How much does a keratin treatment cost? Salon and at-home prices

How much does it cost to do a keratin treatment?

This is one of the most common questions that I get by email.

And the answer is that a keratin treatment can cost between 90 and 250 dollars.

 

I can bet that you are making a scandalous face right now.

And that you are asking how there could be such a difference.

 

 It’s that everything depends on if you do the treatment in a salon or if you decide to do the treatment at home.  

Because a keratin treatment is a service.

A service done by a professional with certain products.

And as such, you have to pay the price.

 

 And it also depends on where the salon is located. Because the prices are then same at a salon in New York where the stars go as a salon in Buenos Aires. 

For example, if we are talking about good salons, in Buenos Aires, a keratin treatment can cost you 70 dollars.

While in New Yok, you can end up paying 150 dollars.

And in Madrid, 200 euros.

 

Also, it will depend on the quality of the products.

 

It’s not the same going to a salon where they work with well-known keratin brands like Salerm, Alfaparf, or John Frieda, as opposed to going to salons where they work with generic products.

And if in addition to the keratin, they apply other types of products to do a more complete treatment, the price will also increase.

 

And it will also depend on the length of your hair.

Since a professional will have to work a lot more on longer hair than on short hair.

And they will use more product on hair that goes down to a person’s waist as opposed to someone that has short hair.

That’s why I can’t give you just one price to do a keratin treatment.

But, I will tell you:

 

 

 

Differences in prices between a keratin treatment done at a salon and one done at home

Before starting to explain to you the basis of the difference in prices between a keratin treatment done at home and one done at a salon, we are going to agree upon one thing.

Since the differences in prices between the keratin treatments depend on the country that we are talking about, from now on, I’m going to use an average price.

Agreed?

 

Treatments done in a professional salon

The professional that completes a keratin treatment in a salon invests time.

When you do this type of treatment in a salon, you should know that you will be in the salon for between approximately four and five hours.

Yes, just as you read it.

 

Keratin implies application time.

 But more than anything, it means a long product sealing time that is done by using the flat iron about fifteen times piece by piece.  

And when I say piece by piece, they are very small pieces of hair, the smallest possible.

Because this assures that the product, that is nothing more than pure protein that relaxes the hair, restores it manageability and makes it softer without causing permanent damage works correctly.

 

To start, the stylist will wash the hair with a clarifying shampoo to open the cuticle of the hair and guarantee that there won’t be any dirty that prevents the keratin from penetrating.

After, they will proceed to dry the hair.

Later, they will apply the keratin piece by piece, distributing it uniformly.

Once the keratin treatment is finished, they will dry the hair with a heat source.

Meaning, with a hair dryer.

As if they were doing a brushing.

After, comes the most arduous work for the hair dresser.

 

Divide the hair in small sections, very small, and use the flat iron some fifteen times on each of them.

This part of the job is in the end what mostly influences the price of the treatment of doing a keratin treatment in the salon.

Because the stylist will spend more than three hours on their feet using the flat iron and assuring that the product takes the desired effect.

 

Is it worth it?

 

While you think about it, I’ll tell you how much it costs to do a keratin treatment at home.

 

At-home keratin treatment

A good producto for doing keratin at home will cost you about 40 dollars.

Whether you have long or short hair.

If you have short hair, enough could be left over to do the treatment again after three or four months.

If you have long hair, you may need to use all of the product.

It will all depend on the length of your hair.

And your patience.

 

 Because what you can’t skimp on is the time that you invest to achieve the best results. 

You should allow at least three hours to flat iron each one of your small pieces of hair.

And also, it can be a bit uncomfortable to flat iron the pieces at the back of your head.

You have to practically be a contortionist.

In addition, you need to use a practically professional flat iron.

 

Because in order for the keratin to penetrate and seal the cuticles of the hair, it needs to stay at 200° Celsius during the whole process.

In addition, you should add in the cost of a clarifying shampoo that you will use at the start of the treatment to get rid of the residue of other products that could still be in your hair.

This shampoo can cost between 8 and 20 dollars depending on the brand.

