Media Platforms Design Team
August 21 marks National Brazilian blowout day, but there are a variety of treatments one can undergo to achieve those straight, glossy strands. We asked Randy Schueller, cosmetic chemist and cofounder of The Beauty Brains, to quickly explain the different treatments and what they're actually doing to your hair.
1) Bond-breaking:
You know them as: Japanese straightening or thermal conditioning
How long they last: This treatment is permanent; it lasts until your hair grows out.
Main ingredients: Sodium hydroxide, ammonium thioglycolate or sodium bisulfite, which break and reform the disulfide bonds in your hair
Pros: This treatment is the most effective straightener and lasts the longest.
Con: It's the most damaging: "The more complete and long-lasting the straightness, the more damage to your hair," Schueller says. Ingredients such as ammonium thioglycolate and sodium hydroxide can also burn the skin if improperly applied.
2) Cross-linking free bonds:
You know them as: Brazilian blowouts or Keratin treatments
How long they last: The treatments are semi-permanent, usually lasting two to three months.
Main ingredients: Glyoxylic acid, cysteamine hydrochloride or methylene glycol, which is used in Brazilian blowouts and can release formaldehyde; these chemicals reform or reduce the disulfide bonds instead of breaking them
Pro: Less damaging than bond-breaking treatments
Con: At high levels, the formaldehyde in a Brazilian blowout is toxic, especially when used with heat. While these treatments should only contain 0.2% of formaldehyde, some have been found with up to 12%, says Schueller.
3) Surface treatments:
You know them as: Temporary treatments offered in salons or at drugstores (try Tresemme 7-Day Heat Activated Treatment. $8).
How long it lasts: A few days
Main ingredient: Silicone
Pro: This is the least-damaging option.
Con: It only lasts for a few shampoos.
Julie Kosin is the senior culture editor of ELLE.com, where she oversees all things movies, TV, books, music, and art, from trawling Netflix for a worthy binge to endorsing your next book club pick. She's the former director of audience strategy and entertainment at HarpersBAZAAR.com. When not glued to her laptop, she can be found taking pictures of her dog or haunting used bookstores.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qa3RqZyrq5KWx6Kt0WeaqKVfl7KiwdOyZqGZmad8orDVopqeZ5Fof3mDjpupmrKZobaiuoybo6ivn6rBbrLAnKusZw%3D%3D