Hair Smoothening has been in the hair industry since the 1980s but has truly become popular since 1997. In this post, I’m going to talk about my experience with hair smoothening and pp all the ins and outs of this popular hair treatment.
Table of Contents
What is Hair Smoothening?
Hair Smoothening is basically a salon hair treatment where you can temporarily fix your frizz and unmanageable hair. Hair experts use chemicals to redefine the bonds that are present in your hair. As a result, the hair looks straight, shiny, and streamlined.
A lot of dermatologists are now talking against the ill effects of the use of formaldehyde in hair smoothening creams. They can cause a lot of health problems but still, there hasn’t been any concrete evidence to make this a stop in the million-dollar haircare industry.
Hair Smoothening Benefits:
- It makes your hair very shiny and healthy for a certain period of time.
- Your hair does not look messy and unruly.
- The treatment helps you to get rid of tangly hair.
- After the procedure, your hair does not take much time to dry.
- Hair smoothening also helps with frizz caused by humidity.
Who should go for Hair Smoothening?
People with very thick and unruly messy hair should take up this treatment. Also if you have any special occasion coming and you would like your hair to be the statement, this will be a great option. People with lackluster dry hair have gone through tremendous changes after this.
Cost Of Hair Smoothening in India
The cost of hair smoothening depends on a lot of factors. It ranges from short hair to long hair, hair volume density, and many more. But you should do it from a reputed beauty salon.
In West Bengal, it costs around 7000 INR for Habib Salon without the spa.
One of my best friends has done it from Bihar and there it cost 5000 INR.
In Bangalore, the price of Hair Smoothening averages 6000 INR, with the lowest being 4000 INR and the highest being above 10000 INR.
In Kerala, the rate starts at 6000 INR in most salons.
In Chennai city, in a salon like Tony & Guy Essensuals, the rate starts at 4000 INR for shoulder-length hair. In Naturals Beauty Salon, the price starts at 5000 INR for short hair and can go up to 9000 INR for long hair.
The cost of Hair smoothening is usually cheaper than Nanoplastia and Keratin Treatments.
There are different types of hair smoothening products as well and if they do Olaplex Treatment after doing the procedure then it costs 1500 INR extra in my town.
Having tried a couple of hair treatments, I would any day recommend getting a Hair spa or Bond Repairing Treatment for your hair, rather than going for chemical treatments like Keratin, Cysteine, Smoothening or Straigtening as the damage they cause on your hair are long term and not worth experimenting.
What happens in the Hair Smoothening Procedure?
There are different approaches to the procedure but it all starts with a deep cleansing with a professional shampoo.
Once washed, rinsed, and semi-dried, an expert starts sectioning your hair part by part and then takes hair smoothening cream little by little and applies it to the hair.
After thoroughly applying, the cream is left for some time to make it work. The timing totally depends on the product used and what the product instruction manual says.
Then it is usually cleaned with a mild shampoo.
Some salons use bond repairing or hydrating spa cream on the hair for hydration. After making your hair soft and gorgeous, experts dry and straighten your hair to lock it all in. Now, it’s all done!
You cannot wash your hair for two days and you can not tie up or braid your hair for the next two days.
After a few days of Hair Smoothening, you should go to the same Salon once again and there, they thoroughly do a hair spa and blow dry your hair. So now your hair will look voluminous, shiny chic, and straight.
My Experience/ Review:
My experience with hair smoothening is very complicated. Although I loved the results, the aftermath was horrible. My hair became very rough and dry after a couple of months. It began to break quite often. Even when I combed my hair a lot of hair started to come out. For the first couple of days, the hair looked way too flat and oily on my thin hair. But after a while, all the negative things were out of the window and it showed its worth to me. My whole look changed. I didn’t have to do much makeup or put effort into my outfits. No matter how I was styling my hair, it looked effortless and chic. I definitely can see the craze of doing it.
Hair Smoothening Results:
Hair smoothening is not hair straightening. I think a lot of people misunderstand that. It doesn’t make your hair pin-straight but it does make them about 80% straight. Your hair will not be tangled after doing this treatment. No matter how thick your hair is, the treatment makes them look sleek and chic. For the next two or three months you can expect the natural glossiness and shine from your hair. Moreover, it looks very healthy from scalp to end.
How long does it last?
Hair Smoothening lasts until new hair grows back from your scalp. But usually, the effect lasts about 7-8 months. After that, you can see short chunks of hair growth from the scalp. Although the bottom length of your hair will still be Straight and tangle-free the top of your head which has new hair will be like your own natural growth.
Side Effects and Disadvantages of Hair Smoothening
It’s been a year and a half since I’ve done Hair Smoothening, and I feel my hair’s natural shine and gloss never came back.
Hair can look rough and dry or flat and oily if not taken care of properly.
The natural volume and density of your hair will be gone until the treatment goes away completely.
Some people experience hair looking more brown than usual.
Most importantly, like with most hair treatments, hair fall can be tremendous.
Aftercare
After doing any kind of chemical treatment, one needs to understand that they have to do monthly spa or bond treatments so that they can have fewer side effects than usual. Even then, every hair expert suggests you use a non-sulfate hydrating shampoo and keratin-based conditioner two times a week. Do not use heating tools if not necessary and if you absolutely have to use them then use hair protection spray first.
Hair Smoothening Products
Different types of salons use different types of products. They also use in-house products sometimes. Other than that, Schwarzkopf Professional, Wella, or even Streax have good hair smoothening creams that are widely used in beauty parlors and hair salons.
How does it compare with other hair treatments like Keratin, Cysteine, and Nanoplastia?
The main difference between all these treatments is the type of product the experts are using and what is the result. With Hair Smoothening the creams that are used are formaldehyde-based based and the treatment is used for styling purposes mainly. It mostly makes your hair straight
But Keratin and Cysteine work with the proteins that are found in our hair shaft and work with them to make it more soft and unruly. It doesn’t make your hair that much straight like hair smoothening creams and also it doesn’t have these horrid after effects.
Nanoplastia is totally in a different league as it doesn’t use harmful chemicals and helps with hair restoration which eventually leads to glossy hair and a straighter appearance.
Bottom Line
Hair smoothening definitely makes your hair volatile and vulnerable.. prepare yourself to take care of your hair for at least 2 years after you go through the treatment otherwise managing hair falling will be tough. But if you are really interested in doing the treatment then go for the expensive one and do bond treatments and hair spa once a month for better results.
Parama Sarkar is an enthusiastic skincare aficionado with a pen mightier than a wrinkle cream! She has been writing beauty content for TheBeautyInsideout for more than 5 years. She has a keen interest in Korean Beauty and loves experimenting and sharing her beauty experiences with us.
