Anyone had the Keratin Straightening from Ulta

[momoftwins]

My hair has a waved that I hate!! I get highlights in my hair, and my hair is basically healthy.

So, I am looking for reviews on what it did for your hair? How long did it last? Anything you want to tell me

Thanks!

 

[tzolkin]

My understanding is that a keratin treatment doesn't "straighten" your hair. It just makes it smoother (shiny and less/no frizz).

I have very thick wavy hair and got a keratin treatment in early November. I am very happy with the results, but my stylist made sure that I knew if I just did the keratin my hair would still be wavy.

She wound up doing a "cuticle unlock" before the keratin to take out the curl. (And no, she wasn't just trying to make me buy something extra that I didn't need because she didn't charge me).


All of the before/after pictures you see are a bit misleading because the "afters" are right when they are done with the treatment. They apply the keratin to your hair and then professionally straighten it with a super-hot flat iron. I knew to modify my expectations, but I really couldn't find any true after pictures- like a few weeks out. Mine was super shiny and ridiculously straight when it was done. I knew that was not how it was going to look on a normal "wash and let it air dry" day.

That said, I am the laziest hair person. I normally wash it every other night and that's about it. Before I basically never wore my hair down or even in a ponytail because it was so frizzy. I normally threw it in a bun or braided it. Since the keratin treatment I will comb it (even that's a shock because I never could have gotten a comb through my hair before). That's about it and it looks nice. It is much straighter (just a bit of wave in the back), so the only other thing I will do is on a rare occasion run a flat iron over it for about 5 minutes to make it a bit more straight and shiny.

 

[tenaseewalker]

Tzolkin, How long is your hair? Not to be nosey but I'm just curious how much you paid to have that done to your hair. When my hair is long I have spiral curly hair so I'm affaid to cut it off for fear of losing the weight from my long hair and having it get even more curly. Around here they want to charge up to $600.00 and that is way to much for me.

 

[SC Minnie]

My hair is a couple of inches below my shoulders. I get a keratin treatment every 3-4 months. The normal price is ~$300 but my stylist is the owner and gives me 'friends and family' discount.

True, the keratin treatment does not straighten your hair but it will make is shiny and much more managable. I have wavy hair. Not straight enough or wavy enough to go without blow drying. Since starting the treatments I don't need to wash every day anymore, when I do, my blow drying time has been cut in half. My hair is much sleeker now.

My hair used to go frizzy and wavy in the humidity. I now get a treatment right before going to WDW or on a cruise and my hair finally looks decent in the pictures.

 

[tzolkin]

Tzolkin, How long is your hair? Not to be nosey but I'm just curious how much you paid to have that done to your hair. When my hair is long I have spiral curly hair so I'm affaid to cut it off for fear of losing the weight from my long hair and having it get even more curly. Around here they want to charge up to $600.00 and that is way to much for me.

My hair is now a few inches past my shoulders. I paid $200 (+tip) and that included the keratin shampoo and conditioner (which would have been $50 if I bought them separately or online).

I think the length does make a difference. I had very long hair for many years and it seemed much less frizzy then. I think the weight had something to do with it, but I also usually wore it in a bun or braid, so when I took it down it was smoother than it would have been if I left it loose all the time.

My siblings all have super curly hair. They just put some gel/product in it and have nice ringlets. I think mine "wants" to be curly, but doesn't know how.

 

[momoftwins]

Well, good info to know. I thought it did "straighten the hair". But I do like the idea that if cuts drying time. It takes forever for my hair to dry. Forget about when I go outside in the damp. I could spend hours with a straightener and once it hit that humidity My hair has a couple of "layers" of waves if that makes sense and I HATE IT!

Do you guys highlight your hair and do you think that makes a difference in how the keratin works?

 

[SC Minnie]

Well, good info to know. I thought it did "straighten the hair". But I do like the idea that if cuts drying time. It takes forever for my hair to dry. Forget about when I go outside in the damp. I could spend hours with a straightener and once it hit that humidity My hair has a couple of "layers" of waves if that makes sense and I HATE IT!

