To Smoothen or to Straighten...

Keratin smoothing and Japanese straightening are two services our clients often seek to ease the work of daily maintenance of their hair. As the attached photo shows the results of the two process look almost identical in the salon right after the completion of the service. The two services have similarities and also significant differences. In this blog entry we shall compare and contrast the two services.

How they work?

Keratin smoothing fills in the porosity of your hair with keratin protein and thus reduces tangles, frizz, and breakage. The treatment puts protein back into the hair, which is often lost due to age and chemical services.

Japanese straightening turns wavy, coarse, or curly hair to pin-straight by first using chemicals to break the protein bonds in the hair that give it its shape, and then flat ironing the treated hair for a pin-straight look.

How they benefit you?

Keratin smoothing tames the frizz and you can style your hair to suit the look you desire.  The results of keratin smoothing shall last about two months after which you have to the get the keratin smoothing again to regain frizz control.

Japanese straightening makes you hair pin-straight and the frizz is gone permanently. The new growth that starts at the root will have the natural wave or frizz again.  The new growth can again be straightened to give your the continuity of texture.  We offer the 'touchup' service for Japanese straightening to straighten the new growth.  The straightened hair has to be worn straight and cannot be styled any other way.

How long their results last?

Keratin smoothing results last about two months.

Japanese straightening is also called permanent hair straightening as the results are permanent.  However, the new growth shall require the touchup service to retain the continuity of the hair texture.

How long is appointment duration?

Keratin smoothing appointment duration is about three hours. Japanese straightening appointment duration is about five hours. For both the services we require an in-person fifteen minute free consultation prior to the day of the service to determine the suitability of the service for your hair and to do the price consultation.

What do the services cost?

The starting price for Keratin smoothing at Beauology is $310.  The starting price for Japanese straightening is $425.  Based on the length and thickness of your hair the actual service price shall be decided upon in-person consultation.

What is the recommended home-care for the services?

For both the services we recommend that you do not wash or style or tie you hair in a ponytail for 48 hours after the completion of the service for the hair chemistry to take hold and give you lasting results as expected. Make sure you use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner when you wash your hair.  We recommend the Aveda Smooth Infusion shampoo and conditioner or the MoroccanOil Smoothing shampoo and conditioner to our clients as both the lines are not only sulfate-free but also further enhance the desired frizz-free hair texture. 

Hope this blog entry helps you choose between Keratin smoothing and Japanese straightening.  Please contact us if you have further questions.

This blog was originally posted on May 19, 2016.