what about sleeping, or tucking your hair behind your ears? i have naturally curly hair and whenever i straighten it (blowdry/iron) i can get waves fairly easily...

I know it is more pricey....but I think I will stick with the thermal. I am like you bella....the mention of formaldehyde...EEEK!!!

Lillianrose, you won't be able to tuck the hair behind your ears for the first four days. After that, it's OK.

I thought about doing this for a while, I just want to have EASY hair, you know, the kind that you shower and can leave the house without looking like a hobo. but I can't afford it, and when I think about it too much I wuss out. This is good info tho in case I ever make the jump

Bella, I'm from Brazil and I'm familiar with the procedure...my mom has done it a couple of times. The hair gets straight, there's no question about it, but there are a few negative aspects: my mom's hair started to fall of(more and frequently), and some people say that after a while the formaldehyde can change the hair structure permanently, also you actually need to wash it more, or your roots get greasy and therefore making your skin greasier and finally leaving you with some very unflattering acne.

TIP: Don't do it... all the big hairstylists in Brazil say that the Progressive Brush(how we call it here) it's totally unappropriated for the hair's health as your own...

I remember reading a giant article in Elle about this... these two girls went to Brazil and got it done. The legally allowed chemical content was about 10 times more than the legal amount in the US and the hairstylist and girls had to wear gas masks while it was being done. They raved about it though saying how awesome their hair looked afterward compared to other techniques. This probably sounds really bad of me, but I'd be willing to try it despite the risks. Everything is unhealthy/causes cancer nowadays it seems.

people will go to any lengths....

I have straight hair and I don't see why people would want straight hair that badly. Id love to have curly hair. So if anyone is willing to trade...

i'm ready and willing beautyXrush! straightening scares the dickens out of me however, and would never do it chemically. i have a love/hate relationship with the 'fro.

oh im doing this as soon as the summer is over

I live in Brazil and I got it done many times. It lasts for 2 months and it makes your hair shiny, soft and straight, but not stick-straight. And, $200? Here it's like $75-100. And it's actually 3 days, not 4. I really recommend it though!

This scares me. I kill my hair enough with hair dye, the blow dryer, and flat ironing.

i agree with Rafaela... I'm Brazilian and i did it for about five times. my hair fall down and now i have half that i had before...
Now I'm doing a less aggressive metode with less formaldehyde (0.5%), my hair stay with waves, but is better than don't get hair at all!!!

wow my friend just mentioned doing this, good that this came up again :]

Ladies! It's Bella's BFF, Jen. I agree with you all. The formaldehyde aspect of it is quite scary. The method used by my stylist was .2%. At least that is what I was told. It will be interesting to see the results in a couple of days. I will more than likely just resort back to my Rusk Anti-Curl treatments which are much less damaging, less expensive than both Brazilian and JTT, and not so stinky.

I'm not looking for pin straight hair like the JTT results anymore. Renees3, I totally agree. Just give me easy hair!... because mine has a tendency to get huge and morph into the dreaded A-Frame in the summer. (Ladies with wavy/curly hair, you know what I'm talking about.) And it's nice to have it a bit longer, too. Hair that shrinks sucks.

I have had this process and the japanese and i actually prefer BKT because it fades naturally... after 3-4 months my hair was back to 80-90% of it's curl, but it happened very gradually, and I was able to wear my hair in loose ringlets for awhile (until they got too tight!).

With the Japanese, when the hair started to grow out it was so severe (really curly and then realllly pin straight until it grew out... it was way too expensive for me to keep up).

I was also a bit nervous when I found out about the formaldehyde but from what I understand there is a non-formaldehyde version that is just not quite as strong. I will probably research this for next time. I loved my hair when I had the BKT because it was "wash-and-go", my dream!

beautyXrush i have uberstraight hair and im so sick of it! Seriously, all mine does is sit there. I went to the dominican and got all excited because all my little wisps went curly! It was so wonderful

I would not believe what your salon tells you is the level of formaldehyde in the solution they use. Last year Allure magazine did an undercover story on this hair straightening method. They went to several salons and asked what the level of formaldehyde was in their solution and then got the solution tested and the salons were way understated the amount of formaldehyde. In some cases the amout was 10 times more than the salon said. With the levals of formaldehyde in this procedure both the hairstylist and all the customer's in the salon should be wearing gas masks. I think people are hearing that they can get straight hair without blow drying and flat ironing and are completely underestimating how dangerous formaldehyde is. I wouldn't want to be sitting next to someone in the salon who was getting this done and breathing in all the formaldehyde. You know how this procedure was created? In a funeral home in brazil a morician noticed that when the solution used to embalm people got onto the dead person's hair by accident it would get straightend. Seriously, that was how it came about.

