Keratin Treatment Support Thread

[Dak]

Originally Posted by butterfly3582

I am still doing research. I will admit that I am researching the bad because I have heard all the good.

I am not trying to rock the boat but I am just wondering about a few thing.

But I guess this is were I am getting confused. I have obessed about puttling lye vs no lye or going natural, I am moving away SLS in my shampoo, I am careful not to put to much protein. And I restrict heat All of this I have learned from LHCF and it is good info.

I think what get me is BKT has high levels of Formaldehyde. This is a cancer causing chemical. The safe level to be in cosmetics is 0.2%. We are using 2 and 4%. The FDA does not regulate the Beauty industry as tough (or at all - I am still researching this). Even formaldehdye free ones may contain levels of formaldehdye or similar agents.

I just am wondering why this is not being talked about as much. I mean I just feel like it is being glossed over it.

Also is formaldehde considered a chemical or is it natural product?

I am not claiming this stuff does not work I am just more asking about the danger of it.

Again this is my opinion and I am not saying anything against the people who use it. I am just asking questons.

Butterfly, I know this is a very long thread, but those issues you have have already been raised and discussed quite a bit. Do a keyword search on this thread for formaldehyde and maybe that will make it easier. I can tell you with certainty it has already been discussed and people here have made an educated choice.

I've been in a state of mind where you seem to be in your post; you want to minimize the the chemicals you're exposed to and be smart about your health. It could be that the BKT is not a good match for you right now, you sound like you'd be happier doing something else, perhaps an Ayurveda regime.

[ebonylocs]

Originally Posted by butterfly3582

I think what get me is BKT has high levels of Formaldehyde. This is a cancer causing chemical. The safe level to be in cosmetics is 0.2%. We are using 2 and 4%. The FDA does not regulate the Beauty industry as tough (or at all - I am still researching this). Even formaldehdye free ones may contain levels of formaldehdye or similar agents.

I just am wondering why this is not being talked about as much. I mean I just feel like it is being glossed over it.

Butterfly, I think the issue is that when BKT first appeared on the scene, there were several drag-out arguments on the board in multiple threads (with people taking their arguments from thread to thread) re whether it was safe or not.

After the dust and the rubble settled, those ladies that decided that, having weighed the risks of BKT, they could live with those risks, found their home in this thread.

So I guess they are not interested in rehashing all that again.

[Natural Glow]

I just wanted to post this article:Salon Today Investigates BKT ServicesIts long but has good info

What It Is, Where It Started
Keratin treatments to smooth hair began in rural Brazil more than 10 years ago. Someone discovered that certain preservative chemicals seemed to link keratin to hair, resulting in frizz-free locks that lasted for months. This got the attention of Brazilian cosmetic manufacturers, who began testing and formulating.

Researchers discovered that when the cuticle is open, the protein keratin can be introduced, along with cosmetic-grade formaldehyde, which is known to cross-link proteins in hair. Then, the cuticle is sealed with multiple-pass flatironing at 450 degrees. During the flatironing, the heat can cause fumes to be released. This step—the fumes—is the center of the keratin treatment confusion and controversy.


Facts and Fiction
According to Doug Schoon, a chemist and president of Schoon Scientific in Dana Point, California, any keratin treatment product that supposedly contains formaldehyde actually uses an ingredient called formalin. Formaldehyde is a gas and, as such, can’t be a liquid, so could not be added as a cosmetic ingredient.

Schoon explains that formalin is created when dry formaldehyde gas is reacted with water to create a new and different substance called methylene glycol.

“Methylene glycol is a totally different chemical with completely different properties and characteristics,” he says. “For years, this name mistake has been made around the world by scientists, doctors and regulators, until last December when formalin’s name was officially changed in the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) dictionary.”

“When you heat formalin,” Schoon adds, “it can convert back into the original form and release a small amount of formaldehyde gas in the air.”

Schoon is currently working with a manufacturer to measure the amount of formaldehyde fumes stylists may be exposed to when using flatirons with formalin-containing products. He says it’s possible cosmetologists who perform service after service may be exposed to excessive levels, but very likely a source-capture ventilation system can reduce those levels, effectively removing the gas from the air before it’s inhaled.

Online postings about formaldehyde being an irritant and potential carcinogen are correct. It’s associated with nasal and brain cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. However, most posters aren’t aware it’s a gas released during some keratin treatments, and the FDA does not regulate the amount of formalin in cosmetics, making the discussions of “legal amounts” in bottles moot. Regulation occurs through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which has strict guidelines for maximum allowable worker exposure to formaldehyde gas.

