My experince with BKT

[cubanit]

I already knew that the coating would peel away from the hair, but didn't know if that peeling took some of your own cuticle with it.

Sort of reminds me of getting your nails done, they look pretty and strong while treatment is on, then weak and flimsy after it comes off. Would you agree, Cubanit?

Precisely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[PeanutButterandHoney]

Okay, so I will reserve my comments on the BKT, but I think that doing a BKT and a relaxer is just over kill. If you want long, healthy, shiny hair, why not DC , get a good flat iron and imporve your technique? relxers by themself can be damaging, but you wanna put MORE chemicals AND heat on top of that?

I have NEVER seen a BKT picture and thought "wooooow". I always thought "a relaxer can do that". But, that's just my stinky opinion.

 

[bellezanegra826]

It seems like in order to prevent your hair from peeling, you have to keep doing this process. This is probably the reason that they encourage you to do it every 2 months or so and state that with continued uses your hair quality improves. It seems that it may not be improving the quality of your hair, but increasing the coating around your strands

 

[Stella B.]

I'm sorry to hear that happened to you. I just didn't trust the process to a stylist myself.

I found that I only needed to do 3 or 4 swipes to get the nice shinny soft effect. I made sure every single strand was coated without a doubt. I was very anal about the way, I put the product on the top and the bottom of the section and then combed through and took extra care to concentrate on the ends. My product instructions had it sit on the hair for 20 minutes to absorb through the cuticle.

It could be about technique. If the stylist didn't take the care to coat every strand, I could see that problem occurring.

I plan to condition well and use keratin conditioners as well as moisture in between treatments.

Thanks for the heads up about that.

Atlanta JJ! I see your package arrived! Your hair looks great! I'm learning so much about BKT. Thanks for sharing! I'll be staying tuned for further results!!

 

[Stella B.]

I have been getting alot of questions lately in regards to my experiance with BKT.
its been a year since I first had it done. Sorry ladies but I would not take the plunge again. erplexed
I honestly dont think the iron has to be set at 450 degrees to set the product in. With that said the passing the iron over your hair ten times is suicide.!!!!!!!!!!!
My hair looked good the first two months . month three I noticed before I went back for another treatment that my hair strands were begining to peel. Yes P E E L ladies. Evenvtually all where the BKT was applied my hair strands began to look like the were exploding. I bought the coppala upkeep products and in all honesty even though I have cut have of my hair off mostely were the BKT was applied i still use them they are really good.

If I could turn back the hands of times I would have probally still tried the product but requested for my stylist to run the iron down my hair shaft one time real slow in my opinion thats all you need.

If you have already done this process CONDITION CONDITION CONDITION!!!
Good luck girl
the first severaql pictures are right after my bKT the las one is my thin frail hair that in nursing back to health.

Its good to hear from those who have had the BKT experience. No matter what the situation is, there's always some good, bad, and ugly involved. That's why its so important to share! Thanks, Cubanit!

 

[Miamori]

YOU KNOW WHAT JUST DAWNED ON ME WE ARE EMBALMING OUR HAIR!! so i guess the process makes it look good on the outside but its something funky on the inside ya digg.

Embalming the hair... interesting phrasing.

I was just discussing the body of Lenin and how "good" it looks (on the outside) and the treatments that have been done on his body to make it appear healthy in spite of the fact that it is FAR FROM (it's dead!!), so this reminded me of it.

 

[AtlantaJJ]

I think it might take more than 1.5% to embalm a body.... just a tad bit more...

 

[AtlantaJJ]

Its good to hear from those who have had the BKT experience. No matter what the situation is, there's always some good, bad, and ugly involved. That's why its so important to share! Thanks, Cubanit!

Pick your poison I always say. There are pluses and minuses with any choice.

