Brazilian Blowout vs. Keratin Treatment

Last May, I had a Keratin treatment which smooths out your curls and eliminates frizz by depositing Keratin on your hair. It did work well, though it took hours in the salon, my hair smelled terrible for days (think perm circa 1989) and cost a lot- between $250 and $400. On my recent trip to New York for fashion week, I visited the Salon AKS on Fifth Avenue where Zhen gave me a Brazilian Blowout. Here I am before with Zhen:

The Brazilian Blowout is less expensive than the Keratin treatment- starting at $150, takes less time (an hour and a half versus three hours), and doesn't use any formaldehyde or other carcinogenic ingredients. While I couldn't confirm what was in the Keratin treatment (I suspect formaldehyde), the fumes alone were enough to tell me it wasn't good.  The Brazilian Blowout had almost no smell at all and claims to have no carcinogens.  Lastly, I could wash my hair the following day with the Brazilian Blowout where I had to wait three long days with Keratin treatment.

Zhen started by washing my hair and then applying the solution (pictured below).  Then he dried my hair completely and straightened it with a flat iron, which seals in the product.  The next step was another cycle: this time washing, drying and finishing again with the flat iron.

You can see from the picture below (this time with Anne who had her hair blown out at AKS while I was there) that my hair is much smoother and thinner looking.  Rest assured it fluffed up after a couple of washings and is now smooth, shiny and straight.  Results are supposed to last upwards of three months, especially if I use gentle sulfate-free shampoo.

Read more about the keratin treatment.
Read FAQs about the keratin treatment.
See before and after photos of the Brazilian Blowout.