The 3 Best Treatments to do After Getting a Balayage: Straight Perm, Keratin and Botox

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You’ve gotten a balayage and now you want to get a straight perm or do a keratin treatment?

It’s a common question at the salon.

After seeing their hair renewed by a balayage and a nice blowout, many clients automatically say to me, “Can I get a straight perm now?” Or, “Can I get a keratin treatment?”

The answer is, “Yes, you can, but you should wait at least 15 days.”

For example, if you got the balayage today, then two weeks from now, you can get the straight perm or keratin treatment.
That’s because the chemicals that these kinds of treatments have lighten your hair 1-3 shades.
So that means, if you do the treatment before 15 days have passed, then you run the risk of ruining your balayage.

Once that time has gone by, you can do any treatment you want.

The most common treatments to get after a balayage are straight perms, keratin treatments and hair botox.

If you want your hair to look even, straight and not frizzy, I’d recommend a straight perm.
If you notice that the balayage seems to have weakened your hair, an ideal treatment for repairing it is a keratin treatment.
On the other hand, if you have a relatively small amount of hair or you have thin hair and you want it to be more voluminous, I’d recommend hair botox.

Now you know that you should wait 15 days between your balayage and treatment.

And you know which treatment is best for you, based on what your hair needs.

I want to tell you a little more about each of the treatments.

Let’s start with the traditional straight perm.

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When is it a good idea to get a straight perm after getting a balayage?

particles penetrate the hair due to heat

If you’ve gotten a balayage and now you want your hair to be perfectly straight and free of frizz, I’d recommend getting a straight perm.

Many clients ask me, “Can I get any kind straight perm treatment after getting a balayage?”

Choosing which kind of straight perm you want depends on what type of curls you have.

There are straight perms made for tight curls and others that are better for looser curls. When you go to the salon, you should choose the perm for you based on your curl type.

What else should you know before you get a straight perm if you recently got a balayage?

One of the main ingredients of a straight perm is formaldehyde.

As an effect of using formaldehyde and other chemicals, a straight perm will lighten your balayage 1-3 shades.

Is that a problem?

It’s not a big problem, but if you’re totally in love with the current color of your balayage, then you should think twice about getting a straight perm.

You have two choices:

Get the straight perm, knowing that your balayage will lighten
Or, not get the straight perm, so your balayage will stay the way it is right now

You decide.

Now let’s talk a little bit about one of the other most popular treatments.

The keratin treatment.

You’ve gotten a balayage and now you’re thinking about getting a keratin treatment?

Let’s say you got a balayage and you love the results, but there’s a problem that isn’t letting you sleep at night.

Your hair breaks easily, it’s kind of opaque and you have split ends.

What can you do? Is there a solution?

Yes, the solution is called keratin.

If your hair seems fragile or damaged after getting a balayage, I recommend that you get a keratin treatment done.

The keratin will repair your hair’s structure, and give it shine and strength.

One of the most important benefits of a keratin treatment is probably that you won’t lose as much hair when you brush it. The reason is very simple. Stronger hair doesn’t break as much.

Can a keratin treatment damage your balayage or change its color?

No, keratin does not damage balayage.

But, like all treatments with formaldehyde, it might change your balayage’s color.

Keratin treatments contain a lot less formaldehyde in comparison to straight perms, but that little bit can still lighten your hair 1-2 shades.

If you decide to go for a straight perm or if you decide to do a keratin treatment, I’d recommend that you get a professional to do it. Why?

Because applying these kinds of treatments is complicated. You need to pay close attention to the small details. First, you need to spread the product over the entire surface of your hair, then blow dry it and straighten it with a flat iron.

This whole process takes a good while and it can be extremely tiring doing it on your own hair.

Think about using a flat iron on the back of your hair. Unless you have elastic arms, it’s an uncomfortable experience.

So, if you’re able to do it, I’d advise you to go to a professional salon.

When is it a good idea to do hair botox after getting a balayage?

Hair botox works well on thin and frizzy hair. It also is good for hair that has suffered medium damage, meaning that it isn’t dried out or burned.

So, if your hair is a little damaged after getting a balayage, you could get hair botox. The botox treatment will give your hair volume, which will make it look fuller and brighter.

Before we said that both a straight perm and a keratin treatment would lighten your balayage. What about hair botox?

It’s about the same. Hair botox will lighten your balayage’s color 1-2 shades.

The good thing about hair botox is that it lasts longer than a keratin treatment. Hair botox lasts 2-3 months.

Hair botox is a little like the jack-of-all trades of hair treatments, so if you’re not sure about which treatment to go with, you can be sure that hair botox will get you excellent results.