TeasingCombs

I've been looking at the reviews for Kerapremium for almost a week debating whether or not I should buy a bottle.

After seeing myself in the mirror upon arriving home from a night out on NYE, I discovered that the Qod Max Organiq treatment I'd applied the day before did not stand up to the ~ 20% humidity I'd been in. What a terrible flash back to my 8th grade self that was!!!

Upon looking at the Amazon reviews for the Kerapremium two things occurred to me.

1. I have really baby fine 3b hair but have been following the directions/advice of people with fine hair that's courser/more resilient.
2. The BKT products I used in the past did exactly what they were supposed to.

The Global Keratin (which I mistakenly posted earlier as Coppola) did make my hair lifeless and I shed like mad which is why I gave it up.

The Qod Max and Qod Gold I used pretty regularly (about 4 times a year) were good but I still had quite a bit of shedding and didn't like that I had to coax my curls back every morning with a lot of product. Also, like with the Global, when I was outside in warm weather, the heat would release my Qod treated curls so at the end of those days I looked like a moon faced dope with stick straight wispy hair.

I understand now that I was using too much heat and doing too many passes, and even possibly was using too strong a solution.

Maybe someone can help me figure out, before I buy another giant bottle of product, which to select?

My hair is ~ 90% 3b and I want to take it down to 2c. The recent Organiq application seems to have hardly changed the virgin (from ears up) area of my hair so I probably need something stronger. I don't want to repeat the process a bunch of times with Organiq to eventually get to 2c though, for fear that I'd just be scorching my hair. Yet I'm kind of afraid the Kerapremium might be too strong even with lower heat and fewer passes.

What would you self (and community) taught experts suggest?

Thank you for your help!

TC

TeasingCombs

After reading through the Amazon reviews I decided to buy the giant bottle of Kerapremium.

One fine haired member wrote that she was instructed to use less than 300 degrees during the flatiron process and it seems she is happy with the results.

So I'm going to give it a whirl.

Apparently, washing the product out earlier is recommended too.

Will post results.

Bruchilda

300 degrees?
u sure? I mean thats a pretty low heat, any instruction I have read doesnt drop below 400F for fine/bleached hair. That's 180 celcius.

I'd recomend not to drop below 180 unless you want mediocre results
I have a mix of medium/thick/very thick hair and I use 450F (230C) with no problem

Curlythreec

Hi im just wndering if you have tried the treatment yet? Im interested in it aswell...did you get the results you wanted?

Honeycurls

I am probably the board's DIY BKT expert--self proclaimed, of course. I have been DIY BKTing for nearly 4 years, using only QOD. I used to post quite frequently, helping out when I could until someone pi$$ed me off by saying no one was helping them. But I'm back...for now...I'm trying to find someone to split a bottle of Kerapremium with me because I'll never use it before it expires. I tried the Organiq and didn't like it. Fortunately, I was able to sell it.

I suffer no breakage from QOD products. In fact, my hair is past BSL. If not for my blonde highlights, it would probably be hip length when straight, but the highlights are killer to fine hair.

I am a super baby fine 3c/4a naturally. I began with original Max, then switched to original Gold, and have been using the Gold ever since. My curls are currently 2b-2c. I wear my hair curly. I, too, have problems with curl retention now, but I have a regimen that gives me full, billowy curls, sometimes even 3rd and 4th day curls.

First of all...I hope you're not continuing to do full-head applications. I only do root applications now. I haven't had to do a full-head application in a couple of years. I continue to use the 450˚ setting on my curling iron during the application process and have suffered no appreciable thermal damage.

If root volume is the problem, try not to take the keratin and heat all the way down to the roots. Leave a bit of curl there for volume.

