korey24

Hi, have been on this site for a long time, but never in the forums. Some forums can be so . . . well, people can be a little inconsiderate. However, I am taking my chances and asking for opinions/experiences/advice, whatever. I am going to give you some background . . .

My daughter is 12, bi-racial (I am white,
my husband is african-american), and she has the most hair you have ever seen in your life. That is even what stylists have said. . .I am SO not making this up or exaggerating in the least.

First of all, I would like to say I am not a total hair dummy--although I did not choose that career path, I did go thru and graduate beauty school--even if it was 17 yrs ago... That means nothing, I know. However, it does give me a basic knowledge of hair.

Knowledge, however, means nothing when it comes to my daughter's hair. Everything I ever knew about hair gets tossed out the window. Total trial and error experience . . . with SO many products . . .

Her hair is GORGEOUS when she wears it out and I define her curls, usually using Teri LaFlesh's method of leaving either Herbal Essence or Aussie moist in and the Denman brush. The problem is....she hates it. She hates to wear anything but a ponytail. She is super athletic and plays any and every sport she can get a hold of...(even invents her own).

Before this point, I could contain it with braids or twists of some sort, but she is tween-ish and thinks thats baby-ish now. Her curls are 3c-ish with maybe some 3b-ish, and possibly some 4a-ish in one or two spots. Very springy, corkscrew, about pencil width, and "boingy." But its BIG. And it absorbs products like a black hole....conditioners, moisturizers, shampoos, stylers, you name it. You have to use a ton of whatever you're using.

I have not even been really successful in flat-ironing her hair . . . it takes me about 3 hours to blow dry and go tiny section by tiny section. And even though I am able to get the curl out with the iron, its still HUGE hair and it never looks like I, or she wants it to.

I refuse relaxers, as long as she's under my care, and have only briefly considered a VERY gentle texturizer in moments of despair. So far, I have held out and she is chemical free. She has only had minimal trims, and occasionally conditioning treatments in a salon, everything else has been done by me.

So all of that brings me to this point. I've been reading some of the threads in this forum about the at home keratin products--mostly QOD, and the liquid keratin. Because she is only 12, I refuse to shell out $300+ for an in-salon treatment when she is not even willing to properly care for her hair without nagging by me. I am fairly confident I could successfully apply the products. . . but I am worried about the results.

1. Always concerned about damage and breakage.
2. Wondering if it will decrease some of the volume (A good thing)
3. How straight will it actually be
4. Worried that it won't work at all

I have not looked through every thread, but is there a place where I can see before/after pics of a variety of hair types? Mainly those types close to hers.

I would appreciate any help.
Thanks,
Korey

nappyasian

I think my hair is similar to your daughter's and I love QOD. I am bi-racial as well ( black/asian). You may need to do it more than once but I am sure you will like the results. If her hair is not as straight as you like the first time, simply do it again. It won't hurt the hair at all. Also the amount of passes with the flat iron makes a difference as well. Make sure you do 10 full passes if you want it straighter and her natural hair is very curly. My hair has a much softer curl ( really more of a wave) and I co-wash and go. I can blow dry it straight in about 20 min ( instead of an hour+). It stays straight when I do, but I mostly air dry because I like the loose curls. I have not noticed any damage at all. I may shed a bit more but nothing major.

My only reservation would be the fumes at her young age. I am sure you have read on the possible health consequences. I do my treatments outside and with a fan so I don't get any fumes at all. If you can really get good ventilation then you may have less concerns on this issue.

Good luck and keep us posted on the results.

korey24

Thank you so much. I see that on ebay, the seller keratintoday sells the sample kits. That sounds a little sketchy to me . . .but I have read positive feedback from members of this forum. Just want to be reassured:
1. that this "sample kit" is the true product, undiluted, and
2. Will this amount be enough for one application on her hair? She has a TON of hair that absorbs EVERYTHING you put on it. Should I buy two?