 

[Dove56]

Someone once mentioned they'd like to see a view of BKT'd hair under a microscope. I'd like to see it as well. I don't think there's an actual coating or film because moisture is able to penetrate (if it's humid outside) and your curls will flop (just like with a relaxer).
My hair was texlaxed (3b/c ish) and my hair is starting to wave back up after my last round of black demi-permanent dye. Thank God I didn't experience any peeling or anything but I can almost guarantee you that peel was from the high heat not the BKT.

 

[Dove56]

Okay, so I will reserve my comments on the BKT, but I think that doing a BKT and a relaxer is just over kill. If you want long, healthy, shiny hair, why not DC , get a good flat iron and imporve your technique? relxers by themself can be damaging, but you wanna put MORE chemicals AND heat on top of that?

I have NEVER seen a BKT picture and thought "wooooow". I always thought "a relaxer can do that". But, that's just my stinky opinion.

You are right a relaxer can do what BKT does but it doesn't wear off gradually, you have to cut it out. Also, having a relaxer doesn't cut your drying and styling time like BKT. I think the main people use the BKT is because it has the same look and effect as a relaxer minus the permanance.

 

[AtlantaJJ]

Embalming the hair... interesting phrasing.

I was just discussing the body of Lenin and how "good" it looks (on the outside) and the treatments that have been done on his body to make it appear healthy in spite of the fact that it is FAR FROM (it's dead!!), so this reminded me of it.

Did you know that all hair is dead? It comes out of the scalp that way.

Yes, hair is dead. To be specific, hair consists 90% of a biological polymer, α-keratin, and about 10% water, which modifies its mechanical properties. This α-helically coiled protein is further wound into supermolecular coiled-coil microfibrils, many of which are held together with a protein glue to form long macrofibrils, which are packed inside dead hair cells about 100 µm long by 3 µm across. Several of these associate to form one strand of hair, which is covered with tiny surface scales.

By the time your hair emerges from under the skin it is dead. You will see many shampoos and conditioners that contain vitamins and minerals; these vitamins and minerals do absolutely nothing for the hair or scalp. Since hair is dead, it can't be helped by any additional vitamins and minerals. And these substances are not absorbed through the skin; they have to be ingested to be of any use to your body.
Source(s):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair
http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-Hair-a-Dead-Cell?&id=2184656

 

[me-T]

i'm SO scared to bkt now. the nail analogy made so much sense.

 

[luckiestdestiny]

Okay im answering questions? Before i got the treatment my hair was in top condition. I am a healthy hair nazi trust me. If you read about the treatment it says that it is actually more effective on chemically treated hair because it supposedly fills in the the gaps in the haIR FOLLICLE ON A MOLECULAR LEVEL THAT ARE CREATED BY (sorry about the caps)chemical processes. Actually there used to be some debate as to wether it would even be effective on natural hair. I used the entire coppola line of maintance products and like i said the products were actually really good. I wasnt that when the product peeled of my hair it reverted beacause the product doesnt peel off your hair. My hair was peeling off itself!!!!When i looked at a stain of my hair i could see it fraying at several differnt points on a single strain . i looked like my hair was expolding literally from withen. I wish i could find a hair that still has some damage so i can take a picture. im sure there is still some in here some where. i ve been chopping like crazy.
YOU KNOW WHAT JUST DAWNED ON ME WE ARE EMBALMING OUR HAIR!! so i guess the process makes it look good on the outside but its something funky on the inside ya digg.

Okay so yours was Coppola right? I'm just monitoring those with problems, and which lines they used. Heck I'm monitoring this whole BKT thing now that this has come to light. The formaldehyde didn't scare me because of the fact that there's so much in the environment anyways (I know there's more in the air I breath from car smog), but the "exploding hair" thing is just. I liked that everyone was having wonderful results. So now I'm wondering if it's a particular brand, or if they all have a potential to do this. Will ask in the other thread too.

 

[PeanutButterandHoney]

You are right a relaxer can do what BKT does but it doesn't wear off gradually, you have to cut it out. Also, having a relaxer doesn't cut your drying and styling time like BKT. I think the main people use the BKT is because it has the same look and effect as a relaxer minus the permanance.