Food and Drug Association (FDA) spokesperson, Suzan Curzan, e-mails: “The FDA doesn’t have specific regulations that prohibit or restrict the use of formaldehyde [formalin] in cosmetic preparations, and is unaware of safety data indicating that Brazilian keratin products pose a health hazard to consumers, under the labeled conditions of use.”

That’s why, for instance, the FDA takes no issue with nail hardeners containing up to 5-percent formalin. These products are more than a “coating,” says Schoon. “Formalin is reactive to proteins and creates a chemical link or bridge with them.”

Like the second step of a perm process, keratin treatments with formalin don’t break bonds in the hair, but do “fix” the keratin in place, semi-permanently. Whether ingredients other than formalin act identically is unclear.

Cont.

[Natural Glow]

Second Generation Products
The success—and confusion—about Brazilian-style keratin products opened the door for a slew of “formalin-free” formulations, currently calling themselves “formaldehyde-free.” But keratin alone cannot create the desired, long lasting, “frizz-busting” results. So the theory is that some “free” formulas simply use different chemical compounds. Chemists say they can’t be sure if the “free” products create a potentially hazardous gas or not when heated, unless they test the surrounding air during use.

Nine years ago, QOD Cosmetic, a dominant cosmetic firm in Brazil, was one of the first companies to create a professionally produced Brazilian keratin product. According to Niko Johnson, CEO of San Francisco-based QOD USA, under EU and international labeling standards, his brand could claim to be “free,” but doesn’t.

“It’s not that complicated to get other compounds to transform into formaldehyde,” says Johnson. “They convert when you flatiron the hair. Any Brazilian-style keratin treatment product sold to stylists should require identical protocols and precautions, whether it’s called ‘free’ or not.”

According to Johnson, all currently marketed Brazilian-type keratin treatments either:

1.Use formalin.
2.Use a compound that reacts in a similar manner when heated (this includes his brands).
3.Contain keratin and incorporates flatironing, but has no chemicals similar to formalin, thus doesn’t last very long.
The lesson? Know which of the three types you have, because there can be huge differences in results and effects.

Safety First
Mark Garrison, who offers what he calls the “real deal” at his namesake Manhattan salon, says you need formalin to get the hair straight, and laments lack of transparency.

“You need 450-degree irons for Brazilian keratin treatments to work,” adds Garrison, whose stylists use canister masks and perform the service in a custom-ventilated area.

Read BKT: In Depth, In the Salon for Graciela Santiler-Nowik's experience with providing keratin treatments.
Omar Roth, co-owner of O Salon in Greenwich, Connecticut, worried about health effects and after due diligence, selected a “free” brand.

“It removes about 70-percent of frizz and wave and doesn’t last quite as long as the original formulas, but the results are still amazing,” says Roth, whose former printing-plant salon space has industrial ventilation. “We do about eight treatments a week now.”

J.B. Veltman, who owns an eponymous salon in Coconut Grove, Florida, says some brands he tested lasted just until the next shampoo. He now educates for a company that openly shares the percent of formalin in the product.

“I’ve been using it for years in a well-ventilated studio salon with a de-fumer at the station,” says Veltman, who along with his clients, wears a mask during the treatment. “No matter which brand you use, the same precautions apply.”

cont.

[Natural Glow]

Choosing a Brand
If you’re shopping for a keratin treatment line, common sense mandates working with a reputable distributor or manufacturer and avoiding eBay or other online-only options. Request and require a Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) so you can read the hazards identification section. Ask your vendor about specific ingredients, then research them yourself in a cosmetics ingredients dictionary or online.

Next, perform product tests in a well-ventilated area. Use gloves and a canister mask for formalin-containing product tests (particulate masks aren’t effective with gases). Compare results to expectations. Call other salon-users to discuss pros and cons.

Vent, Vent, Vent
Whether you choose a “free” brand or not, professionals stress appropriate ventilation, including a source-capture system—fans don’t help a stylist three stations away. Use gloves and masks.

Peter Garzone, owner and president of ProSalon distributorship in Cranston, Rhode Island, says an article in Allure initially made him happy he avoided keratin treatments. Now, he wishes he’d started distributing the formalin-based product he chose sooner.

“If you’re concerned, wear a passive air monitoring badge that measures formaldehyde in the air,” says Garzone. “Ours tested at 0.25 parts per million.”
According to OSHA spokesperson Ted Fitzgerald, the maximum, permissible formaldehyde concentration in an atmosphere to which workers are exposed is 0.75 parts per million (ppm) over an eight-hour period—or 2 ppm for 15 minutes.

The Choice is Yours
Hundreds if not thousands of high-end salons are offering keratin treatments because clients are clamoring for it. Many say the results it produces—a semi-permanent way to smooth wave and banish frizz—has become an irreplaceable business builder.

