by Wendy
For anyone contemplating a keratin treatment, here are a few notes on my experience.

After keratin appointment

My hair type – Very thick, with a lot of wave/curl, prone to frizz. I highlight it regularly, so must guard against dry, damaged ends. On the plus side, I can get away with washing my hair only once a week, and can make a professional blowout style last about as long. On the other hand, I do not have wash-and-go hair – it takes a lot of maintenance, time, planning ahead and even then, humidity in the air can ruin my best efforts pretty quickly.

Concerns – For years I was apprehensive about going the keratin route. It’s pricey ($$$) and I wasn’t sure it was a good idea to add more chemicals to a color-treated mane. As I understand it, there are different formulas and process variations, so I recommend research and talking to your stylist. Like a favorite doctor, a talented and trusted stylist is a treasure.

Decision – My stylist assured me that the keratin would help combat frizz, make my hair feel lighter and drastically cut down styling time. As I faced another season of hot, humid weather, I decided it couldn’t hurt to try the keratin.

Financial Strategy – I gave up Drybar for awhile and bought hardly anything new for the Spring/Summer season to save up for the keratin. Jack complimented me on a dress the other day and I proudly told him that it was over seven years old. My stylist also gave me a discount for being a longtime loyal customer, which I greatly appreciated.

The appointment – It took about 2 – 2 1/2 hours. It’s a multi-step process not much more intensive than a highlight appointment. Basically every stand gets coated with the solution and then a blowdry/flat iron seals it in. I went in mid-May, so I would be all set for warm weather and upcoming vacations when I didn’t want to waste time worrying about my hair.

First wash and blowout after keratin

Rules – My stylist cautioned that I should not get my hair wet for about 3 days, and to keep it straight as possible. No ponytails, no braids, no tucking it behind my ears – nothing to change the shape. If a piece got bent during sleep, or accidentally damp, I could flat iron it back in place. I gathered my hair into a shower cap and tied a wide scarf around my head to keep water out during a shower. We had a rainy weekend and I seriously don’t think I left the house for 2 days. I was told not to use products with sulfates – so I bought the shampoo and conditioner my stylist recommended.

Early results – When I left the salon, I didn’t notice a huge difference since my stylist usually dries my hair straight as a ruler. It did feel softer, and somewhat less thick. As usual, I didn’t wash it for about a week. When I did, it definitely felt less coarse. And using a hair dryer for the first time after the keratin really blew me away. Just using a cheap travel blow dryer (I’ve been delaying investing in a better one) and no products, I had straight and soft tresses in about 30 minutes – much nicer than what I could have achieved in an hour pre-keratin. I still needed a flat iron here and there to smooth out rough edges – but it was amazing how much quicker and efficient the process was. Usually I have all these weird kinks at the top of my head because I can’t reach properly with the dryer. Now it’s flat.

After beach vacation

The beach vacation – My stylist warned me that saltwater was pretty bad for the treatment and chorine wasn’t great – but that if I took a dip I should rinse my hair with cool water afterwards. I was a bit nervous about destroying my new hair, but being able to swim and have a halfway decent hairstyle afterwards was part of the reason for choosing keratin in the first place. So I went swimming about 3 days in a row, thus washing my hair way more often than usual. Before I went in the pool, I coated my hair with conditioner. I tried to wash my hair fairly soon after swimming and used coconut oil as a leave in conditioner afterwards. I let it air dry, and either braided my damp hair, or gathered it in twists or a top knot. It was decidedly less frizzy, and I achieved decent beach waves. Dad joked that my hair didn’t look like Roseanna Roseannadanna anymore (look her up, millennials). When I got home I discovered that using the flat iron sparingly (no blow dryer at all) creates tousled, textured French girl wannabe hair. I’m glad the keratin still allows the curlier styles as an option, which Jack prefers to pin straight locks.

Mess test – I went to a Mets game with Jack, where we first sat in a steady drizzle, and then incredibly dense and steamy air after the rain stopped. We had excellent seats, but pitcher Noah Syndergaard’s hair was definitely looking better than mine. It was late when Jack and I got home, so after washing my hair in the shower I dried it lightly with an old t-shirt (which some people swear helps keep the frizz at bay) and just went to sleep with it loose and damp. I wanted to see how it turned out if I did nothing to it – like how lazy can I actually be and still show my face in public? It wasn’t horrible, but I did wear a messy bun the next day. After I used the flat iron a bit, it looked better. I realized some effort is necessary, but I can handle that.

Air dry and flat iron

The results almost 2 months later – I’m smitten with the keratin. It takes less time to style my hair and it looks better than before. If I blow dry it straight, it repels DC humidity darn well. I noticed my hair seems to be more tangled after I wash it, but not really a problem. I also can’t decide if it is just a little more puffy than the initial few weeks of keratin bliss – or am I obsessing over nothing because I still think this is too good to be true? I haven’t been back to Drybar since getting the keratin, but am curious if one of the professional styles with the big loose curls would look different than before.

The verdict – If it stays in for 6 months, like it is supposed to, it will be worth every penny. I may do another update in another couple of months and let you know.