braziliankeratintreatment

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-28-2007
braziliankeratintreatment
8
Sat, 08-11-2007 - 2:46am
I want my 15 year old dd to get brazilian keratin treatment. She has curly, long beautiful hair and it takes very, very long for her to blow dry it. This treatment gets great reviews. It is very popular in florida and is new to New York. I was going to take her to the salon at Bergdorf Goodman's in New York--a well known, lovely salon. The brazilian keratin treatment has only been a few months in New York. It has formaldehyde in it, but you wear a mask and it's been written up in The New York Times. Supposedly, 12 year olds get it. It washes out after three months. People rave about it. But my friend thinks I am exposing my dd to a cancer-causing product and makes me feel as though I am a careless mother. I never heard these reports about it. It's on the website braziliankeratintreatment.com. Also, you can read users' comments on line. I only saw one negative comment about scalp burn on message boards about curly hair and I don't where that person got it done. But there are tons of rave reviews!! Girls are thrilled with the results. Does anybody know anything about this treatment. If it's featured in the Times and tons of salons in Florida are doing it as well as some in New York, California, etc., I don't feel I'm being reckless. My daughter doesn't have time to get up so early in the morning to blow dry her hair before school. She feels happy with straight hair. She's been asking to please get it straightened for a year. I'd welcome any input/advice.
Avatar for heartsandroses2002
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 08-11-2007 - 8:48am

Isn't keratin a protein? If she is all for it and you're willing to pay for it, since I'm sure it's expensive, I see nothing wrong in giving it a try. So many girls and women subject their hair and scalp to harsh treatmens every 3-4 months in regards to straightening, perming, coloring, etc.

I say go for it. If it doesn't work out, at least you can say you've tried.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2004
Sat, 08-11-2007 - 9:32am


I don't know if it is dangerous or not from a medical POV. She is not ingesting the chemicals. As long as they are careful about the fumes and that it stays only on the hair...I would guess it would be OK. But I am not into medical research. If you are concerned, call your doctor. Don't rely on the web site or the Times for medical information on the treatment.

I would generally be concerned about using unnecessary chemicals for the sake of 'beauty'. That's just me. I never understood why other women go to such extremes lengths for the sake of "beauty" and fashion.

Why does she have to "blow dry" her hair completely? "Bone dry" strips the hair of its natural oils. It isn't good for the hair. If it is too thick, perhaps have it thinned out or cut it shorter. Get her to wash her hair before she does her homework and let it dry naturally. I seriously doubt that straight hair will make it faster to dry. The amount of hair is the same.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-14-2006
Sat, 08-11-2007 - 9:46am

Two things you said struck me

"I want my daughter to get...." and "she feels happy with straight hair"

As for the first, I'd be cautious that this is something she wants/needs and not just you.

As for the second, I can honestly say BTDT. My DD16 also has beautiful curly hair. At 12-13 she became obsessed with getting her hair straightened. She said "everyone does it", "straight hair is prettier" etc. We had long conversations about beauty on the inside, not the outside, and I was not willing to do anything chemical or expensive (at that time it was "japanese" straightening that was the rage in NY, rather than "Brazilian"). We ended up getting an enamel hair straightener (her mood while we were waiting for it to be shipped was an all time low, BTW, she actually broke a window by accident while fussing about the straightener not arriving). But it came. For about a year, she straightened her hair at night, timed her hair washing so she had time to straighten, and was happy.

Then she decided she was tired of the work, went back to her natural curls, and has never asked for straight hair again. Now she looks at photos online of friends who have straightened hair and comments on how the "all look alike...UGH". Her Chinese friends laugh at the girls who straighten their hair, because they'd kill for some of the curl LOL

My advice for you and your DD would be to make sure it's what she wants. And don't do anything that will be damaging to her hair or difficult to reverse. Maybe she can do a temporary straightening to see if she actually likes herself that way. Also, keep talking to her about the importance of feeling good about yourself no matter what kind of hair you have.

Finally, one key for my DD to be happy with her curly hair was finding someone who gave a good cut. We shopped around a little - but a good cut made the curly hair less pouffy and easier to manage.

