Is BKT a Miracle Product?

[msa]

The formaldehyde issue has been discussed many times and there are a lot of different opinions about it.

Southerntease did post pics of her hair on her blog to show that she still had curls but the BKT still hadn't worn off and there haven't been any reports about the health of her hair or its conditions.

Angelgrl135....I never knew that she admitted that it was given to her for free.

She did a bunch of updates...I think her most recent quarterly update from the last couple weeks talks about it as well. And she admitted from the beginning that she got it free.

 

[ajoyfuljoy]

I researched BKT, and while it does work, the active ingredient is not the keratin but formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is used for embalming. It's associated with cancer. The legal limit is 0.2%, and BKT has up to 4% in it. According to Dr. Ali Syed of Avlon, even the brands that are supposed to be formaldehyde free have formaldehyde in there. He could be wrong, but I just thought I'd throw it out there, coz I was curious myself.

Here's the article:
http://www.dralisyed.com/2009/07/keratin-formaldehyde-revelation-cancer.html#more

Another one about cancer from cancer.gov
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/formaldehyde

"What have scientists learned about the relationship between formaldehyde and cancer?
...............Several NCI studies have found that anatomists and embalmers, people who are potentially exposed to formaldehyde in their professions, are at an increased risk of leukemia and brain cancer compared with the general population........." (www.cancer.gov)

and that is exactly what keeps me from doing it. I read in a cbs news article that you have to be worried about the initial application process, and also the wearing off process of the formaldehyde from the hair (as it breaks down). Until it is FDA regulated, I don't think I'll be doing it.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/26/earlyshow/health/main3414868.shtml

 

[GV-NA-GI-TLV-GE-I]

Thta chick needs to be smacked in the face. There are way more "coarser" textures than hers and she's complaining? smh

LOL. "I don't have Black hair." Um, she does...typically.

 

[AtlantaJJ]

I thought about 4% but I didn't want that on my perm hair.

When I use the 4% I do multiple passes of the flat iron on my roots and just one or two on my ends. I use more product at the roots (not too much) and a little less towards the ends making sure to have a very light coating. That worked out really well for me. I can stretch until Thanksgiving now. I was worried before because Softliss was not doing much at all for my roots

 

[1QTPie]

Thanks for the link. (I've been on this board long enough, so I know the ins and outs of the treatment.)

I have yet to see anyone whose BKT'd hair actually looks better than before. Everyone's hair looks exactly the same or worse (because their ends aren't looking stellar.)

So is the major appeal of this to make it easier to comb? Or does it depend on the person?

 

[AtlantaJJ]

Thanks for the link. (I've been on this board long enough, so I know the ins and outs of the treatment.)

I have yet to see anyone whose BKT'd hair actually looks better than before. Everyone's hair looks exactly the same or worse (because their ends aren't looking stellar.)

So is the major appeal of this to make it easier to comb? Or does it depend on the person?

I guess you didn't see my hair's before picture .... It's definately looking better now.

 

[sheba1]

BKT didn't make my hair better. It just made it easier to detangle, dries faster, stronger and easier to smooth when I want to go straight with less worry about reversion. My roller set and silk wrap improved 100% and you can see that here. What with the single strand knots, my ends are definitely better off now and retention has been great.

I don't think I can recommend the BKT to someone that's loving their regimen and doesn't want a single solitary thing. You should never fix what's working as you desire. But if you desire something different, I say take a look at BKT. If not, don't. It's like any other product that's on the market. It'll attract those for whom it could possibly fill a need.

Does it make your hair very shiny? Is anyone with a BKT wearing their hair curly on a regular basis?

The 4b hair at my crown grows slower than the rest of my hair, the hair is less dense there, and the hair is coarse and fragile so it breaks easily. I am wondering if a BKT can help me grow that part by making it stronger.

Hey Vkb247, I meant to answer your questions earlier. It makes my hair pretty shiny and I am curly most of the time. You're welcome to check out my fotki if you haven't already at http://public.fotki.com/sheba1

Cutenss is curly most of the time, also

 

[1QTPie]

Thanks for the links ladies. I see now. Very nice hair. Love the rollerwrap sheba. JJ, I missed your post, I will check now.

 

[Southernbella.]

