What is the truth about Brazilian Keratin Treatments?
Brazilian keratin treatments are a really popular process right now, and are being discussed on the internet, television, and in popular beauty magazines. I must confess that my initial reaction was a negative one, as I found myself thinking “Oh, fantastic; they have found yet another way to reinforce the image of curly hair as the ugly stepchild of cosmetology.” However, once I read some of the personal experiences of fellow curlies, such as that of Michelle Breyer, co-founder of NaturallyCurly.com, I became intrigued and began seeking information about this procedure — particularly information on a scientific and mechanistic level.
What I found was a baffling morass of spectacularly attractive claims, a lot of proprietary ingredients, a whole lot of nothing regarding the actual chemical mechanism by which these processes work, and a lot of controversy regarding the use of potentially harmful ingredients and very high temperatures. A variety of results have been reported, ranging from exceedingly satisfied and ecstatic customers, to those who were mildly disappointed, to a number of consumers reporting dramatic and significant hair loss.
I feel a little like Dorothy setting out on the road to find the Wizard of Oz. There seems to be a lot of smoke and mirrors in use, and I really, really want to know who (or what”> is behind the curtain. This article will be my first attempt to penetrate the veil of mystery surrounding these hair treatments. I suspect that some follow-up research will be necessary, and at least one more article on this topic will be in my near future.