Sue

where in NYC do you live - we're in Queens

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-28-2007
Sat, 08-11-2007 - 8:54pm

Hi,

Thanks so much for your response. You seem very understanding and level-headed, and I appreciate your encouragement. My friend--who doesn't have children--made me feel I was being reckless. Others think I'm suggesting this to my daughter to change her appearance. She doesn't hate her hair when it's curly. She just asked about a year or so ago to get it straightened because she said she likes to wear it both ways and it's easier to put in curls. She really has to plug away at the school she goes to and almost has no free time between the homework load and sports. I didn't let her do it because the Japanese method I heard really harms the hair. This repairs the hair. It's made for chemically processed hair--it makes it healthier. It never occurred to me it was risky. It's done all over Florida and humid climates. Also, I like when she takes an interest in her appearance. She had acne --which was quite bad--and that makes you want to avoid dealing with your appearance. But now it seems to be clearing up some, she is careful of what she eats and tells us what is healthy and not so healthy. (She tells me not to drink diet soda because of the chemicals.) So, I'm happy to help her make her grooming routine easier. Thanks again for your input!

Avatar for weberdns0
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-25-2000
Sun, 08-12-2007 - 1:44pm

I'm not sure if this is a good thing for your daughter or not.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-28-2007
Sun, 08-12-2007 - 8:17pm
Hi, Thank you so much for your response. It was really helpful to go on those websites. Wow--I am totally impressed with your computer savvy. I don't even know how to put a link! I clicked on the sites at the bottom of your reply. What is the photo site--is that part of ivillage or yours. I'm such a novice--but this all looked interesting. Thanks again for the info!
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-28-2007
Sun, 08-12-2007 - 8:47pm
Hi, Thanks so much for your response! Yes, I can see why one would think I wanted her to straighten her hair by the way I wrote it. Thanks also for sharing your daughter's experiences. My daughter likes her hair both curly and straight. Her hair is gorgeous--thick and luxurious. I am happy she lucked out getting that hair. She asked me about a year or so ago if she could straighten it. She said it takes her so long to blow dry it when she wants to wear it straight and that it would take less time to curl it up when she wants to wear it curly. I was concerned about the Japanese process. So, I told her I didn't trust it and she was ok with that --disappointed but okay. She really has to plug away with her school work. I live in New Jersey by the way--and all the kids go to private school. There is way too much homework--and she wishes she had time some days to have her hair straight. I feel good about this new Brazilian Keratin Treatment--because it washes out and it makes your hair healthier. Every girl is different. My other daughter takes much more of an interest in her appearance. She's 13, but looks much older. My almost 15 year old really didn't because she had acne--and that has really been a bummer for her. She also has a weight problem So, between the two, grooming and paying attention to her apppearance was something she wanted to avoid. I am happy now she is eating well--no junk food and is willing to do what the derm says about getting her face clean, etc. I want her to be happy (weight and acne aren't uplifting). So, I let her get manicures, facials and I'm going to let her get her hair straightened. She isn't stressed out about it. She would just like the option of wearing her hair straight without having to blowdry it for an hour. This BKT doesn't totally straighten it--it just lets the person be able to air dry it for ten minutes or so. I think Bergorf's is a reputable salon. I'm happy to see her going to salons and enjoying being a girl. Actually, we all let our daughters get made up at the local salon for their eighth grade graduation this June and she wound up buying a facial cleanser there that she actually uses!!! It's the first time and so we were thrilled. Thanks for sharing. My heart breaks for her because of the acne and weight. This took quite a toll on her social life. Her friends shied away--the popular group. I know this hurt her. She's so sweet and nice. She's so happy she is starting at a new high school!!!! She desperately wants a fresh start. The girls at her school were very cliqueish. I wish I had taken her out as so many mothers in her class did with their daughters. But that is over... And now I want to help her get over that. She went to weight loss camp the past three summers and that was worth its money a hundred fold. The camp is totally into self acceptance of all kinds of people. She loved it, and it's great for somebody else to teach her nutrition. For years she wouldn't look an acne doctor or dietician in the eye when I tried to get her help. This year she shook the derm's hand. I was stunned. Anyway, as you can see the hair is a minor part of a big picture here. Her sister on the other hand can eat all she wants, looks like a supermodel and has basically clear skin and is high honor roll. Luckily, they get along and we constantly point out the strengths of both! The acne and weight though are very hard to deal with. I pray more than anything that works itself out. Thanks for listening. It's been so painful watching her be rejected by girls that hung with her from age three once the acne hit....Well, I'm praying. Thanks again!!!
Avatar for weberdns0
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-25-2000
Thu, 08-16-2007 - 11:56am
It's pretty easy to do it, as I have been using the internet for many years not.