<p>No, no, no to the Brazilian blowout. Too risky for your health. Keratin treatments should be fine. I think learning to love your hair is probably the best advice. There are so many great products on the market today that can tame problem hair without huge expense or harmful chemicals. It would cost a lot less than a Brazilian blowout to go to a good salon for a great cut, great products, and great advice.</p>
<p>Why is it things that start with “Brazilian” make me cringe … ?! ;)</p>
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<p>No carpet is TWELVE percent formaldehyde, or even ONE percent formaldehyde. </p>
<p>kelsmom–I think my problem is that I find a product I like, buy it, and then it stops working after a couple uses. 
I need to find a good stylist that specializes in curly hair. We shall see!</p>
<p>I do the Keratin smoothing treatment every summer - no formaldyhyde. It makes my hair very smooth, straight and manageable - helps tremendously with the Washington area summer humidity! I used to do the BB - but the salon I go to switched away from it because of the formaldyhyde. The BB was straighter and longer lasting, but the Keratin gets me through the summer. But a good stylist who knows hw to work with your hair type and texture is the priority. This is one area where you get what you pay for.</p>
<p>* But there’s more formaldehyde in new carpet and I don’t hear anyone saying don’t buy new carpet.*</p>
<p>Don’t buy new carpet.</p>
<p>But seriously, there is a difference between walking on something with your feet, and having it applied to your scalp.</p>
<p>If I bought new carpet, I would lay it in the yard, till it finished outgassing.</p>
<p>Some Keratin treatments do contain formaldehyde according to OSHA.
<a href=“Formaldehyde - Overview | Occupational Safety and Health Administration”>Formaldehyde - Overview | Occupational Safety and Health Administration;
<p>I like short hair and blow dry when I wash it for volume. I also get it cut shorter than its best length so the cut lasts longer. If your hair isn’t on the short side of the ideal length for your preference it will be too long too soon- unless you like spending a lot of time and money in the salon. Son has naturally curly hair- straight when very short to gorgeous curls for awhile then his hair weighs down the curl and it doesn’t look as good. </p>
<p>
Yes, yes, yes!</p>
<p>Find someone who knows how to handle your hair. You will be thanking them each and every visit! </p>
<p>rockvillemom–I’ve definitely noticed the “you get what you pay for” aspect. The Aveda salon I was going to where I got two or three of the best haircuts of my life were also the two or three most expensive…lol. But they spent a lot of time talking to me, understood what I wanted, and really worked with me and my hair.</p>
<p>I thought the brazillian straightening and a keratin treatment were one in the same. Will have to ask for clarification as I’ve had a number over the years. My complaint is that I don’t care for my hair the first couple weeks as it’s TOO flat. Still, it’s silky, smooth and straight. Does a great job with both the texture and straightening out my curl. After the last, I thought I’d let it go for awhile and I’m really hating my hair these days – frizzy and more wild than I like. The salon where I’ve gone for about 10 years charges $250 on Tuesdays (their slowest day) rather than $300 but a couple years ago I found a woman who colors my hair for about 1/3 of the other salon and I get many compliments. After speaking with her about the Brazillian (Keratin?) straightening many times, I’m going to have her do mine next week. She charges $150. Will ask about the two and the formaldehyde. It generally lasts around 5 months.</p>
<p>Having said all that, if you can go to a person that knows curly hair (there’s even a curly hair salon in NYC I went to once) and can be happy with and embrace your hair in its natural state, that’s the best!</p>
<p>Have you heard of “Curly Girl”? I’ve heard good things about that book and method for taking care of hair. I know there are definitely hairstylists that specialize in curly hair as well.</p>
<p>I used to do hair, and frankly, it isnt that hard to style curly hair, it just takes more time, because not only do they have the curl, but the growth patterns/ cowlicks that everyone else has too.
I would cut the hair damp, but then dry it and layer it a bit more, depending on type of curl.
You do need to pay more attention to product, as silicones coat and dry out the hair, & nobody likes frizz.
You may need frequent deep moisturizing treatments depending on how long your hair is.
For myself, I like to coat my hair with jojoba or grapeseed oil overnight & just wash it in the morning.
It brings out the curl & makes it silky.
Do you have black hair?
Have you tried shea butter or coconut oil for conditioning?
You also might try a henna treatment.
Not so much for color, but it coats the shaft as well as penetrates into the medulla and calms the curl.</p>
<p><a href=“Shea Butter for Hair: Healing Magic | NaturallyCurly.com”>http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/kinky-hair-type-4a/shea-butter-healing-magic/</a></p>
<p>Formaldehyde modifies and crosslinks your proteins and DNA. If this sounds like scientific mumbo-jumbo, read this:</p>
<p><a href=“False-negative results found in HPV testing”>http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/13/hpv-testing-false-negatives/1830897/</a></p>
<p>^^This sample collection kit contains formaldehyde, which destroys nucleic acids, making them “unreadable” in DNA tests.</p>
<p>In the labs, we have specific procedures for disposal of any waste that has formaldehyde in it over a certain concentration. It has to be neutralized before it can be disposed of. Kind of like this: <a href=“http://www.ehs.washington.edu/epohazreduce/formalin.shtm”>http://www.ehs.washington.edu/epohazreduce/formalin.shtm</a></p>
<p>12%, if this is true, is OUTRAGEOUS. I will rather stir battery acid with my finger than stick my head into a 12% formaldehyde formulation. Yikes, it is about right!</p>
<p>"The FDA told the company it has until Sept. 12 to comply with the agency’s directive.</p>
<p>It described Brazilian Blowout as a “notorious hair straightening products company” and said it found levels of the liquid form of formaldehyde ranging from 8.7% to 10.4%.</p>
<p>The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires an occupational hazard alert at levels higher than 0.1%, the FDA says."</p>
<p><a href=“Healthy Beauty: Skin, Hair, Nails, Anti-Aging, and Cosmetic Surgery Tips”>Healthy Beauty: Skin, Hair, Nails, Anti-Aging, and Cosmetic Surgery Tips;
<p>Lordy, I quit doing hair because I got contact dermatitis from shampoo!