Do you guys highlight your hair and do you think that makes a difference in how the keratin works?

I highlight and color. The way my stylist explained it to me the keratin treatment was like a sealer on your hair. It will 'wear off' with shampooing over time that's why it has to be redone every couple of months. She will do the highlights and color then the treatment. Those night I'm at the salon for about 3 hours.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

My stylist does two versions of Keratin - a full treatment and an "express" treatment. The full treatment is supposed to last for 12 weeks (I don't know the cost). You can't wash your hair for 3 days afterward. The express treatment is supposed to last for 7 weeks and costs $100. You can wash your hair after 8 hours. I usually get an express treatment every 12 weeks. It does make my naturally wavy hair pretty straight for the first 8 or so weeks. It's definitely straighter and smoother than normal for the last few weeks of the cycle, but not as much as when I first get it done. My stylist feels that Keratin is safe, but likes to spread out the treatments as much as possible (too much of a good thing isn't always great). This time, we tried letting it go for 18 weeks between treatments. Although I can still see a difference from the normal texture of my hair, it was too long of a wait. I prefer the way it looks and feels when I get the treatments every 12 weeks. I will go back to that cycle after getting it done this Friday.

It's important to use sulfate-free hair products when you get Keratin treatments. My stylist also tells me to avoid chlorine and salt water, so basically no swimming. He said once or twice won't be a huge problem but people who swim on a regular basis will ruin their treatments unless they wear a swim cap. I will say that a pretty good splash from Splash Mountain didn't seem to bother mine!

 

[jedijill]

I swear by my keratin treatments! I bought my own bottle of treatment and pay my stylist to apply it. My hair will still be curly (gets curlier as the keratin wears off) but I can actually round brush it and blow dry it and it looks great. I couldn't do that if it wasn't treated. Love my keratin! My hair is also highlighted and there is no issue.

Jill in CO

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

My mom has done a Keratin treatment (simply smooth) at our normal salon we use and then she did it at Ulta. It's cheaper at Ulta and she likes it a lot better than the treatment they used at the Salon.

 

[PrincessMomofTwo]

I have used the Keratin treatment for about a year now. I have naturally very very curly hair. Basically kinky curls. The first time I got it done I wasn't thrilled with it. It did straighten my hair but it wasn't straight. As time went on it got wavier/curlier (I have stubborn curls that want to get out, LOL). My hair dresser warned me of this and said I needed to get it done a few time before I would be really happy with it. Apparently it builds upon itself. She was right! A year later and my hair is completely straight in the front and has some waves in the back (back of my hair was always curlier). I quick flat iron and all is good in the back. The best part is no friz and I don't have to use any products in it to take the friz out. The chemicals scare me so I only get it done three times a year. By the time I get it done a lot of the friz has come back and I need to use some product in my hair, but it still is nothing like it use to be. I get it done in a woman's house and it is $90. I get the one where you can't wash your hair for a week once a year and the other kind twice a year. Hope this helps.

 

[Lehuaann]

Op, they are wonderful. It does not not make your hair straight...rather, it takes out all that big frizz and lays smooth, while still retaining body. Mine has lasted with proper care...and knowledge. Here is my very important tip -

For Keratin treated hair - you need sodium chloride-free shampoo.

For Keratin and color-treated hair - you need both sodium chloride and sulfate-free shampoo.

Keratin Complex sells both.

When I got my first Keratin, the stylist swore all I needed was sulfate-free shampoo and offered me sulfate-free Morrocan Oil shampoo (not sodium-free). The Keratin washed out quickly. So I went to Ulta and the very informed stylist told me I needed 100% sodium-free shampoo. She even showed me the Keratin bottles. Yep, right on front - sodium-free. She said sulfate-free is for color. I then contacted Keratin and this is their response.

