Are Brazilian Blowouts Bad For Black Hair?

Let's keep it real...

Many of our readers want a variety of hairstyles that they can use to switch things up, but don't want to risk damaging their hair anymore.

And that brings us to the question.... Are Brazilian Blowouts and popular Brazilian blowout products bad for black hair?

Well first, let's define what a Brazilian Blowout actually is.

It’s often misconstrued and explained wrong as there are a bunch of different “Brazilian” hair techniques on the market. In fact, it's important that you don't confuse the process which uses keratin hair straightening products with processes that use formaldehyde. Yes, formaldehyde–the stuff used to embalm dead bodies. Scary.

So What IS a Brazilian Blowout?

The Brazilian Blowout is used as an effective professional smoothing treatment. Through the use of a Brazilian Super Nutrient Complex and a proprietary polymer system, the Brazilian Blowout is supposed to improve the condition of your hair by creating a protective protein layer around the hair shaft to eliminate frizz and smooth the cuticle. The end result should be smooth, frizz-free hair with radiant shine.

 

So What's The Brazilian Blowout Treatment Procedure?

Entire treatment can be completed in under 2 hours 90 minutes. The minute you leave the beauty salon, you can wash and air dry your hair, and it should be smooth, frizz-free and radiant. Results can last up to 12 weeks, leaving hair smooth, shiny and frizz-free!

After the hair is shampooed and conditioned with special Brazilian Blowout products (the hair must be squeaky clean in order for the products to work effectively), the hair is then towel-dried and sectioned into four parts. Then the Brazilian Blowout Professional Solution is applied and combed through the hair. After the solution is applied, the hair is blow-dried and then flat-ironed. The hair must be as smooth as possible.

After heat is applied, the hair is then rinsed and the Brazilian Blowout Mask is applied and rinsed out. Brazilian Blowout Leave-in Conditioner is applied and then you style the hair as usual. Your hair might curl or kink up again when you wash it or it gets wet, but the pattern is much more loose and supposedly remains this way until the treatment wears off. According to videos we’ve studied, your hair will straighten easier and faster with the help of heat styling tools.

Check out this stylist performing the Brazilian Blowout treatment on a client who had been in a weave for two months.

The client seemed to have about 6 inches of natural hair with some relaxed ends. The procedure was performed like in the Brazilian Blowout training video but we couldn't help but notice the excessive amount of heat used for this procedure—and even more seems to be needed for kinkier hair. There is also a lot of pulling and tugging done on the hair which can obviously be damaging and also with the hair needing to be stripped of its natural oils with the excessive shampooing that is necessary for the style is a big concern.

So Should You Try a Brazilian Blowout on Your Hair?

It's your call, but the Brazilian Blowout may do more harm than good. If you’re a natural and want to switch things up with a straight style, you have to consider your hair's ability to recover from this treatment. You may not be able to recover your kinky curls back to their same glory and that would be a shame. We all know the story of a friend of a friend who had natural hair until she went to a salon and her hair was inadvertently heat trained. And if you’re relaxed, all that intense heat and tugging that comes with this treatment may be an eventually deathblow for your already chemically damaged hair. Arguably, some might say a relaxer just might contain more chemicals than the Brazilian Blowout and that's true, but that doesn't mean it's good for your hair. In the end, it's your decision. But we want you to always be informed and know what you're getting yourself (and your hair) into.