I had this procedure done when it first became available. I would definitely not recommend it!!! Initially not much information was available about potential exposure to carcinogens but now it is common knowledge that this procedure is highly dangerous! I have read the articles in magazines as well but take it from someone who underwent the procedure. My hair is certainly very thick but I am VERY good with it - The procedure didn't even straighten my hair completely and it was still just as thick! The hassle with finding shampoos without sodium chloride is just another problem associated with this procedure. And 2 months after it wears off - your hair is in need of SERIOUS damage remedy. Luckily, with regular cuts and deep treatments I was able to rehab it and get it back to 100%, but PLEASE save yourself the heartache and stay away!

I can't wait to hear the update venjen! I still don't want to get another JSP when I get the money saved up, but, I am curious to see how the 2 compare to you. My hair is VERY coarse, thick, and curly and I have waited almost a year and a half between treatments so I have to start from scratch (ie 500 instead of 300 for the touchup) with the thermal process.

I wonder if this works on African American hair....When we want straighter hair we resort to using Relaxers. They help loosen your curls a bit to make flat ironing easier.

Wow...

After reading this I realize how lucky i am to have straight hair...can't believe what some people willingly put themselves through to achieve this look! But i totally see the point bc having straight hair (though boring sometimes) it is easier to style and maintain (just shower and walk out of the house)...good luck trying new things, but always be careful!

There are other options. I work in a salon that just started doing a keratin straightening treatment. It's the same idea as the Brazilian straightening -- they flat iron a solution into your hair, you have a greasy helmet head for three days, then you enjoy smooth, shiny hair that returns to its natural state over a period of a few months -- but it is formaldehyde-free and chemical-free. A shampoo and conditioner infused with a natural keratin protein come with the service. We have a class later this week, as well, to train for another natural keratin straightening process. Both processes claim to leave hair in a healthier state than it started in by filling in damaged areas and cutting back on the need for heat styling. We'll see... The stylists who are trying it out on themselves are about a month in and loving it. The results aren't stick straight (like Japanese straightening). Someone who started off with tight curls can now air dry hair for loose, frizz-free waves or blow it out straight with minimal effort. The major down side is the cost of the solution itself, which makes the service a bit pricey.

I have heard absolute horror stories about this stuff. Especially after Allure (or was it Elle?) did an expose on it, it sounds like a ridiculous gamble with your health (and money). I'm actually a little appalled that it would get anything other than a negative review/warning on this site! Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I just haven't heard the other side of the argument.

I will trade any day, BeautyXRush, for hair I can just wash and walk out the door with. Curly hair doesn't fit my lifestyle at all because it just makes me look like a jungle woman in a corporate world ... and then there's the classic Indian beauty look I can't achieve without a straight iron. Pyramid-head does NOT look good with a sari ... and my hair is too thick to have the cascading ringlets.

I am so disappointed in you Bella! This service is so dangerous! If your friend turns out to love it, will you be telling girls to go get it done?

Horrible.

This is a slight aside from the Brazilian treatment but I'm interested in the opinion of Bella readers. I've been getting my hair relaxed for years and I recently started having issues. I find lots of information out there for African American hair but not caucasian. I am caucasian with curly hair. I wouldn't mind soft waves or loose curls but I have tight curls - think Juliana Margulies. Looks great on her but I don't care for it. I used to blow it dry and live at the mercy of humidity but relaxing helped me be able to fight off some of the humidity and keep my hair straight-ish - enough for me to be happy. The issues I have had is breakage - I have a spot on the crown of my head and some at the front - the most troubling. I get my hair relaxed at the salon - every 12-14 weeks. I deep condition regularly but am concerned the breakage will get worse and I'll have to stop relaxing, which I really don't want to do since we're going into the humid months in the Midwest. And I'm not in for a frizzy, pyramid head either. Does anyone have any advice, if I may ask? I'm open to ideas. Thanks.

Jen and the Art of Brazilian Hair Straightening Maintenance! LOL!

I say learn to love your curly hair and don't put carcinogens anywhere near your body knowingly especially in the name of "beauty."

