Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Style and beauty

Looking for style advice? Chat all about it here. For the latest discounts on fashion and beauty, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Anyone still doing Keratin straightening at home?

30 replies

BanyanTree · 09/08/2017 11:10

I have had this done at a salon 3 times over the past 5 years. I loved the first 2 which were done overseas. The last one I had seemed a pointless exercise and cost £150.

I have seen a few times on here that people have done them at home successfully. If so, can you please recommend the products you have used and any tips. Also, I am planning on dying my own hair at home and then doing the Keratin treatment 2 weeks later. Is it OK to do it on top of a semi permanent hair dye? Has anyone done one at a salon, then at home. Was there a big difference? I thought the high cost of it was down to the product but my hairdresser actually told me that a lot of the cost was down to the fact that it took a lot of work for her to do the 3 steps and couldn't do anything else in-between.

I seem to be doing more and more DIY beauty jobs myself!

OP posts:

macnab · 09/08/2017 15:51

Following this thread OP as I used to use the Keratin Kits (I think that's what it was called) product but I haven't been able to get it off Amazon for months, it must have been pulled for a reason?

Hoping someone will come along with a recommendation for a similar product!

mrsharrison · 09/08/2017 16:34

I did it at home for the first time two months ago. Results as good as salon. Product cost me £40 online so saved more than 100! I didn't have
Clarifying shampoo so used fairy liquid instead to prep the hair. The beauty of doing it at home is you can pace yourself. Whereas I always hated sitting in a salon for 2 and a half hours.

mrsharrison · 09/08/2017 18:12

Forgot to say I use inoar. And I dye my hair either two weeks before or after. I would say ironing the hair is most important as it is this which bonds the keratin to your hair. So iron each strand 7 times.

Flimp · 09/08/2017 18:17

I've been having this done at the salon for years but decided to try an at home kit a couple of weeks ago.

I got this one: from Amazon and got a mobile hairdresser to do it for me.

It has definitely worked, I'm really pleased! I have fine jaw length hair and I'll get two applications out of that pack so it has cost me about 30 quid instead of 100. Hooray!!

I'm no expert, but I've always dyed my hair, usually a week or two after the treatment as it tends to lift the colour a bit.

macnab · 09/08/2017 20:33

Thanks Flimp am going to order that now!

libertydoddle · 10/08/2017 11:04

I see you have to use salt free / sulphate free shampoo. I am thinking about doing this before a long holiday where I'll be swimming in the sea a lot - will salt water ruin the effect?

macnab · 10/08/2017 11:32

liberty yes I would expect the salt water would affect it alright. I doubt it will ruin the effect but I'd say you won't get as long out of the treatment as usual. Salt breaks down the keratin.

Original poster

BanyanTree · 10/08/2017 11:40

Do you find that dying hair before or after is best? Also does it affect the colour if you do a home dye over the keratin treatment?

It is a lot cheaper. Only problem now is I need to buy straighteners

OP posts:

libertydoddle · 10/08/2017 11:51

Thanks macnab - I think you're right - decisions, decisions - my frizz is driving me mad right now, the wet, humid weather doesn't suit me at all!

Flimp · 10/08/2017 12:10

My hairdresser used to recommend dying it a week or two after the keratin. If you dye it before it strips some of the colour out; I always came out a couple of shades lighter after a brazilian blow dry.

liberty - my hair is behaving a million times better in this moist warm weather we're having. it's a blummin miracle product for me.

Original poster

BanyanTree · 10/08/2017 12:45

If you dyed it afterwards did it affect the effect of the keratin treatment i.e. the smoothness was affected?

OP posts:

mrsharrison · 10/08/2017 15:07

No the dye doesnt affect mine although i use semi perm. And dying it before does lightwn the hair but i like the effect.

Flimp · 10/08/2017 15:53

No I always dye my hair afterwards and it has lasted 3 or 4 months for me (though I don't know how long this product will last as it's my first time using it).

ShuttyTown · 11/08/2017 09:23

Would I be able to do this myself at home or need a friend to help? I have shoulder length thick hair if that makes a difference.

Original poster

BanyanTree · 11/08/2017 10:06

I think if you carefully section off your hair then you should be OK. I was thinking of getting my DH to do the back but then had daymares about him burning off my hair.

OP posts:

ShuttyTown · 11/08/2017 10:31

Haha @BanyanTree that's my fear too! Are you supposed to do a patch test too beforehand to check for allergies?

Flimp · 11/08/2017 13:53

I couldn't do it myself, but I'm fairly cack handed with hair. You'd need to be able to systematically section your hair because each section has to have the straighteners passed over it a certain number of times (4 or 5 I think?)

mrsharrison · 11/08/2017 15:20

I have thick just past the shoulders hair and found it easy. Doing the back is a faff but i was methodical in sectioning and applying product to inch wide sections.

Original poster

BanyanTree · 11/08/2017 18:17

Do I just use ordinary straighteners? I don't have a pair of GHD's but think it is about time I got a pair.

OP posts:

QueenofBlah · 11/08/2017 19:11

What shampoo do you use with this? Are any of the usual brands ok or do you have to buy expensive salon stuff?

Flimp · 12/08/2017 01:12

It says in the little leaflet that comes with it that GHDs are not hot enough. I don't know how true this is.

I use L'Oréal sulphate free range available in Tesco etc. NO IDEA on the chemistry, purely anecdotal evidence of good hair.

Original poster

BanyanTree · 12/08/2017 07:33

Do you use something other than GHD's then Flimp? I thought GHD's were straighteners. See, I really do not know my ar$e from my elbow when it comes to hair. You should hear me bleating on in my other thread about hair dye.

The best shampoo and conditioner I have used is by a company called Keratherapy. They also have an intense conditioner and leave in conditioning spray. It is £ but made my keratin treatment last ages. So long as I used this it was super smooth.

I am off to get 2" lobbed off my hair this morning. I cannot get a comb through it after starting to dye it last year. I desperately need to do a keratin treatment and have that lovely satin feel again.

OP posts:

mrsharrison · 12/08/2017 11:54

Any straighteners that are 200 degrees will do. My vidal sassoons go up to 230. I dont use shampoo, i co-wash with tresemme mask as my hair is naturally dry.

FoofFighter · 12/08/2017 12:20

I'd love to know more about this, I have awfully thick kinky wavy hair. It takes far too long to wash dry and straighten, I cannot leave it to air dry much as it just goes all over the place.
My arms can't cope with it any more and I don't suit short hair.

Could this be a solution? Will it mean I don't have to even dry my hair with a dryer and it'd be straight?

MuchasSmoochas · 12/08/2017 12:28

It depends Foof really. It will certainly help a lot but I doubt it would be wash and go, you'd still need a bit of finishing off at the end with straighterners. I have curly hair abs want to keep the wave so when I do it I don't straighten it the prescribed five times, I just smooth it. Results don't last as long but significantly improve my hair.

Flip

1 2