Brazilian Keratin Treatment, aka BKT. Semi-permanent hair straightening.

General Info - no consultation is required for this procedure.

Brazilian Straightening, also known as BKT,  is an innovative and controversial treatment used for smoothing curl. This service is especially effective for smoothing out hair otherwise unsuitable for permanent thermal straightening, such as overprocessed thermally straightened hair, fuzzy bleached or highlighted hair, and scalp bends. In fact, this treatment works so well on bends, that clients with bends, coming to UnSprung from other salons are now given a BKT directly on the bends, whereas before they would be turned down for any treatment of the bend itself because of lack of success with traditional TR treatments.  Brazilian treatments can be done on top of all other chemical services including hydroxide based straighteners and amonium thio based straighteners. BKT and TR can both be combined when extreme porosity differences exist. For example, highlighted crown/front area, virgin curly nape. Nape would be TR'd, highlighted areas would be BKT'd. Up until this product, no straightening treatment was this versatile.  

The controversy of the Brazilian system pertains to the ingredients, to the amounts and percentages of those ingredients in the treatment, and the unpredictability of the results.  The controversial ingredient is Formaldehyde, or other chemicals that act like formaldehyde.  Higher percentages of formaldehyde are thought to straighten better, hence the addition of straight formaldehyde to treatments, in Brazil supposedly resulting in a solution containing up to 30% formaldehyde. In America, the various solutions most are likely around 2-7%.  Formaldehyde goes under many names including Formalin, Formal, Methanal, Morbicid Acid, Methylene Oxide, and Methyl aldehyde.  No matter what the name, the toxicity is undeniable.  Because of that, respirators with a formaldehyde cartridge, and goggles are provided for the client to wear.  Staff always wear gloves and respirators, and sometimes goggles.  For everyone's benefit, UnSprung has non recirculating ventilation, which keeps the fumes from affecting others in the building.  If you need to book a Brazilian treatment with a salon that does not provide respirators, PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN.  There is absolutely no reason to breath in fumes that are potentially hazardous.

This is a semi-permanent straightening service which will generally last 2 to 4 months when processed with a flatiron and 6 to 8 weeks when blown out with a round brush. This means that if the BKT lasts 2 months, 1/2 the curl is back in 1 month...1/4 the curl is back in 2 weeks...etc. The more porous the hair, the straighter it goes and the longer it lasts, in general, however that is not always the case. It has an accumulative effect with multiple treatments resulting in longer lasting smoothness.  And on some people, the straightness becomes permanent.  The initial straightness and rate of reversion will be different on every head of hair. And the more the hair is shampooed, the faster the BKT wears off, in general, except for those where the straightness has become permanent. The first time a client books a BKT, they should think of it as an experiment because results completely vary from person to person.  

Of all the current straightening procedures, the BKT is the simplest and safest for the hair. Unlike the TR solution, there is no way for the BKT solution to cause damage to the hair, as far as we can tell. No scalp bends, no overly broken down hair, no breakage. However, just like a TR, damage CAN be done during a BKT with the flatiron. During a BKT, it is recommended that the hair be flatironed at 450 degrees, which is simply too hot for some hair. Knowing when the 450 degree recommendation applies and when it doesn't, requires the skills of an experienced thermal straightening technician. If the hair can not take 450 degree heat, and is processed at a lower temperature, then the BKT might not last as long.


Color Info
The dilemma with the BKT is that any color service will shorten the life span of the BKT, and the BKT will lift and render brassy, the artificial toner on the hair.

Permanent color and highlights can remove most of a BKT treatment in one process, depending on the level of peroxide/bleach in the color. Semi-permanent colors fade much faster when applied over a BKT, and the BKT seems to wear off slightly faster with the application of semi-permanent color. To keep the BKT as long as possible, color should not be overlapped onto BKT treated hair during a color root touch up, if at all possible.

The BKT lightens artificially toned/colored hair by up to 3 shades, or whatever the underlying lightened shade is. It is recommended by the manufacturer, to tone the hair 2 shades darker to compensate for the lightening effect of the BKT, but this only helps slightly. The hair still lightens. It is recommended that color be done immediately before the BKT, and can even be done the same day. However, we have found that color fades less with a week waiting period.  BKT does not affect bleach highlights or natural haircolor. However, this service does give a yellow tinge to white and silver hair, when flatironed. This yellow fades, but becomes slightly darker and longer lasting with repeated BKTs. Those looking to keep pure silver or white hair should do a BKT blow out or a TR.

The service takes between 2 and 4 hours. This does not include a haircut or product. After the hair has been treated, there is a 4 day waiting period before it can be washed. All rules applying to the TR waiting period also apply to BKT (See Straight Talk: Caring for your Straightened Hair. Once the hair can be washed, only products NOT containing sodium chloride, should be used since Sodium Chloride shortens the BKT life span. There is debate whether or not Sodium Chloride in the ocean, with water softeners, in sweat, etc... affect the BKT. It seems it would, but that is not certain. Other names for Sodium Chloride are: Sodium PCA, Sea Salt, Salt, Oceanic Minerals, and NaCl.

Because of the overall simplicity of the BKT, it's very likely that the BKT will be offered in many salons. The benefit that UnSprung will provide, above and beyond other salons, has been and will always be, the excellent ventilation, the low overhead, the complete commitment to quality and customer satisfaction, and the constant investigation of new technologies in the field of hair straightening services.

For more information on the Brazilian Keratin Treatment we currently use, please read through the official BKT websight:  

www.braziliankeratin.com (link will open another window)

Please email any questions you may have to info@unsprung.net