Kerastraight permant blow dry - anyone had one?

[WobbleTime]

I’ve got fine, highlighted quite fluffy hair that goes frizzy at the drop of a hat. My hairdresser has suggested I would benefit from a permanent keratin blow dry ( which lasts around 4-5 months?) as it would make my hair much more sleek and easy to manage.
Sounds great....but it’s about £170! Would anyone recommend it, or not? I’m interested in people’s experiences and whether it’s worth the money. Thank you!

I have bra length, thick, wavy, dark hair. I have had 4 Keratin treatments done in salons varying from £120 - £180. I love them and they make my hair look fantastic. However, last time I had it done at the salon I was really disappointed, so on the recommendation of people on MN (how fab are they) I too bought CocoChocco Gold Keratin and do it myself. I will NEVER go back to a salon again to do this and I am someone prepared to drop a lot of money on my hair. It is my thing. I do a better job of it.

The 250ml lasts me 2, sometimes 3 goes and costs just under £30. I have lots of long, thick hair. It goes a long way. I use a colour brush applicator and a pot to put it on and I invested in a pair of Remington air plates which go up to 230 degrees as it has to be very hot to infuse the Keratin. I have used different shampoos, but have now settled on a Vegan shampoo called Pureology. My hair is dyed (lots of greys) and I do the keratin treatment every 4 months and 2 weeks before my next cut and colour. My hairdresser says it is a top job I do on myself.

The truth is that the only reason it costs a fortune at the hairdressers is because they have to spend so much time on your hair. It is 2.5-3 hour job. They could make a lot of money in the time with other customers. The product is cheap. All they do is wash your hair in a clarifying shampoo. Dry it. Put on the keratin. Dry it. Go over it with irons and then you have to wait 3-4 days before you can wash it. It is no great hairdressing miracle to do.

Final tip. There is no point doing this treatment unless you are prepared to spend a bit of cash on the after care. Believe me, it is worth it to have fab hair. Don't skimp on the shampoo. I used to use a very expensive American brand but when they started faffing with the shipping I switched to Pureology. I also use a serum e.g. Moroccan oil. Honestly, I have the best hair of my life now at 49.

I did it myself think it was £20 for the stuff! Or if you can't do it get a family Member to do it x

Silken that is very helpful. Can I please ask you for the exact name of the Pureology shampoo? All the Pureology ones I found had sodium chloride in but it sounds like you’ve found one without!

Also: do you dry your hair with the solution on before straightening? And does the solution smell? How many times do you go over each strip of hair with straighteners? Sorry for all the questions..

Today I noticed that the living proof frizz range is sodium chloride and sulphate free so that might be a good bet if anyone is looking.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01N3AMMX5/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?psc=1&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8

I didn't use any of the fancy shampoos because I have found my dream shampoo and am prepared to do a treatment more often so my hair cam feel the way I like it too - I have greasy roots( at £12 a go, it's totally worth it)

The Wombat. Oh dear, seems you are right about Pureology. I will have to go back to hunting down my old shampoo, Keratheraphy. Having said that though, I've been using Pureology for months and my treatment is still going strong.

I can't cut and paste the link as I'm on my phone but google Cocochocco, how to apply to get really easy instructions on how to do treatment. But basically it is:

Wash hair twice with clarifying shampoo
Towel and blow dry
Apply Cocochocco (sections, paint on)
Dry with hair dryer- takes a while and it does stink but it's worth it
Iron each section at least 5 times. I do 5-7

The first time you do it yourself you think WTF???? But when you wash it after 3/4 days you know it was worth it.

silken thank you sooo much for the explanation that’s super helpful- am very tempted to give it a go soon! I’d say if the Pureology isn’t interfering, then why swap it out...it does sound like it’s working for you just fine!

@SilkenTofu thanks so much for all the info! How does the hair look straight after doing the treatment? Is it normal looking or like an oil slick? Just wondering if I need to schedule in a few days hibernation afterwards!

I've bought the Chocococo Premium Gold treatment and the matching clarifying shampoo. I normally use a keratin conditioner which I would recommended so strongly! I use the Kallos Keratin Protein Mask, it's really cheap on amazon for a huge tub and it's amazing! My hair is getting back to its shiny pre pregnancy state!

It doesn't look like an oil slick, but does look very straight and it smells of the treatment. I'd do it on a Wed night, look ok Thurs, bit weird on a Friday, hide on a Sat and wash out Sunday.

@SilkenTofu. I think you have persuaded me!! One more question: I know you can't wash your hair for 3/4 days, and that you can't put it up as it will kink, but what about when you sleep? I move around a fair bit so would worry about kinking it?