Dear xxxxxxx,


Thank you for the opportunity you give me to answer your email. Keratin Care Shampoo is sodium chloride free which is the ingredient you should avoid. Any other concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. All The Best!!!


Have A Smooth Day!

Jxxxxx Nxxx

Keratin Complex Smoothing Therapy
Stylist Support Specialist
Hot Line Support: 888-409-4445 Ext 341


**Sally's sells a cheaper SC-free...and they also have a Keratin spray-in to extend the Keratin, love it!

 

[Baliezer]

My daughter has coarse super curly and frizzy hair. We did the keratin treatments a couple of times and it helped for about three months. I recently had the Japanese straightening done on her hair. The difference is like night and day. Her hair is now beautifully straight and manageable. She can use any shampoo and let's it air dry.

 

[jedijill]

My daughter has coarse super curly and frizzy hair. We did the keratin treatments a couple of times and it helped for about three months. I recently had the Japanese straightening done on her hair. The difference is like night and day. Her hair is now beautifully straight and manageable. She can use any shampoo and let's it air dry.

I did the Japanese thermal straightening done for several years prior to switching to keratin and it was awful on my hair. I would NOT do the Japanese treatment if you have color treated hair....It is a chemical process like a perm and is very damaging. Keratin has been a much better experience for me.

Jill in CO

 

[SarahKate]

I did a keratin treatment on my daughters hair about a year ago. At the time I had a source and was able to buy the Coppola brand of keratin. I researched the process and decided to do it myself! DD has very curly hair and I was tired of it getting so tangled. So we used a clarifying shampoo to get it really clean. It took about 4 hrs start to finish. I took my time and made sure I did it right. The end results were great! Her hair turned out so pretty!

Others are right that this isn't truly a straightener. As soon as it is washed or gets wet, it will get wavy. BUT it's gets softer, manageable and easier to flat iron if you do want it straight. Well worth the time and effort. I'm not sure that I'd do it myself again, as I don't know that the time it took justifies not doing a a salon. We have an Ulta near us and I really like their salon.

 

[momoftwins]

Ok, I am sold. I will try the Keratin. However, right not it is to &*%) cold to go outside

Thanks for all the feedback.

 

[momoftwins]

I had the keratin treatment Monday at Ulta. I did the one that you can wash you hair within 8 hours.

Today, I had my hair highlighted.

My hair looks and feels amazing. It took about 3 hours for the entire process. The hairdresser that did my hair was meticulous. It is very damp and rainy here today. I have been in and out all day and NO FRIZZ!

My hair is wavy by nature - kind of those big waves that run vertical. I hate them. Anywho, my hair did get a blow-dry today and it went so much quicker than usual to dry it.

So, as of right now thumbs up! I will report back as time goes on with how it is holding out

It was regularly $160, but I had a 20% off coupon.

Thanks for everyone's input. Have a great night!

 

[jwfla422]

Glad you are happy with your results! My dd also had a keratin treatment done the end of last July as she normally has unruly frizzy wavy extremely thick hair. She's a teen and I had to work on her hair for an hr at a time to get the knots out because she just couldn't manage it.

While you are now familiar that while it doesn't straighten it completely, it sooooo helps keep it manageable. (but you can flat iron it and it will completely straighten it)

No huge clumps of knots underneath anymore, etc. She can comb it out herself every time she washes it.

I do straighten it for her with the flat iron which makes it completely straight but the frizz has returned and it's getting more difficult to straighten as here unruly waves are growing back in, but it is still in very good condition even after 6 mths. (she only washes it 2-3 days a week). So if we only have to do this 2x a year I'm happy!

We are actually going to the salon tomorrow for another treatment to get rid of the frizz and it will shorten the flat iron time.

The one thing I do know is that the keratin does control the frizz very well even during frizzy weather (doesn't get any frizzier than it does here in South FL ).

Enjoy your treatment, you will be very happy even if you don't flat iron it because it'll be so much more manageable.