If you’ve ever moaned about your hair in some capacity to your hairdresser, chances are they will have suggested a keratin treatment.

Why? Because keratin treatments are great at amping up shine, smoothing the hair cuticle and generally giving you salon-worthy manageability, for months on end.

Need to know more? We’ve got all your questions, answered.

If you’re confused about keratin treatments, join the queue. Because ‘keratin treatment’ has basically become a bit of an umbrella term for a lot of hair smoothing, in-salon treatments available. So before booking in, you’ll want to figure out which is right for you.

Back in the day, the most popular keratin treatment was the Brazillian blow-dry — a powerful straightening treatment that could relax even the tightest of curls.

While this treatment is still widely popular, the Brazilian blow-dry uses formaldehyde in order to lock the hair into its new straighter shape. As exposure (especially repeat exposure) to formaldehyde can pose health risks, there are now increasingly popular treatments available that don’t contain the same harsh chemicals.

Keratin treatments such as KeraStraight, KeraSilk and Cezanne use ingredients like glycolic acid (the exfoliator that’s found in tonnes of skincare products) and sericin (a component of silk) to help smooth the hair follicle without formaldehyde. While these won’t give you the same poker-straight results as a Brazillian blow-dry, they will smooth curls and kinks. Expect sleeker, softer, smoother hair that’s a lot more manageable.

Pretty much anyone who deals with frizz and struggles to manage their hair texture can benefit from a keratin treatment. Whilst curly and wavy hair types might notice a slight relaxing, most keratin treatments will retain your hair’s natural curl pattern — as they’re designed to smooth the hair, rather than straighten it.

So, what can you expect when getting a keratin treatment? While every salon and client is different — you’re best to book out around two-four hours of your day when getting a keratin treatment.

Your hair stylist will wash and roughly blow dry your hair. This is to remove any dirt, grease or dry shampoo from your hair before they start, as the treatment works best on clean hair. The keratin treatment will then be applied all over your hair, and left for around 30 minutes.

Once the treatment has worked its magic, your hair will be rinsed and your stylist will then start the process of applying heat to lock in the treatment. First, they’ll blow dry your hair, before straightening every single strand to give you a poker-straight style slicker than your 90s dreams.

After your hair has been straightened to within an inch of its life, you’ll be free to go. But you won’t be able to wash, style, tie up or tuck your hair behind your ears for a good 24 to 48 hours — as this can affect the treatment’s results.

While it’s safe to say that most keratin treatments won’t damage your hair — some treatments can, so it’s worth looking out for these. Traditional hair relaxers and Japanese straightening treatments use harsh chemicals like ammonium thioglycolate and sodium hydroxide to permanently break the bonds inside the hair structure, so that it can be reset and rebuilt straight. These treatments are permanent and grow-out over time. This can leave you with damage, not to mention an awkward-looking grow-out phase.

Keratin treatments don’t break the bonds inside the hair but form a smooth coating over the hair instead. They’re not permanent, so will wash out over time, meaning you won’t have any growing out issues.

Depending on how rigorous your after-care routine is, you can expect your keratin treatment to last between three and five months. To get the most out of your keratin treatment (and keep your hair looking smoother for longer) use a sulphate-free shampoo and avoid chlorine and salt water.

Keratin treatments can vary massively in price — depending on your location, the salon itself and offers. In central London, you can expect to pay around £200 for a keratin treatment.

Keep your hair looking silky smooth with these after-care picks:

Image credit: Getty