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Korey

~Ghost Poster~

I've been thinking about your question, and, as much as I love my DIY QOD Max BKT, I can't personally advocate applying BKT to a child's hair. Had I had BKT when I was 12, yes, I'd probably be a completely different person right now. My life would have been infinitely easier--hell, I'd probably be a doctor right now. My hair dragged me down THAT much. Alternately, I could be dead or suffering from whatever illness may result from long-term formaldehyde exposure.

I don't know how much research you've done regarding the alleged health risks associated with keratin "treatments," and it's not my place to tell you how to raise your daughter, but I personally wouldn't put keratin on my child's head. I would suggest a protective, easy-to-manage style like micro braids or whatever else is available--until she is an adult and can make the decision about BKT for herself. Micro braids is how I got through college as a single working parent, and my hair grew and grew and grew.

I hope you take this in the spirit it is intended: friendly, well-meaning food for thought from one mother to another. I'm 44...my life is half over, my son is almost 18...I've spent too much of it struggling with my hair. I intend to enjoy the remainder of my years without battling my hair any longer. I'm prepared for whatever will come my way.

__________________

Baby fine, honey & caramel hilites, 4a/3c now 2b w/DIY BKT & LOVIN' it.
Cowash-V05 Extra Body
L'oreal EP Moisture-Rinse-out
JFLVM
BRHG mix w/
KCCC/KCKT (winter)
Clean-smelling-hair freak washes EOD; dry w/bowl diffuser
Cassia+henna+grays=Gold-red hilites
~That you don't share my experiences/opinions doesn't invalidate them
I wondered if it tasted like a hot dog. ~Phoenix

korey24

Thank you. I am also concerned about the fumes, I should have stated that also.
I have not read ALL the material out there on the fume issue, but I have read enough to be on the fence about it.

I certainly do not want to expose my 12 yr old to unneccessary fumes/chemicals. At the same time, the natual skeptic and objective thinker in me wonders if its any worse than getting your nails done, a perm, or a relaxer for that matter. All of which people have done every day, and if you dig deep enough you can find people who will have horror stories about all of the above.

Having said that, I certainly would never want to expose my baby girl to harmful substances. Part of me can't help but wonder if people are making a huge deal out of it because its relatively new. Then again, it may be so new that there is not sufficient info to consider long term effects.

But, I still can't help but wonder if its any worse than a perm, relaxer, painting your nails, getting artificial nails, or even NAIR for that matter. That stuff is noxious as all get-out--- but we all have used it at one time or another.

I suppose I will have to consider it more. I am totally on the fence.

Thank you so much for your input, I truly value your experiences.

~Korey

~Ghost Poster~

I like to tell myself that they're all making much ado about nothing, too, with regard to the formaldehyde issue. Clearly I've convinced myself that it's safe enough for me. It's not just the fumes, but also the fact that it gets onto your scalp during the application process and is bonded to your hair for an extended period of time. I don't know...the problem is that there isn't enough information about BKT specifically. There are no long-term BKT studies as of yet, so it's all speculative information at this point. It's impossible to get a straight answer, too, as to whether or not this or that BKT formula actually contains formaldehyde, other aldehyde and how much, if any.

It's a tough call as a parent, because it's difficult to watch your child struggle with something. Like I mentioned, my hair played a large part in stifling my emotional development as an adolescent/teen. My hair set me apart from all my peers and was so difficult to manage and maintain--I always felt like a circus freak, which resulted in increased feelings of isolation, inferiority, and low self-esteem. I think this was probably just about as toxic for my character and ultimately my future as formaldehyde exposure may have been to my health.

I would do more research on formaldehyde toxicity before making a decision. Talk to your daughter about the purported risks, too. She may decide that she doesn't want to take the risk even if you decide to. I still think that micro braids or another protective style are plausible options.

__________________

Baby fine, honey & caramel hilites, 4a/3c now 2b w/DIY BKT & LOVIN' it.
Cowash-V05 Extra Body
L'oreal EP Moisture-Rinse-out
JFLVM
BRHG mix w/
KCCC/KCKT (winter)
Clean-smelling-hair freak washes EOD; dry w/bowl diffuser
Cassia+henna+grays=Gold-red hilites
~That you don't share my experiences/opinions doesn't invalidate them
I wondered if it tasted like a hot dog. ~Phoenix