I wonder how her hair is, also. I love her pre and post bkt curlies. Sooo beautiful! I remember her doing the bkt made a great big splash in the online hair community. On different boards there was all kinds of drama surrounding her decision to do it and then she just went really super duper quiet. Can't say as I blame her.

I missed all that, but to be fair, I can understand why there would have been a splash. ST was very vocal about women who use chemicals and prefer straight hair. You can't start multiple threads about that and not expect a reaction when you chemically straighten your own hair. IMHO.

 

[scotchbonnet]

I have subscribed to the BKT threads because I am doing my research. I have a TWA and won't qualify for a BKT for about 1-2 years because I have short hair. If I could do it on short hair - I'd maybe try it. I have been natural for years - but I ain't no Napzi - so straightening does not bother me. In fact, I am tempted because it seems I can have both - revert to my natural hair and rock a straight do as I please.

But I am still researching . It seems like a good product if applied properly.

 

[ceebee3]

You trust the FDA?

and that is exactly what keeps me from doing it. I read in a cbs news article that you have to be worried about the initial application process, and also the wearing off process of the formaldehyde from the hair (as it breaks down). Until it is FDA regulated, I don't think I'll be doing it.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/26/earlyshow/health/main3414868.shtml

 

[1QTPie]

I finally watched the video attached in OP. What is wrong with that woman? Serious question. First, her hair looked normal. Not crazy frizzy or tangled or anything. It's not like she had super thick hair either. I'm confused about her complaints.

The way she describes her hair is irksome. Mainly because she's black so technically what she has growing out of her hair is black hair. Black hair that looks like a lot of hair I see on the heads of black women every single day.

Again, I don't see the issue with her hair, but, I never do see the issue when people complain about their hair. LOL!!!

Also, the way the "stylist" was brushing her hair hurt my feelings.

And again, the end result was what? It looks like a regular flat iron job, I guess it's just not meant for me to understand, but if she claims it's less frizzy (despite the fact that there was no frizz in the first place) then I believe her. Kinda.

People will see what they want to see I guess. Again, nothing wrong with being hair lazy, just admit that, I find her reasoning behind BKT'ing to be a little suspicious. Not that it matters.

 

[Dove56]

Thanks for the link. (I've been on this board long enough, so I know the ins and outs of the treatment.)

I have yet to see anyone whose BKT'd hair actually looks better than before. Everyone's hair looks exactly the same or worse (because their ends aren't looking stellar.)

So is the major appeal of this to make it easier to comb? Or does it depend on the person?

1QTPie,

You bring up an excellent point. My mom couldn't tell the difference in my hair from when I tex-laxed, or was natural and flat-ironed for that matter after I did the BKT.

I think of the BKT as an anti-frizz treatment. It's stops your hair from looking frizzy and bushy in about 98% humidity. Also, I can walk in the rain and my hair still looks great. Now granted I could do that with my ORS No-lye (tex-laxed and flatiorned) and ORGINIAL Sabino Moisture Block but they've revamped the formula.

The BKT makes your hair dry faster and if you are natural you can wear your hair straight without worrying about reversion(MAJOR plus for me, it's why I intially resorted to texlaxing after 9 years of being natural). It doesn't make your hair "staighter" just more managable. Nichole Richie said she loves it because she can wash her hair and let it airdry in big waves.

I use Soft-liss, a fomeldahyde free treatment, because I am scared of formeldahyde. I may stop using the BKT and continue to Tex-lax or stop texlaxing and just BKT. I haven't decided yet.

 

[AtlantaJJ]

For me its about length retention and the fact that I can workout in the mornings and go to work looking nice after spending only 25 minutes to do my hair.

 

[BlackGeisha]

Check out my before and after pics too. BKT I wouldn't say is a miracle product but it has assisted in the health of my hair. My hair is relaxed and I've done 3 treatments so far, BKT makes it a whole lot easier to style, less breakage. My hair behaves so much better, it lays down so smooth, and flat ironing is a breeze. Two thumbs up for BKT!

 

[vkb247]

I just saw the video (I was at work when I posted) and I didn't think that her hair looked great after the BKT but she obviously wasn't taking care of it. In the article she shows how much she doesn't know about how to handle her hair but it was her talking about how everyone she knows is getting it and loving it (shiny hair, etc.) that really got me. I was wondering if anyone here had such a transforming experience.

 

[Serenity_Peace]

It will be a miracle if it'll help me transition without doing a BC!!