The other curl killer for fine hair is oil--any kind...yes, argan oil, too. Clarify your hair and try products with NO oil...not a little oil...NO oil. Whenever I use oil, my hair is horrible...droopy...soggy...ugly. When I don't, my hair is fully, curly, bouncy, shiny, amazing. Every other day or so, I cowash and rinse-out condition with V05 Extra Body Conditioner. I have highlights, so I use a dollop of Pureology Reconstructor, but mostly for the fragrance. Occasionally, I use the clarifying shampoo that came with my first bottle of QOD to remove product buildup. Don't worry about "washing out" your keratin. It doesn't work like that. I even used shampoo with salt crystals in it--no problem, except that it had lots of oils in it, so it went to the product graveyard.

Next, I detangle with a Curlisto finger comb, scrunch in a small amount of a mixture of Suave Captivating Curls Whipped and Pantene thickening mousses, then plop in a microfiber towel for up to 2 hrs. I remove the towel and apply Curlisto Structura lotion and John Frieda hairspray and then pixiecurl (blowdry hair upside down in a bowl diffuser) until my hair is dry, adding more hairspray along the way wherever needed to lock in the curls. My hair is 80s big for about 30 mins following this regimen, then the curls begin to relax and cascade down my back. I can refresh by scrunching with slightly wet hands, respraying with hair spray, and drying/scrunching with the diffuser again for 2nd and sometimes 3rd and 4th day hair.

I use all cheap stuff on my hair (except the Pureology, but I make that last forever) and my hair looks more amazing than when I used to spend hundreds on Kerastase and a bunch of other obscenely high-priced brands.

I think the main success factors here are (other than the BKT):

No oil
Plopping
Pixiecurling
John Frieda hairspray

Hope this helps...anyone!

__________________
OK, I admit it.....I'm an alias! I wasn't born with the name Honeycurls!
Dood, get over it; there's no time limit on lurking.

I so busy runnin' allllllll over the place and ain't nobody chasin' me!

Honeycurls

If you decide to go for the Kerapremium, I'm trying to find someone to split a large bottle. Let me know if you're interested. Read my post above, too, if you have questions about it. I used QOD original Max for nearly a year with no problems before I switched to Gold.

I haven't experienced any difference in results with early wash-out of the keratin.

__________________
OK, I admit it.....I'm an alias! I wasn't born with the name Honeycurls!
Dood, get over it; there's no time limit on lurking.

I so busy runnin' allllllll over the place and ain't nobody chasin' me!

TeasingCombs

Hi, hello!

I ended up waiting until late March to try the Kerapremium from the roots to shoulder and have been pretty happy with the results. My curls are ~ 20% relaxed and much less frizzy.

My hair is not as straight as when I used the original Max formula - but will get quite straight when blow dried with medium heat.

I only used 375 degrees to flat iron and made about 7 medium speed passes. My hair was quite fragile for about a month after the treatment. Like I posted earlier, my hair is SUPER baby fine. It doesn't help that I use a demi-permanent color before using keratin - but I'm too lazy to color on a different day ... so, that's what I get.

Because the greys were getting noticeable, I colored and BKTed again today and discovered that the results were better this time around. For the last couple of years I've been applying small amounts of the solution to mostly dry hair and then air drying before flat ironing.

Today however, I applied the solution while my hair was
about 30-40% wet (only from the roots to shoulder) and then blow dried on medium heat while finger combing.

I flat ironed (on 375 again but made 3 slow passes) and my hair seems stronger and looks shinier than after previous applications.

Cool!

Hey, Honeycurls~

I remember you from back in the day - and the nasty post you received before you signed off for awhile. Alas, the internet ...

Thank you for all of your helpful posts - you've been one of my hair gurus all these years!

I have only used 2 oz. of the GIANT bottle of Kerapremium I bought, so would be happy to share with you if you haven't already made arrangements with someone else.

Thank you again for all of your helpful information and D.I.Y. tips - they've helped me SO much!

TeasingCombs

Wondering if there's one really great product out there.

I've curbed my product junkie ways but still need to use something.

Thank you