Women have been obsessed with smooth and straight hair for centuries. There is a myriad of products and treatments now available to make your hair more healthy and manageable like hair smoothing and keratin treatment by hair stylist.

Which Treatment Should You Go For Your Hair?

There are many straightening treatments that change the molecular structure of your hair and make them sleek straight. However, some women prefer a healthy and blow-dried look that is devoid of frizz and hair looks bouncy and shiny. There are two popular hair straightening treatments available, keratin treatment and smoothing treatment.

Many people assume that these are both same treatments but no they are different, albeit some similarities.

Smoothing And Keratin Treatment

Your hair is made up of proteins that turn into keratin for your hair. Over time, you expose your hair to numerous chemicals, products, environment, and heat styling that the keratin is stripped away leaving frizzy, dry, and damaged hair.

In keratin treatment, the protein keratin is artificially added to your hair which improves the texture and health of your hair making them shinier and smoother.

Smoothing treatment is a similar technique without the addition of keratin. This also smooths down the hair and defrizzes them giving a blow-dried look that is easy to style. But compared to keratin it tends to make your hair straighter.

Both treatments give healthy hair but keratin only smooths the waves and curls whereas smoothing brings in a straightened blow dried effect.

Procedure

Both the treatments differ in their procedures.

Keratin Treatment

In keratin treatment, the hair is thoroughly washed with a clarifying shampoo. It is then dried and blow-dried completely until no moisture is left. Then the keratin product is applied evenly to the hair section by section and left for half an hour. The hair is then flat ironed at a very high temperature and you will see a lot of steam coming out. You will need to leave your hair as it is and do not wash or get sweaty or even tie for 3 days.

Smoothing Treatment

In smoothing, your hair is washed with a clarifying shampoo and towel dried. The smoothing product is applied section by section and left for half an hour. The product is washed off and blow-dried and then ironed. Afterward, a deep conditioning mask is applied and rinsed and a final blow dry takes place. In smoothing you are good to go and there is no 3-day restriction.

Similarities Between Smoothening And Keratin Treatment

• Both the treatments take around 3 to 4 hours to complete, hence both have a long process.
• Both treatments make your hair healthy and shiny and smooth.
• They both can be easily styled afterward.
• They both use chemicals and heat. Formaldehyde chemical is used in the process.
• Both need thorough aftercare and less washing and shampooing as the product is washed away after each wash. You need to use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioners or the respective company of which you have gotten the treatment done.

Differences Between Smoothening And Keratin Treatment

• The major difference between the two treatments is that keratin treatment makes hair healthier and stronger. It is the artificial addition of the keratin protein which fortifies your hair, repairs the damage, reduces the frizz, adds shine, and also fills in the porous areas of the hair, this improves the condition of your hair greatly. Smoothing also makes your hair healthy and manageable and shiny but it does not have the repairing power for the future.
• Keratin is more expensive than smoothing treatment.
• Smoothing is mostly done on thick and coarse hair as it tends to straighten out the hair. While keratin can be done on thick, thin, curly, wavy, frizzy, and even straight hair because keratin improves the condition of the hair and repairs them from the inside, and smoothens them.
• The curl and wave pattern will be retained in keratin but will only be softened and smoothed out. The curl and waves will be straighter in a smoothing treatment.

Bottom Line

Whatever treatment you choose should depend on your hair texture and coarseness. Also always get a consultation from an expert hairdresser from a keratin treatments salon Olney MD and then proceed.