 

In conclusion:

 

In addition, if your hair is not that long, it could actually cost you thirty dollars since the product could last to do another treatment again in three months.

I’ll ask you again, is it worth paying for the keratin treatment in a salon?

 

As a stylist, I always say yes.

Because we are controlling the products.

Products that also, if you don’t understand them well, you run the risk of being swindled.

What is that supposed to mean?

 

 Nowadays you can find an uncountable amount of offers for Keratin on Amazon or other similar sales platforms. 

But not all products are good.

Not all of them are free of formol, a substance that can become a carcinogen.

 

Also, your flat iron may not be the best to assure the best results.

Apart from that, using the flat iron involves knowledge.

Although most people don’t think of it like that.

If you don’t use the flat iron correctly you run the risk of burning your hair and splitting the ends.

 

Like I always say, in the end, you are the one that decides.

 

But if you are looking for a treatment that will recover the health of your hair.

Nourish it…

Give it shine …

Moisturize it …

I’m one of those that thinks that it is best to pay for a keratin treatment in the salon.

Especially for those people that waste a lot of time during the day using the flat iron so that their straight hair looks perfect.

 

Can other products make a keratin treatment more expensive in a salon?

No.

What makes a keratin treatment more expensive is not a product.

The price includes all the products that you will use.

 

But if your ends are too split and broken, it could be that you need to trim your ends so that the treatment looks better in the end.

Trimming the ends can cost between fifteen and twenty dollars.

 And if a professional advises you to trim to your ends so that the keratin ends up perfect, my advice is that you listen to them. 

 

I know these are hard times.

But I’m going to ask you a question.

When you go to a restaurant and you ask for a pizza, do you take the mozzarella home so that your pizza can be less expensive?

 

With hair salon treatments, it’s the same thing.

You can’t skimp if you want a professional to give you a guarantee of their work.

 

5 secrets so that the keratin lasts longer

Now you are a happy girl with straight, silky, frizz-free hair.

But start to prepare yourself.

Because keratin doesn’t last forever.

Because the internal structure of your hair doesn’t change.

 

But you can always extend its effects if you know how to care for it.

 

 Now that you have spent a good amount of money on the treatment, it’s best to care for it so that it lasts longer, don’t you think?  

Just imagine that with a few specific methods of care, you can manage to extend the life of your keratin treatment for a few months.

 

On the other hand, if you continue with your usual habits you may have to apply the treatment again after less time.

That’s why now I’ll tell you a few tips to be able to lengthen the effects of the treatment on your hair.

 

• Don’t wash your hair during the first seventy-two hours

It doesn’t matter if your scalp itches.

Or if you feel like a thousand lice are running around in your hair.

Don’t wash it.

Don’t get it wet.

Don’t go swimming.

Don’t leave your house if it is raining. At least, if you don’t have an umbrella with you.

 

• Don’t put your hair up, don’t use clips or hair ties

Keratin is malleable even after the first twenty-four hours.

If you pull your hair back or you pin it back with clips, the only thing that you will achieve is leaving marks on your hair.

 

• Don’t do physical activity or go out in the sun

I’m not saying that you should stop all physical activity forever, but at least for the first few days after applying the keratin.

After, caring for your hair in the sun seems obvious to me, and also, something that is easy to do. Simply use a hat or a handkerchief and you’re ready.

 

• Use sulfate-free shampoos

Sulfates are a chemical ingredient that most shampoos that we usually use have.

The only thing that this ingredient does is speed up the fading of the keratin, so the ideal would be to always avoid sulfates when possible.

 

• Don’t use the flat iron or the hair dryer every day

Another pretty obvious question that many people pass over. Heat tools for your hair can ruin the treatment.

Use the flat iron and hair dryer as little as possible, and when you use them, try to use tools that allow you to control the heat and protect your hair with a heat protector.

 

Conclusions

Now you know the price for doing a keratin treatment in a professional salon and the price for doing it at home.

Of course, each one of the two options has its advantages and disadvantages as we saw.

The final decision depends on you.

 

And now, I would like to know about you. Are you one of those that prefers to do the treatment at the salon or do you prefer to do it at home?