I have just heard that formaldehyde, present in certain shampoos, conditioners, certain goods and clothing made in China, and especially makeup (who knew?) may be a factor in an early onset of neurological disorders such as Parkinsons'.

Just check the label before buying some of these products, though in the case of certain goods, such as clothing, they're not about to say they're laced with formaldehyde...

Also, smokers, formaldehyde's in a cigarette.

With other healthier options still available, I'm gonna stick with those.

Also, formaldehyde can be written as:methanal, methylene oxide, oxymethylene, methylaldehyde, or oxomethane. FYI.

Here's a cheap, healthier alternative to straightening: if you have thick curly hair, go to the Dominican salon. You can get a blow straight for like $15 to $30, and they put this light oil in your hair. Did wonders for my hair.

It doesn't work for everybody...its just a great alternative to straighteners and relaxers from experience. Trust, the chemical straighteners WILL eventually break your hair off!!!

And if you're d-i-y, wash and condition your hair as usual, then squeeze the excess water out of your hair. Use a keratin-infused conditioning spray (like Apogee's Green Tea and Keratin spray, $5 at your local beauty supply), and then section off your hair into smaller "chunks". Use a round, stiff bristled brush and blow dry your hair at medium-high heat (if you have a 2 setting dryer, go for the highest one). When finished drying, apply a light oil to your hair (I love this tea tree serum that comes in a clear bottle...its like $5 as well), and flat iron it straight with a ceramic iron.

My hair has never been healthier, even with me using potent hair color.

hey bella, what does your friend think of the treatment a month later?

I had this treatment done about a month and half ago and so far, I'm loving it. I have very fine hair which needs volume (aka wash+blowdry every day or live with a greasy head). having the keratin treatment done was a total blessing. I haven't had wash and go hair since junior high so this is excellent. just in time for summer too!

I am really disappointed that this site would endorse a formaldehyde based straightening method after the Allure article last year. This treatment is dangerous for both the customer and the hairdresser. I have curly hair and have Japanese hair straightening done regularly. I know it is frustrating to have hair so poufy it blocks one's rear view mirror, but risking cancer is NOT worth straight hair.

OMG formaldehyde straightening is so 2005! It could give you cancer, you know? Tioglicolate straightening or "crystal brushing" as we call it in Brazil is what you should go for, right now I'm loving my curls but when I feel like switching looks that's the procedure I'm picking.

Okay... I'm really really late into this post, but I just found it. I've had the JTT treatment done and didn't love it, plus the time I spent at the salon was ridiculous.
I now get done a treatment called Caribbeam Dream - pattented at Yellow Strawberry Salons... If you don't have one near your area don't worry - they've been training people around the world in this new treatment. It leaves the hair super soft and silky, and you only need a touch up every three months or so (depending on how fast your hair grows)... look it up and consider it. I would never ever put my health at risk over vanity...

all I gota say is (ツ)ヴнεу idiot ur hair wasnt smokn it was steam hunny 4 my gurls out ther dat use straightening irons on da regular kno wat I'm talkn bout ppl dun let her ignorance scare u ur hair isn't guna start 2 burn or nethn its jus a lil steam das all

all I gota say is (ツ)ヴнεу idiot ur hair wasnt smokn it was steam hunny 4 my gurls out ther dat use straightening irons on da regular kno wat I'm talkn bout ppl dun let her ignorance scare u ur hair isn't guna start 2 burn or nethn its jus a lil steam das all

Oh helllllllll no! I can't even get past the word "formaldehyde".

Wow.....

Honey, I love my curls TOO much to do such a thing.

Formaldehyde? Hun, I used to work in a funeral home. The room even says, "WARNING: Formaldehyde - Carcinogen - Authorized Personnel Only"

So why would someone put this "chemical" in their hair? Invest in a great flat iron for 100+ dollars. It takes some elbow grease to be cute, but don't be lazy and resort to chemicals.

Besides, processed hair is soooo 2006. Besides color, the rave for processed locks is out. Natural hair is in...

