Hair Smoothening

by Dr Jaspreet Sarna
Published: March 30, 2021
Updated: March 6, 2023

Do you struggle with frizzy hair? Hair smoothening treatment can make your curls soft and lend them the much-needed silky shine.

A safe alternative to ironing your hair into straightening. Hair smoothening is a chemical process that lends tangle-free smoothness to your hair. This is achieved by saturating the hair in formaldehyde solution, followed by drying and flat iron straightening.

Compared to hair straightening, hair smoothening is a gentler process and a temporary process. Hair smoothening aims to replenish lost protein and make the hair stronger and shinier. Hair smoothening for thin hair can tame the frizz that such hair is prone to. The most common types of hair smoothening that you might come across are Brazilian Blowout, Keratin treatment, or Cysteine treatment.

What to Do Before Hair Smoothening

Before you decide to go for hair smoothening treatment, you must keep a few important points in mind.

Firstly, it is recommended that you see a hair expert and have a hair examination. This would let you know the state and needs of your hair.
Know your hair type so that you can choose the best-suited smoothening treatment from the many available options in the market.
Research a well-reputed salon with experienced stylists. You must avoid the many scams that are marketed as hair smoothening. These may damage your hair.
Make sure you let your stylist know about the hair treatments that you have taken in the recent past.
Avoid low-cost deals as the chemicals that are used are low grade and can harm your hair causing serious damage.
Know the products that are being applied in the treatment. Certified salons have access to exclusive products.

Hair Smoothening at Home

Hair smoothening price at a salon can range from Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 8,000 depending on the length of the hair (Standard keratin smoothening cost). If you want to avoid the high hair smoothening cost, you can do the treatment at home. There are also some home remedies for natural hair smoothening. We will look at these later in this section.

Follow the process described below. Here we look at Keratin treatment which is one of the very popular hair smoothening treatments that hair experts and stylists recommend.

Step 1: Wash your hair thoroughly. Use a mild shampoo and do not condition after the wash.
Step 2: Blow-dry the hair. Make sure the hair and scalp is free of all moisture.
Step 3: Make sections in your hair. Apply the keratin solution to each section using a brush. Using a wide-toothed comb even out the solution, this will spread the solution across every hair strand. Leave this on for about 30 minutes.
Step 4: Rinse off the applied solution and blow-dry the hair. Now apply a hair mask, keep it on for half an hour. Rinse with cool water and blow-dry the hair again.
Step 5: Flat iron your hair to keep the keratin locked in. Make sure you follow the post-treatment protocol discussed later and take precautions as described below

You can also do hair smoothening at home naturally. These options are not a permanent hair smoothening solution like the chemical alternatives, but you can opt for these if you want to avoid chemical application on your hair. Make sure you use a mild shampoo to rinse off these masks.

Coconut milk and lemon juice

Mix a tablespoon of lemon juice to half a cup of coconut milk and make a paste. Leave it overnight in refrigeration. Apply from the roots to the tip. Keep it for 30 -45 minutes and wash with a mild shampoo. Repeat once every week.

Egg, Honey, and Olive oil

To egg white from a single egg and add a tablespoon of olive oil and honey. Mix the ingredients well into a paste. Apply from the roots to the tip of the strands and let it stay for 30 – 45 minutes, then wash off. Repeat once a week.

Bananas

Make a thick paste of banana and add a few tablespoons of olive oil and curd. Evenly, apply this mask from the roots to tips. Wash off with a mild shampoo after letting it stay for 30 – 45 minutes. Repeat twice a week.

Mayonnaise mask

Mix a cup of mayonnaise with two teaspoons of mashed avocado. Apply this paste evenly on the hair. Rinse off after leaving for an hour.

Common Mistakes While Hair Smoothening

Before you apply a keratin solution, detangle your hair properly. Tangled hair will disturb even the application of the solution.
Do not flat iron wet hair. Make sure the hair is blow-dried and there is no trace of moisture on your head before going to the flat ironing step.
To minimize heat damage to the hair, use heat protection compounds.
Be mindful of the heat setting on the iron to avoid burning the hair.

After Smoothening Hair Care Tips

Let’s look at hair care after smoothening to make the maximum benefit of the treatment.

Do not tie, tuck your hair for the next few days – wear it down
Do not wash your hair after the treatment (for at least three days), reduce the number of hair washes per week. Use a mild shampoo. Be careful to use products that are specifically made for chemically treated hair only.
Do not apply oil on the scalp for at least a month and on the hair for at least 15 days
After every wash, condition your hair well and use hair masks to maintain the smoothness from the treatment.

Side Effects of Hair Smoothening Treatment

Hair smoothening may impact hair health. Some common side effects are listed below:

The chemicals used in hair smoothening may trigger eye irritation, respiratory tract irritation, and rashes. Always discuss with your hair expert the products you are planning to use.
Excess heat from the flat iron may cause the burning of the hair. Be careful of the temperature setting here.
If you getting hair smoothening treatment done frequently, it may result in greying of hair

Hair smoothening treatments are extremely popular nowadays. With rising popularity, an influx of better products has also happened and the chemicals used now are much less harsh than before and cause much less hair damage after smoothening. Considering the manageability and beauty it lends to the hair, we would recommend that you go for this treatment if you and your hairstylist feel the need. With post-treatment precautions and care tips discussed above, you can utilize the maximum benefit of the treatment.