Major Hair Update - BKT

Well I succumbed to peer pressure (haha not really), and I got a Brazilian Keratin Treatment on my hair (BKT). So far I like it, even moreso once I saw that my hair still had my curls. It seemed to be BKT week at my job, as one of my coworkers also got it, and now another is considering it.

I went to a stylist that a different coworker also got her BKT from a few weeks ago. I went in last Tuesday. Here are the before pictures of my hair:



My stylist used the Coppola brand. After washing my hair, she blew it dry, then applied the keratin. She used a hair color brush and applied it in very small sections. After covering my head with the keratin, I sat for 30 minutes with a plastic cap over my head. She then blew it dry again, then flat ironed it straight.

It was evident I needed a trim, so she cut off about half an inch. One thing I loved was that she showed me exactly how much she was going to trim, and let me watch in the mirror. Most of her clients have longer hair, so I knew she wasn't one of those scissor happy stylists. Anyway, after the trim, my hair was just hanging there. She couldn't put any curl into it until after three days had passed, and I had my first WTF have I done to my hair moment.


The next morning, when I did my hair, I am going to admit I cried. I didn't know what to do with it! I went to work and of course everyone loved it. No one understood why I was upset, except my coworker who had gotten her BKT on Monday of the same week. She felt the same way I did. I went through the next two days trying to my hair. I was so mad at myself. Then came Friday *cue angels singing and heavens opening up*

I went back on Friday for the three day followup. This was to wash my hair and style it again. She washed my hair and of course my first question was, "Is it still curly?" Yes, yes it was! I even saw for myself (thought I didn't get to take a picture). She then dried me under the dryer (and I timed it, at her insistence). It took **6** minutes to fully dry my hair under one of those regular salon dryers. SIX! Anyway, she then flat ironed my hair again, and here are the results:


I went home to see my family this weekend, and my mom's first question was "what did you do to your hair?" Once I reassured her I had not relaxed it, she admitted it was cute. I was proud of my mom, she has come a long way. She was so against me going natural and now she was worried I was going back to the creamy crack. My other family loved my hair but my aunt took it too far saying that this was so much more flattering to me blah blah blahhhhh. My mom got her told.

So that's my experience! I don't know if I would do it again but I'm glad I got the itch out of my system. My advice if you are interested is to go to someone who is trained on doing the BKT, and look at before and after pictures. The stylist I used had one of those digital picture frames full of before and afters. Also, ask a lot of questions - and if the stylist acts irritated that you are asking a lot of questions, keep it moving. Some people who do the BKT flat iron and blow dry on high temperatures no matter what. My stylist took one look at my fine strands and knew my hair couldn't handle it, and blew dry on cool and did not use anywhere close to 450 on her flat iron.

Tonight after the gym I am going to wash my hair myself for the first time and I will be attempting a wash and go. My stylist said I should do it exactly the same as I did it before so we shall see!