Hair smoothening vs hair straightening

Is Hair Smoothening or Straightening Right for You? – Understanding the Pros & Cons

Men and women who manage to grab eyeballs always succeed because of various factors. Shiny, smooth, and radiant hair is a significant influencer and can spruce up anyone’s good looks.

Curly and wavy hair is great, but somehow, straight hair always lures the onlookers and seems better (texture and maintenance wise).

Hair woes can be pretty scary because of the risk of losing strands of it. Straighter and smoother hair has more sheen, looks healthier, and is way easier to manage.

With significant advancements in science and trichology, neither women nor men have to struggle to keep curls straight with hair irons and blow dryers. They don’t have to rely on damage-inducing hair relaxing treatments. 

The trending keratin treatment or the Brazilian blowout seems to have gained popularity in recent times. In this article, we focus on the pros and cons of hair smoothening and permanent straightening treatments.

What is permanent hair straightening?

Want to go permanent without the need to use the hot iron regularly? Permanent hair straightening is the solution. This chemical treatment changes the structure of your curly/wavy hair to embrace straightened strands.

The two primary methods of executing this treatment that is highly appreciated in the present times are:

• Sodium-based products are used to break the keratin structure in your hair so that hair is made easy to handle.
• An oxidant is used to nullify the keratin effects and give the hair fibers the desirable shape.

Types of Permanent Hair Straightening

Permanent hair straightening is divided into these types based on the techniques followed. 

They give you the same results, silky straight locks, but in different ways!

• Keratin treatment

• Japanese straightening (thermal reconditioning)

• Chemical hair straightening

• Hair Rebonding

About the Keratin Treatment – The Most Popular One

Keratin is a naturally present protein that nourishes hair. It is the key contributor to straight, healthy hair that has a natural sheen. Though the amount of this natural hair vitalizing protein depends mostly on your genetics, diet, and lifestyle changes also affect it. Lower Keratin levels mean frizzy, dull, and unmanageable hair. During a keratin treatment, keratin is artificially added to your hair to make it look smoother and frizz-free, thereby making it a popular treatment option.

Since this is a treatment that lasts longer, the straight hair will remain intact until you snip them off. The newly grown hair, however, will be the original hair that you had before the treatment.

This procedure is lengthy, as it takes between four to five hours to complete. It may also be costly if you choose to get the treatment done at a renowned permanent hair straightening salon. The cost depends upon the length and volume of your hair.

 

How it’s done

This treatment gives safe, honest, and incredible results on increased usage. The hair specialist applies a coating of keratin into your hair shaft, which leaves you with silky straight hair. The keratin has the power to break through the frizz and straighten your hair. This treatment also works wonder on chemically treated and damaged hair.

No strong chemicals are used to open and close the hair cuticle to straighten it. After the application of a keratin solution to your hair, a 450-degree flat iron is used to seal the formula into all the strands of your hair. A moisture barrier is created, which reduces frizz and curls while promoting radiance and sheen. 

While most people refer to this as permanent, it only lasts for up to six months. With the keratin treatment, overly-porous hair causing frizz, tangles, and breakage is regenerated. A keratin treatment rebuilds the hair by replenishing the lost protein into your strands.

Pros of this treatment

• Irrespective of your hair type, it will give the desired results 
• The technique is safe because of low levels of chemical usage
• You can enjoy silky, soft, and non-frizzy hair for six months or more if maintained well
• This method does not have any harmful side effects unless you have scalp issues
• The treatment potentially heals the damaged hair cuticles

Cons of this treatment

• This treatment is expensive and needs a little research about its suitability and value-addition to your hair. You need to weigh convenience against cost
• Pregnant women should avoid this hair treatment because of the gas emission from this product and the presence of formaldehyde.
• You need to use Sodium chloride-free shampoos and conditioners for washing and maintaining your treated hair.
• Maintenance is a continuous and professional affair and leads to more expenses.
• Hair that is chemically treated becomes prone to breakage and loss, which is why expensive sodium-free conditioners need to be used regularly.
• The chances of allergic reactions are high, which is why this treatment needs a patch test before the actual application.
• Hair may lose its natural quality and turn lifeless for some people since the old texture cannot be revived.

Japanese Straightening or Thermal Reconditioning        

Thermal reconditioning includes the application of both chemicals and heat to your hair. This treatment is of Japanese origin and includes both smoothing and conditioning. It involves permanent alteration in the structure of your hair. This procedure loosens the cysteine protein bond of your hair structure and is reshaped by the straightening of hair cells.

During this treatment, a chemical is applied for about 15 to 20 minutes to break the hair bonds. After this, the hair is exposed to extreme heat to restructure the bonds into their straight version. Chemicals are then used to lock in the bonds and protect the treated hair.

 

The average life of Japanese Hair Straightening depends on the length and texture of your hair, which is about six to seven months. This process is generally long and time-consuming, which takes about six to eight hours, depending on the length of your hair. Post-treatment, Japanese Hair Straightening requires another hour extended for the next follow-up session post three days of treatment.

