30-45 minutes. Rinse with a mild shampoo.

How To Do Keratin Treatment At Home Naturally 04
  • Avocado: 1 ripe, medium-sized
  • Coconut milk: 2 tablespoon

Mix until no lumps, apply, and cover your hair with a shower cap for 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water, then blow dry while brushing.

How To Do Keratin Treatment At Home Naturally 05
  • Flaxseeds
  • Water
  • Fenugreek powder (optional)

Mix and keep it overnight. Then, grind it and make a paste. Apply and leave it on for 30-40 minutes. Rinse with a mild shampoo.

Final Words

To steer clear of frequent and costly salon appointments for keratin treatments, opt for the convenient route: performing keratin treatment at home or utilizing natural keratin treatments. In this article, I’ve outlined the step-by-step process for applying keratin treatment at home and provided a list of ingredients for natural keratin treatment recipes. Feel free to choose whichever option suits you best!

  1. The Agency for Toxic substances and Disease Registry. (n.d ).Chemical, Cancer, and You. (Online). Available at

    https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/emes/public/docs/Chemicals,%20Cancer,%20and%20You%20FS.pdf
  2. National Centre for Health Research. (n.d ).What's the deal with Keratin Treatment. (Online). Available at

     https://www.center4research.org/whats-deal-keratin-treatments/
  3. National Centre for Biotechnological Information. (2017).A study on scalp hair health and hair care practices among Malaysian medical students. (Online). Available at

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5551307/

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Manal

Manal is a lifestyle influencer who has spent years delving into the world of beauty, fashion, and wellness- a pro when it comes to anything woman.

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