Those who aren’t ready to bring in the category, or refuse to do so, say they are sticking with alternate service options to cater to their clientele: from flatironing and blow outs to traditional relaxing and Japanese thermal straightening. The latter two break bonds and use chemicals that require their own precautions. Some manufacturers and salons are capitalizing on the questions surrounding formalin-based keratin products to promote these alternatives.

The best advice from all industry and category experts is for salon owners to do their own homework. Make an informed business decision for your salon, your team, your clients. Evaluate and assess your ventilation system and safety procedures for all areas and services offered in the salon. Do what you need to do to protect the health of your business.

[BlackGeisha]

Originally Posted by Natural Glow

So has anyone tried the new OK Keratin? I need to go back through and read what people were saying about OK

I currently use the new formula, the chocolate. No complaints here, I think it's great, leaves my hair soft and straight. The first time I used it was in late August and my results are in my signature. I just did my 4th treatment with it last week, still love it. I would like to try the dreamhair though, the ingredients are completely different.

[blissy]

Hey BKT ladies,

I'm a hardcore lurker, a now and then poster and a tried and true BKT girl!!!

Phew, this has been quite a month on LHCF! I've been away for a few weeks and my word it took hours and hours to catch up. The growth and health of everyone's hair is phenomenal. AJJ, Sheba, Fab, Cuteness and rest of bkt family--- stand up and take a bow.

I bkt'd for the first time before the summer with the help of Sheba, of course. I did it two additional times and converted my sister. Then I took a hiatus from my hair (PS) while studying and now I'm back.

I have a few questions for the BKT women who wear their hair curly in cooler/colder climates. Are you cowashing each morning? I've been contemplating continuing the PS throughout the winter months then revealing in the spring or learning how to rollerset and saran wrap for straight hair. What is everyone else doing?

Natural Glow, please invite me to the BKT group. Thank you.

[*fabulosity*]

Originally Posted by Dak

Butterfly, I know this is a very long thread, but those issues you have have already been raised and discussed quite a bit. Do a keyword search on this thread for formaldehyde and maybe that will make it easier. I can tell you with certainty it has already been discussed and people here have made an educated choice.

I've been in a state of mind where you seem to be in your post; you want to minimize the the chemicals you're exposed to and be smart about your health. It could be that the BKT is not a good match for you right now, you sound like you'd be happier doing something else, perhaps an Ayurveda regime.

ITA...
And also I have suggested this before.. I don't really think the manufacturers are accurately labeling the %'s of formaldehyde in these treatments.. anyone who has taken a basic chemistry class who has ever messed around with formaldehyde knows that the fumes from that stuff is STRONG! I could smell a drop full in a room of 200 people.. with no problem.. I use about an oz maybe more of treatment and I can barely smell the "aldehyde".. I am thinking that maybe (and this is just my theory again) these "sellers" are putting 2%, 4% and really meaning .2% or .4% (in efforts to minimize their risk if they stated what the true %s were)... I mean I don't even get as strong a smell when I do my treatment as I do with OPI polish...(which is CHOCK full of formaldehyde) or when I use my nail rebuilder...which I think is STRAIGHT formaldehyde..

I am all for people searching and doing what works for them.. and for newbies trying to learn but I think the point is somewhat defeated when individuals come into the "Support" thread looking for NUMEROUS negative opinions about it ... I mean obviously "we" like our results and have already decided that we are risk tolerant of the dangers. Natural Glow posted awesome information and that information is best found by doing a WWW search instead of LHCF specific... just saying.. and then after all that.. it's still up to the individual to make the decision of its a risk that they want to take...

[sheba1]

Ladies.please.forgive.my.absence.

I.was.away.on.a.cruise.to.Jamaica.last.week...I.re turned.to.find.my.keyboard.is.on.the.fritz.
.so.I'm.not.posting.until.it's.resolved.

I'm.going.to.get.a.sew.in.tomorrow...Hopefully.thi s.will.help.me.to.leave.my.hair.be
Goodness.I.hope.so!

You.ladies.truly.inspire.me.with.your.hair.and.pro gress...Awesome!

[aegis]

Originally Posted by mstar

Aegis, do you have any updates? The salon I am considering for my BKT uses Marcia Teixtera, but I haven't heard any success stories on this board using that brand. I'm a little nervous about it.

hey mstar....idk how i like it thus far. my hair is a bit looser in texture. i think i have to do it at least 3-4 more times to see any significant change in my hair. my hair was shedding terribly the first time i did it and i think it's bc it was too much protein for my hair. my hair loves protein and but i think it was too much.

as of now my hair isn't significantly different. i might try a stronger formula nest time.

my eyes did get a bit irritated when she used this product.