This technique, however, does not guarantee 100% results for wavy or curly hair. Those with naturally straighter hair type witness great results and need only touch. If you have had chemical treatments recently, then this treatment is not for you. The chemicals employed may vary, and you need expert opinion before undertaking to get this done.

You cannot try different styles like curls after this treatment. Your hair must be sun-protected and deeply-moisturized regularly.

Chemical Straightening

Also known as the hair relaxing technique, this method involves breaking the right number of bonds to straighten curly or wavy hair. Only an expert in this technique can do it correctly and skilfully. Careful calibration of the technique is necessary since breaking more bonds will mean making hair weak, and breaking lesser bonds will not give the expected results.

We do not recommend a DIY when it comes to this procedure since it can be tricky at times and lead to permanent damage.

The texture and the type of hair play important roles in determining how this treatment should be handled.

Hair Rebonding

This method is a boon if you find it hard to tame your wavy, dense, and unruly tresses that are long. A decent hair rebonding procedure will help upkeep the fluency of hair for a longer time. It is worked at the original hair or regrowth zone where curls or waves are prominent. Hair that has been treated or rebonded several times or too colored regularly remains weak at its roots.

The period until which Rebonded hair remains straight depends on the maintenance and protection given until the next rebonding or straightening session because hair becomes more sensitive or fragile.

What you get with rebonding is straight, sleek, and shiny hair though it is permanent and expensive. The cost of this treatment may vary across salons due to products used, service, hair type, and post-treatment care.

Natural bonds, whether the hair is curly or wavy, give your hair its physical attributes. A cream softener or relaxant is used to break the hair structure. This is followed by applying a neutralizer is used to bond the structure again, making hair straight.

A general recommendation by hairstylists is that you should opt for homemade hair masks made of banana and avocado to replenish the lost sheen and nourishment.  

Hair Smoothening

Hair smoothening is a technique that is used to soften and revitalize frizzy, dry, and rough hair. Post this treatment; you will witness sheen, better texture, and manageable hair. Some people may obtain glossier and silky hair based on the original texture of their hair.

At first, a straightening cream is applied from the scalp to the tip on the complete length of hair strands and covered with aluminum foils. That cream is left to get absorbed into the hair strands for several hours. This cream changes the texture of your hair strands, giving it a straighter structure. After leaving it on for a couple of hours, it is rinsed with water, and small partitions of hair are taken and flat ironed scrupulously for perfectly straight hair.

Next, a neutralizing cream is applied and left for another hour to lock in the straightened effect in the hair strands permanently. After rinsing the second cream, hair is blow-dried with a cool setting. This treatment will keep hair smooth for about six to nine months. The focus here is on aligning the hair instead of altering the structure of your hair. This treatment may not work for thick hair because of the higher density that prevents the absorption of the straightening cream.

Safety Measures during Hair Smoothening

Hair smoothening creams contain Formaldehyde, which is a highly toxic chemical that can cause scalp irritation, rashes, and eye irritation from the fumes. It would be wiser to avoid this procedure if you already have scalp & skin issues like dandruff, hair-fall, sensitivity, psoriasis, Seborrheic Eczema, Acne, etc., as the chemicals can aggravate it even more. The Cysteine Hair Treatment, on the other hand, does not contain Formaldehyde and is a safer alternative.

Maintenance

After the hair smoothening treatment, it is necessary to use a good shampoo, conditioner, and hair mask that protects and nourishes. The right hair care products may be expensive, but they do complete justice in the upkeep of your vitalized hair. If the hair is left dry, it has the chance of becoming worse, which may cause uncontrolled hair fall due to breakage. We recommend taking those weekly oil massages and regular hair mask applications and, most importantly, a balanced diet that is rich in essential proteins and iron that will support better hair growth and texture.

Pros of Hair Smoothening

• Smoother & straighter hair
• Hair becomes soft & silky
• Banishes frizz and roughness
• No heat damage (except the one caused during treatment)
• Hair doesn’t tangle or knot up easily leading to lesser hair fall and easy maintenance

Cons of Hair Smoothening

• Contains lots of toxic chemicals that may cause hair to weaken
• Hot fumes
• Costly treatment and high maintenance
• Could cause skin and scalp problems
• Could irritate the respiratory tract
• Hair may become drier and more brittle if left neglected post-treatment
• Might cause severe hair fall because of weakened roots
• All hair types may not benefit from this treatment

The Final Verdict

Though hair straightening and smoothening are subject to one’s choice, we highly recommend that you get these treatments done after a patch test or getting your hair type/length evaluated. Doing them at the right frequency and post-care are two important factors affecting the long-term health of your hair. Using too many hair sprays, or coloring hair regularly must be avoided after these treatments. Always weigh your risks against costs or results for these treatments.