I have the nappiest, curliest, frizziest kinky white girl hair ever
the brazilian straightening ROCKS! It is the best thing, it's a miracle.
Can't say enough good about it. Have used formaldehyde and non
and actually like the non formaldehyde better. Going for the 5th tx and it's been 4 months, hot humid summer weather.
Totally manageable, easy to style hair. Can dry with comb and any blower. Flat iron optional.
Before, could style but would frizz. The Japanese or yuko or whatever CANNOT be used on color treated or damaged hair. It also looks like a broom on most people with really curly, frizzy hair and the new growth is very difficult to manage.
Can't say enough good about this process. Can't imagine why people would be scared. If you don't have good results, blame the person who did the process. Probably not trained well or used off market products. Big deal that you need special shampoo.

i understand the want to have easy to manange hair, but beautiful hair is not always easily attained even with the assistance of japanese straightinig, brazilian straightening, or wahtever they come out with on the market. for the natural ladies out there, beleive me with research and assistance from hair dressers you can learn to manipiulate your curly locks to its best potential. sometimes because webelieve that our hair is hard to manage we dont nurture it and then get mad at our hair becuase its not like others. its just not logical.

Hi, I recently had the Brazilian Keratin Hair Treatment done. I had it done at a very good salon that I go to when I color my hair, it very professional. Anyways, I had the procedure done and well the smell was a little bothersome at times and I had to close my eyes while the lady did the procedure. They washed my hair thoroughly, then they dried it with a hair dryer and then they applied the product on each strand of the hair. Then they blow dried the hair with the product on the haur. Then they used the flat iron on each strand of the hair to straighten it and I was done. I couldn't wash my hair for 4 days, couldn't tuck it behind my ears or use ponytails or hair clips or any of those things. They said that when I went to sleep it didn't matter how I slept as long as the hair wasn't tied down to any hair clips or scrunchies. I was told I would have to use a special shampoo without sodium chloride as this removes the treatment from the hair. The shampoo is called One N' Only and it's not really all that great. I washed my hair on the 4th day, it was so dirty. I air dried my hair and to my amazemente is was super shiny, super soft and air dried almost straight, with a few loose waves. (My natural hair es wavy, mostly wavy in the back of my neck and straighter around the forehead and frizzy) I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw my hair! It air dried like that for about a week more, but then I do not know what happened but the waves on the back of my hair started coming back, only looser and with a lot less frizz. Also my hair wasn't as shiny anymore. I don't know if that had to do with the special shampoo they told me to use or not. Would I recommend this treatment? It cost me $300!!! It was pretty expensive and honestly, I don't think I will try it again. The flat iron they use to seal in the treatment damages hair a lot, and if you have fine color treated hair like me that is somewhat damaged, you shouldn't do this. I now have to cut the ends of my hair because they are very thin and scarce and kind of just stick out instead of lying completely flat, they don't look healthy. I hope this review helps, I will post back after going back to the salon and asking why my hair still has waves in it and is not super straight like they said it would be. Final conclusion: my hair is straighter than before but not by too much, DON'T recommend it.

P.S.- They said the treatment lasted for 3 months!! It;s only been two weeks and I already have the waves again, although I do wash my hair daily.

ok i really need this answered for me! im a month into my brazilian straightening treatment and im getting some waves back (def a lot less that i use to, and no frizz, but still) i need to know if i can FLAT IRON my hair. is it ok to do so? whats the worst that can happen?? PLEASE SOMEONE REPLY :/

ps. the reason i got the BKT was because i use to flat iron my hair everyday and it was ultimitely thinning it out, very unhealthy. i just need to know would it reverse everything if i flat ironed my hair once in a while?

I had the progressive brush done in Rio, and I love the results. My hair had a huge volume and was very thick. Now it flows naturally, it has been 3 month and still looks very good. I'm so glad that finally I found a treatment that works for me. Yes, the chemistry is a bit frightening but rhe results are amazing! Highly recommended...

I worked for a Brazilian Hair Staraightening Co. They don't even really know if it's harmful or not, it's all about the money! They would tell their clients it's totally safe but I did my research and formaldehyde is very dangerous. I even showed them my findings but they only wanted to concentrate on the parts of the documents that might imply that formadehyde is not so harmful. They rely on the fact that they have a low formaldehyde content but what they fail to tell the people is that this is sitting on your head for months. It's there while you sweat, while you sleep, while you work. It's formaldehyde sitting for months on your head! You are constantly and consistently being exposed and there are NO studies to determine what the long term effects of this particular exposure can be. Beauty is not worth this. I never felt comfortable working for them because I knew they dealt in half truths. Please think twice before getting this done!
Again, this is only regarding the Brazilian Hair Straightener that contains formadehyde.