What's In This Post
Soft keratin hair treatment can help to transform your curly & frizzy hair into smooth & shiny curly hair.
It’s an easy process that is usually performed by hairstylists in salons. However, if you’re on a budget and would rather do it yourself, you can perform soft keratin hair treatment for your curly hair at home. It’s a fairly simple process and takes around 2-3 hours to complete depending on how curly your hair is, length and your personal skill level.
The trick is to perform a regular keratin treatment to remove the frizz from your hair and then add light curls using a curling iron. If you want to maintain your natural waves, limit the amount times you pass through your hair with the flat iron after the keratin treatment is applied.
You will need to leave the treatment on your hair for a minimum of 3 hours after applying the treatment. The results will last around 4-6 months.
Be sure to work in well ventilated areas and avoid breathing the fumes from the keratin treatment.
Before you start: you will need the following:
- 1 x Reusable Cape
- 1 x Mixing Bowl
- 1 Pair Gloves
- 1 x Hair Brush
- 1 x Hair Blow Drier
- 1 x Flat Iron Capable of 450°F
- 4-5 Large Hair Clips
- 1-2 Fine Tooth Combs
- 1 x Heat Resistance Comb (optional)
- 1 x Curl Iron
Contents
Steps to Perform the Soft Keratin Hair Treatment at Home:
Step 1 – Prepare the Keratin Mixture
Follow the instructions on the package of your keratin treatment mixture and prepare the keratin mixture in the mixing bowl.
Step 2 – Hair Wash (Shampoo + Water Only)
Wash out your hair properly to remove unwanted residue. Focus on deep washing your hair with your regular shampoo. Once your hair is washed, blow-dry your hair until it is completely dry.
You don’t need to use conditioner here because it may affect the performance of the keratin treatment. You want direct contact of the treatment with your hair for maximum results.
Step 3 – Divide Hair
Divide your hair into 3 sections: left, right and back. Do this by combing it thoroughly while separating them into equal parts. Use hair clips to help keep the sections apart.
Step 4 – Apply Keratin
Wear gloves, put on the cape and start applying the treatment mixture from the bottom of the Back section. Use the fine comb to help spread the solution to the ends of your hair. Make sure the entire section is covered and have even coverage before moving onto the next section.
Once you’re finished applying the mixture to all parts of the hair. Leave it on for around 30 minutes.
Step 5 – Blow-Dry & Iron
Blow-dry the hair while the keratin treatment mixture is still on the hair. Use medium heat to avoid burning your hair. Use the hair brush to de-tangle your hair while blow-drying.
Once it’s dry, use a flat iron at 420-450°F (210-232°C) to straighten the hair and remove the frizz. You can use the heat resistant comb here (optional) to help you make your hair straighter. Move the iron slowly starting at the scalp and work towards the ends of your hair.
If you want to add in your own curls later: continue with the flat iron until there is no fumes from the keratin mixture. This will make the hair as straight as possible so you can curl it anyway you want later.
If you want to maintain your natural curls/waves: limit the amount of times you pass through your hair with the flat iron. The amount of times you need depend on the texture of your hair.
Step 6 – Wait & Wash Your Hair
Wait a minimum of 3 hours before washing your hair. If you want to wait longer, you can wait overnight and up to 3 days. It takes time for keratin to work to get rid of frizz. Use a dry shampoo to help keep your hair fresh if you decide you want to keep the treatment on your hair longer. Most over the counter keratin treatments will not hurt your hair. When you’re ready, wash your hair with a sulfate free shampoo.
Step 7 – Add Your Own Curls
Since this is a soft keratin hair treatment, you can add light curls using your curling iron.
You can skip this step if you want to maintain your natural waves / curls.
How to Maintain your Hair After Soft Keratin Home Treatment
Keep Frizz Away with A Flat Iron
Pass a flat iron set to around 350°F (177°C) through your hair for the first few days to flatten out the frizz as they return. You will need to keep an eye on this as it may not be required if the frizz don’t come back.
You will need to redo your curls with a curling iron if you do this.
Maintain Your Curls with Curling Iron
You can use a curling iron to add / maintain light curls on your hair after the treatment. Do this once every few days.
Avoid Hair Accessories
Avoid hair clips and pony tails bands for the first few days. You can experiment with hair clips after you’ve washed your hair at least twice. It takes time for your hair to get used to it’s new structure and hair accessories will shape your hair before it has time to settle.