( we had shampoo girls, but I liked doing it myself)</p>
<p>Brazilian blowouts make using lye/sodium hydroxide (which is what they use to make soap) to straighten your hair, sound almost homey!</p>
<p>I started having the Brazilian Blowout done after my girls had it done. </p>
<p>When they were little (8-14 years) we had major battles in the morning to get a comb through their thick wavy hair. Tears every morning, so the eldest at 15 begged me to do a Brazilian and I asked a lot of questions of our stylists. My husband was not thrilled that I would be spending $150 on each girl’s hair but we did it and they loved it. </p>
<p>Another thing too, the stylists recommended that we only do it once a year since my girls’ hair seemed to get “tamer” and more manageable. Their hair is stunning and shiny when its done. The girls shower and let it dry and it always looks great! Our state, at one point, required that the formula be changed and asked the company to exchange product that had been purchased by the salons; the new formula was easier on the hair follicles. </p>
<p>You have to go to a salon that is very experienced and one that does several per day. If it’s a good salon, they ask you if you’ve every had deep conditioning done. They will give you the risk factors and advise you to try and save some money by having a deep conditioning done instead. For some people, that’s usually enough. If you really want it done, they schedule the Brazilian and explain the procedure and your care. (They have to advise you that you can’t wash it for 24 hours and you are not allowed to put it up with a rubber band, ribbon, or scrunchie for the next 24 hours.) My salon averages about 6-7 per day minimum (according to my stylist). </p>
<p>Weekends, they are very busy, from early in the morning to evening doing these all day long-they have one employee who does these non-stop on Saturdays. Plus, the salon charges according to length. So my shoulder length hair is $150. My two daughters mid back length hair is usually $200. It lasts us for a year now. </p>
<p>After reading about stylists getting thyroid cancer, and salons sending samples of straightening product to independent labs to verify that it was formaldehyde free & finding that it * wasn’t*, I wouldnt use it, especially not on children who don’t have the reasoning capacity to weigh the risk over " looking pretty". </p>
<p>Its unlikely that a treatment could both restructure your hair for up to a year AND be free of harsh chemicals.
<a href=“http://www.oprah.com/style/Keratin-Hair-Treatment-Facts-Is-Keratin-Hair-Smoothing-Safe”>http://www.oprah.com/style/Keratin-Hair-Treatment-Facts-Is-Keratin-Hair-Smoothing-Safe</a></p>
<p>Ok, is the Brazilian blowout the same as keratin treatment?? My D wants keratin, and when I asked my stylist here in London, he kept saying “Brazilian”. If one is safer than the other, then I want her to get the “safe” one. She has long, thick curly hair and just wants it to be a little easier to style. </p>
<p>I"ve been doing it for about three years now and love it. I have it done 2x annually. My hair looks SO much better…sleeker and more sophisticated than before.</p>
<p>One of the ways to distinguish between a BB and a keratin treatment is the aftercare instructions. If you get a BB - you cannot wash it or get it wet for 48 hours - no ponytails, headbands or clips for 48 hours either. With a keratin treatment - there are no such restrictions. The BB will last longer, but it can be too flat/straight the first few weeks, and there is the formaldehyde issue. The keratin smoothing treatment does not last as long, but it is probably the safer option.</p>
<p>OP - I recently tried to save some money by getting my shoulder length wavy hair cut at a chain hair cutting salon - not good. I hated my hair for the 2 weeks it took to get an appt at my regular salon and have it fixed. Much better after the second haircut. If you have wavy or curly hair, or hair with layers, you really need a good stylist.</p>
<p>“With a keratin treatment - there are no such restrictions.”</p>
<p>No. You have it backwards. I had keratin and there are restriction. No washing for two days. </p>
<p>Link explains the difference: <a href=“http://www.tribecahairstudionyc.com/brazilian-blowouts-vs-keratin-treatment/”>http://www.tribecahairstudionyc.com/brazilian-blowouts-vs-keratin-treatment/</a></p>
<p>Disagree. I’ve had both. My salon used to do BB and that had the 48 hour restrictions. Now they do keratin smoothing - with no restrictions. I see what you posted states the opposite, but that’s not what I have experienced. I’m guessing there is not a standard uniformity with the treatment names - just googling it and you come up with hybrids like Brazilian Keratin Smoothing treatment. I’m sure it makes more sense to ask the stylist which treatment(s) they offer - whether it contains formaldyhyde and what the restrictions are after the hair treatment. Clearly different salons use different names.</p>