Keratin Treatment vs Brazilian Blowout – Which One is Right For You?

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This post is all about keratin treatment vs Brazilian Blowout.

I am no stranger to Keratin treatments and Brazilian Blowouts. As someone with naturally THICK, frizzy, wavy to curly hair, I have spent years (if not decades) of my life researching ways to make my hair more manageable.

I’ve seen a lot of different hair stylists along the way as well, and many of them recommended these types of treatments for my hair.

I’ve had a few of each type of treatment, and today I am here to offer some insight into which one might be best for you and which one lasts longer.

Before I get into all of that, let’s first get into what Keratin treatments and Brazilian Blowouts actually are.

What is a Keratin Treatment?

A keratin treatment is a salon smoothing hair treatment that infuses chemicals (including keratin) into your hair follicles to add shine and achieve hair that repels frizz.

The results are said to last up to 6 months.

There are many different brands of keratin salons use for this treatment. Some of these include:
GK (Global Keratin), Keratin Complex, and Kerasilk by Goldwell, and Brazilian Blowout (yep, that’s right).

They all follow the same process which includes:

• pre-treatment rinse
• apply product onto hair
• blow dry product into hair
• straighten and seal product into hair (usually with a titanium straightener)

Keratin treatments also greatly reduce the amount of blow dry time and therefore make your hair way more manageable.

When it comes to cost, according to NutreeCosmetics.com, they can range from $82 to $400.

What is a Brazilian Blowout?

A Brazilian Blowout is also a smoothing treatment option to defrizz and add shine to your hair. In fact, Brazilian Blowout is actually a specific brand of keratin treatment.

If preferred, it can have more of a straightening effect than a typical keratin treatment. In this sense, it is more customizable than any keratin treatment. For example, if you want to preserve some of your natural wave, or if you want completely straight hair, you can choose with Brazilian Blowout.

It is the same process and steps as any other keratin treatment, as it essentially is one.

When it comes to cost, it can depending on vary salon to salon, and location to location. But, according to StyleSeat.com, the cost ranges from $75 to $325 depending on hair length, type, and condition.

If you use the Brazilian Blowout line of aftercare, the brand states you should be able to maintain your results for up to 12 weeks.

Keratin Treatment vs Brazilian Blowout – Which One Is Better?

So which is the best smoothing option for you?

It depends on a few different factors:

1. what your goals of the treatment are
2. what condition your hair is currently in
3. what your hair type is.

If your goal is to simply remove frizz from your hair but maintain your natural hair texture, a keratin treatment is the best option for you.

If you are looking for more customizable options when it comes to strength and how much it changes your hair texture, the Brazilian Blowout is definitely more preferable for you.

The condition and hair type are also a factor that comes into play. Brazilian Blowout has the chance of damaging your hair, given its strength and straightening properties. If your hair is already brittle or damaged, you may want to opt for a standard keratin treatment.

One other thing to keep in mind is that if you have naturally have fine, fragile hair, for the same reasons as above you should opt for keratin treatment.

To further summarize:

When it comes to which lasts longer, Brazilian blowout or keratin, they each claim to last the same amount of time, up to 12 weeks.

Keratin Treatment vs Brazilian Blowout – My Experience With Each

So what do I prefer, as someone who has had both, multiple times?

Given my natural hair texture is very thick and wavy, and frizzes extremely easy, I one million percent recommend the Brazilian Blowout.

The way I see it, if someone is willing to make the investment (up to $400+), the chances are they have a similar hair texture to me.

Given that, you might as well go for the one that alters your hair texture a bit and gives you a noticeable difference.

Additionally, when it comes to Brazilian Blowout, I will say, even though it states it will only last up to 12 weeks, I definitely noticed a difference in my hair for over 6 months after.

I didn’t notice the same effects from a plain keratin treatment.

This could be because I wash my hair once a week.

Check out my post for How to Train Hair to Wash Less.

What to Expect At Your Appointment

A lot of salons will offer an initial consult and quote for Keratin treatments. Given their cost and time it takes to complete. Also, to make sure that the person receiving the treatment is a good candidate.

During your appointment, many salons handle the actual application process a bit differently.

Some salons offer different levels of treatments, from a treatment that just takes out frizz, to treatments that offer complete straightening of the hair.

Care and Maintenance

What type of care and maintenance go into having a keratin treatment or Brazilian blowout?

Given a Brazilian Blowout IS a type of keratin treatment, the following will apply to both.

First off, it is super important to give your treatment some time to set in and to not get your hair wet for the first 48 hours. You also want to leave your hair down straight and not put it up in a pony tail or clip.

You then want to be sure you are using the best products to extend the longevity of your investment.

Because let’s be real, if you’re getting this kind of treatment the chances are you have a lot of hair.

The more hair you have, the more time and product it takes, and let’s not forget some salons charge by the amount of time and product.

My point is, this treatment is not cheap, so you want to do what you can to ensure you aren’t making it wear off sooner than it needs to.

Definitely make sure to pick up some sulfate free shampoo and conditioner.

You can also try to go longer between hair washes to extend the treatment. Basically, the more often you wash your hair, the quicker it is going to wear off.

This doesn’t mean you have to purchase high end shampoo and conditioner only. Some of my favorite drugstore shampoo and conditioners that work amazing are the L’oreal Ever Pure lines.

By the way, if you’re looking to train your hair to wash less often, be sure to check out my previous post all about this!

Final Thoughts on Keratin Treatment vs Brazilian Blowout

Have you had either a keratin treatment or a Brazilian blowout? Or, like me, have you tried both?

If so, what was your personal experience with each?

Drop a comment below with which one you had and if it was worth it for you!

This post was all about Keratin Treatment vs Brazilian Blowout and keratin versus Brazilian Blowout.