I don't follow that advice to the letter. I leave mine down a few days and often put a hair grip in both sides to keep it off my face. By day 3 I have it in a loose pony tail at the nape. Sometimes if I think it has kinked a bit (got caught in rain) I will go over it with my hot iron.

Sleeping, just keep smoothing it down before you sleep or if you wake up. Don't worry too much. Again, if you think there is a kink. go over it with your hair iron. Often I think I have messed up over the 3/4 days waiting only to then wash it and think WOW, it has worked really well.

Pillows. Treat yourself a 100% Mulberry Pillow (google Jasmine Silk). You should have one of these anyway. They are the best beauty treatment. They make your hair smoother and less greasy. They are great for your skin. Just don't use it when you have your keratin treatment on for 3/4 days.

I've just done my Chocococo treatment! Took about 2.5 hours (I have very thick hair down to my bra strap). Looks great so far! Very silky, but can feel that there's a lot of product in it. The proof will be in 3 days time when I next wash! I can update then how it looks.

The smell really is very strong, it stung my eyes and throat. But apart from that it's not hard to do.

Apologies Roobub just back on line and spotted your question. I don't know what brand it was - I've left that hairdresser now so can't ask. But it sounds as if you have found one that should last so fingers crossed

@CompletelyKate no worries! Thanks anyway!

Have just added silk pillowcase to the christmas list!

This is my unbrushed hair this morning! I'm a convert. Even if it only lasts the three days this stuff is incredible! 😂

If you get a decent shampoo and conditioner it will last 3-4 months like that. I am still trying to find a sulphate and salt free one. It's a nightmare. I used to use Keratherapy which made my hair look like above but it is no longer readily available here.

Quick update - sorry no photo (will try and remember to get one of the kids to take a pic tomorrow).
Had it redone on Wednesday (free obvs) and it has worked. I could tell immediately as it was much silkier than last time and I’ve been caught in the rain a couple of times since and it hasn’t gone frizzy at all. It’s just lonely and smooth and shiny! And looks so much healthier than before.
Really pleased with the result. No idea what happened the first time but happy with it now.

Lovely. Not lonely. I don’t have lonely hair!

@WobbleTime even my at home seems to have somewhat "fixed" my split ends?! They're hardly visible any more! If I get good results after washing I would still consider getting it fine professionally. I'm sure a hairdresser could do it much better than me.

Glad you're now happy with the results!

For those looking for post treatment shampoos here are some options:
Label M Lemongrass: www.allbeauty.com/959765-label-m-cleanse-organic-moisturising-lemongrass-shampoo-1000ml

Keratin Complex colour care (there’s also a non coloured hair version): Keratin Complex Colour Care Shampoo 400 ml www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GBE8Z6K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_32ebCbTK1D0CK?tag=mumsnetforum-21

Mill creek organic keratin shampoo: Mill Creek Organic Keratin Shampoo - 16 fl oz www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000FIJ24C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_g4ebCb9AG0T7K?tag=mumsnetforum-21

I find conditioners easier to find because they rely less on surfactants etc. Most conditioners by Maui moisture are free of sulphates and sodium chloride.

NYK1 shampoo is salt and sulphate free and is recommended for use after keratin treatments and also colouring. You can get it on amazon for £19.99.
Most conditioners don’t use salt so you don’t have to buy an expensive one.

I've just bought the Keratin Complex. Thanks Wombat.
I now have a stash or tried and tested shampoos that are going unused I even bought one yesterday that seemed the answer to my prayers. I ordered a conditioner from Keratin Kits which I spent ages researching only then to find that the shampoo is out of stock everywhere and some industrious people are selling it holding it to ransom on eBay for £100.

Silken, I will be interested if it really makes any difference compared to Pureology which always seems to be raved about by everyone!! Let me know what you think, I hate shampoos that end up making my hair feel all crispy. I’ve had quite good results with keratin complex conditioner - the vanilla one and the kerawhip one..

I am going to do my next Keratin treatment in a few days because I am getting a colour in 2 weeks. I'll do a photo. No point doing a before one as it is still really straight but it has been 4 months.

Ok... I just washed and rough dried my hair after doing the treatment on Saturday afternoon. I definitely think it's worked! OK, it isn't perfect, there's definitely still some frizz there, but I can't put into words how much better it is than before! I wish I'd taken a before pic to compare but honestly my hair is sooo frizzy. I mean leaving the house without straightening would in no way be possible. I personally like my hair very straight and as silky as possible, so if I was going out I would probably just run the straighteners over it, but I definitely think I could go out with it like this and it would be fine.