There are plenty of hair straightening treatments out there. Well, if you want to know the difference between keratin and cysteine hair treatments, here is a guide for you before you visit a permanent hair straightening salon.
Keratin Treatment Vs. Cysteine Treatment
The Treatment Procedure
When you’re concerned with different hair straightening treatments, the first thing you want to figure out is how they differ in application and treatment.
Keratin Treatment
So, a keratin treatment is basically a treatment in which a potent solution, which is full of keratin and other ingredients is applied to the hair. Keratin is the natural protein that is found in your hair and the keratin from said treatment helps to replenish the hair. Meanwhile, the formaldehyde is used to break down the frizz bonds in the hair, making it straight and manageable.
Keratin treatment is applied to freshly washed hair for about 30 minutes and then after the time is up, the hair is then styled, or optionally, the hair can be straightened too if you want that look. Keratin treatment gets rid of the frizz and makes slightly wavy hair a lot straighter and smoother.
Cysteine Treatment
Cysteine treatment is also very similar to keratin hair treatment, but it is also slightly different. It is not exactly a hair straightening treatment. Rather, it is a smoothing treatment. A treatment infused with cysteine and amino acids is applied to the hair, which helps smooth the frizz and the wavy texture in the hair.
This leads to softer hair and it is much less wavy than before. This is a very good hair treatment if you want to get smoother hair and get rid of frizz and make it more shiny and healthy all in one go.
The Results
Keratin Treatment
Keratin treatment is a hair straightening treatment, through and through. It leads to straight hair with zero frizz. If you’re someone who used to use a hair straightener on a daily basis, then you can say goodbye to it once you get a keratin treatment.
Your hair will be silky smooth and it will be amazing look and feel-wise. So, if that is what you’re looking for, then keratin treatment is the one for you.
Cysteine Treatment
Cysteine hair treatment will not necessarily straighten the hair like a pin. It is more like a smoothing hair treatment. If your hair is naturally very coarse and dry and you want it to be smooth and frizz-free, then a cysteine treatment is literally perfect for you.
It leads to velvety soft hair, smooth hair strands that won’t stick up in every direction and the overall result is hair that looks healthy, bouncy, and shiny, which is honestly hair goals, if you think about it.
The Hair Type
So, now that you know what each type of hair treatment is, you have to know which treatment is perfect for which kind of hair.
Keratin Treatment
For a keratin treatment, the perfect candidate is someone who has frizzy, slightly wavy hair. Keratin treatment works amazingly on wavy hair if you want it to be straight, but if you have super coiled up, curly hair, then a keratin treatment may get rid of the frizz, but it won’t get rid of the curls.
It is not such a powerful treatment to straighten tightly coiled hair. For that, you’ll probably need to go for something more potent like a hair rebonding treatment.
Cysteine Treatment
As far as cysteine treatment, if you have frizzy hair but don’t care for straightening it and you just want the hair to be smooth, frizz-free and manageable, then you can go for this treatment. It is going to lead to your desired results and because it is such a gentle treatment, it is also great for colored hair and for hair that has never been chemically treated before.
So, if that is something that worries you, then this treatment will put you at ease and your hair won’t go through the wringer.
The Damage
Speaking of hair going through the wringer, each treatment comes with its own set of damage. This is something that you have to deal with.
Keratin Treatment
When you go for a keratin treatment, it is going to damage the hair. First of all, the treatment itself can be quite damaging, due to formaldehyde. This is a very potent and damaging compound that not only leaves the hair very brittle and dry, but it also causes irritation on the scalp and eyes.
And keratin treatment also uses heat, which isn’t exactly the best for the hair. So, all in all, even though the hair may not look like it, it will still be damaged a lot.
Cysteine Treatment
Cysteine hair treatment is a more gentle and less damaging treatment as compared to keratin treatment and even other hair-smoothing treatments. There is no heat involved in cysteine treatment and the treatment itself is gentle, having been made up of amino acids, which are also a protein derivative.
These amino acids replenish the hair from the inside out and make the hair look healthy and smooth. So, in comparison, cysteine treatment takes the lead in this one.
The Frequency
Neither keratin treatment nor cysteine treatment is a permanent hair treatment. You can get them done and the results will last anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks, maybe 10 if you’re maintaining the hair super well. But they are not a one-time thing.
If you see that the frizz is starting to show again, then you might have to get the hair treated again. You can get these treatments done for special occasions, but you shouldn’t make it a habit, because at the end of the day, some hair treatments can be damaging.
The Maintenance
Maintenance of the hair after treatment is key and if you take good care of the mane after the fact, then you won’t have to put your hair through this all over again.
Keratin Treatment
When it comes to a keratin treatment, you need to ensure that you’re not getting your hair wet for at least 72 hours or even more if you can stretch it. After the treatment, you want the hair to be undisturbed for as long as possible.
This leads to better results and the hair looks straighter for longer. Also, you want to avoid tight hairstyles as well as chemical exposure on the hair, because the hair is still very brittle and you don’t want to damage it further.
Cysteine Treatment
You also want to ensure that you’re not getting the hair wet right after getting cysteine hair treatment. You want the effects of the treatment to stay in the hair for as long as possible. It is not a permanent hair treatment by any means, but if you can prolong it by protecting the hair from sweat, sun exposure, and preventing knots and kinks in the hair, then you will be good to go.
Conclusion
Keratin and cysteine hair straightening treatments might sound the same, but they have a few differences. To know more about which hair straightening treatment is right for you, consult a keratin treatment salon Potomac.
