It’s kind of crazy to say, but it has been over two years since I last had a haircut. I know that it’s not the smartest move on my part, though my hair has grown about six inches since (which I have to admit is the underlying reason for this). I also have a bad habit of blow-drying, curling and straightening my hair several times a week… I’ve been playing with fire.
Recently, I started to feel like my hair was looking pretty dead and lacking some sheen. What’s the point of having long locks of hair if it looks frail? This encouraged me to do some research to figure out what I could do to give my hair back some life. This is when I started considering getting a keratin hair treatment done.
I saw awesome deals on Groupoin for keratin treatments and nearly sold myself on buying a package and getting it done over Fall Break. It leaves you with silky smooth hair that shines vibrantly. If you have curly hair, you wouldn’t have to worry about straightening your hair as it leaves your hair looking naturally straight for up to three months. Thankfully, I started thinking a little further and wondered a few things. What’s the catch? Is it natural?
The truth is, no it’s not natural. Yes, keratin is a protein that exists naturally in hair however, when creating the treatment, keratin is combined with formaldehyde (a preservative) and applied to the hair. Stylists then seal this into the hair by using an extremely hot flat iron so that the liquid formaldehyde can convert into gas vapors. Hmm…
Formaldehyde has been linked to various health problems. Most health risks stem from inhalititon during the process. I even started reading articles where women were experiencing hair loss after using keratin hair treatment, hair loss so bad that they were investing in wigs!
There was still hope for my hair, though. Over Fall Break, I stumbled into a T.J. Maxx (of course) and was so excited with the amount of great beauty products they had available. I purchased a bottle of Biosilk: Silk Therapy Cure since it was half off of the original price… yay! I have only been using the product for about a week and I have already been able to notice the results. It’s truly wonderful. My ends look better than they have in two years and there is a completely noticeable shine about my hair.
Products like these are a fantastc alternative to those pricey chemical treatments that may have you paying for more than you originally set out to. I was lucky enough to score a 15 ounce bottle of this great goodness for $20 though it usually sells for $40. My next investment is defintely going to be the Biosilk shampoo and conditioner.
Just remember, the only way to make sure you don’t receive a hair treatment containing formaldehyde is to not get one at all.