But you have people saying that in some cases, you DON'T convert.
Anything that alters the protein bonds and "relaxes" your hair is a chemical relaxer.
I am not a "Natural Nazi" but I do believe that people really should stop acting like BKT isn't a hardcore chemical treatment, just like a perm.
Either way, i say do what you will. It's your hair.

 

[Carrie A]

IMO it makes sense that if the coating is baked into/onto your hair with high heat, then when it starts peeling off it will definitely take some of your cuticle with it.




Actually, they say BKT is best on people who have had relaxers or are colored because their cuticles are more porous and therefore it's easier for the BKT to "take".

^^^From what I read, it is better to have a relaxer and do BKT so that should not have been the problem.
I'm sorry this happened to you, Cubanit and thanks for posting this disturbing info.
I will definitely keep a better eye on my ends now.

Why would you need a BKT treatment if your hair is relaxed? What would be the benefit? Stretching?

 

[berryblack]

Why would you need a BKT treatment if your hair is relaxed? What would be the benefit? Stretching?

Well, BKT is touted to be a a really intense treatment that softens, straightens, and makes your hair more manageable and strong. I guess it would be appealing to a relaxed head if their hair was really tangly or dull. Also the purported strength helps with retention.

 

[msa]

Why would you need a BKT treatment if your hair is relaxed? What would be the benefit? Stretching?

I really have no clue what the benefit would be if you're already relaxed. I know if I was relaxed then I wouldn't need anything else to get my hair straight because that's the point of the relaxer in the first place.

 

[AtlantaJJ]

Well, BKT is touted to be a a really intense treatment that softens, straightens, and makes your hair more manageable and strong. I guess it would be appealing to a relaxed head if their hair was really tangly or dull. Also the purported strength helps with retention.

What Berry said.

Also its appears to be helpful for those who are transitioning.

 

[1QTPie]

First and foremost, I want to say to OP that I am soooo sorry that your hair didn't survive your BKT experience. I hope that you find something that works for you and gets you the results that you desire.

It's the chance we take when we do anything to our hair from combing it to dyeing it. You just never know. Thank you for sharing your experience.

I would love to hear more stories from sistas that have been BKT'ing their hair for a long time. At least a year or more. I just don't trust ANYTHING that I have to wear gloves to apply (other than henna) or have my stylist wear a mask. In addition, this stuff wasn't made with our hair in mind. No matter how "kinky" other people's hair looks, we have the finest, most fragile hair on the planet. I would never try Japanese Thermal straightening for instance. They have (overall) the most coarse and resilient hair there is.

I hope there are no more bad stories out there, because I LOVE reading about success stories when it comes to our hair. No matter what it is. After the whole Rio debacle, I'm surprised how quickly some of us still jump on stuff so quickly.

I honestly hope that this is it. Good luck with the BKT ladies, keep us updated with the good and the ugly.

 

[BlackPearl1]

This is good information for all the ladies considering BKT to know. Were you relaxed bone straight when you received the treatment? I think the condition of the hair prior to the treatment will dictate the proper temp and number of passes with the iron when getting the treatment.

The other thing to consider is how to condition the hair after the service. OP, I'm not saying this applies to you, but some of the information about how to condition the hair after the treatments is somewhat unclear. Most product companies suggest we use their products. I plan to use products that contain keratin. And I plan to use moisture as well.

Pick your poison I always say. There are pluses and minuses with any choice.

Thanks for sharing your experience cubanit. I agree with AtlantaJJ

 

[Miamori]

I think it might take more than 1.5% to embalm a body.... just a tad bit more...

Did you know that all hair is dead? It comes out of the scalp that way.

Just saw this.

Yes, I know all hair is dead and that it comes out of the scalp that way.

Don't know where on earth I said hair is alive, that is is TRUE the hair is being embalmed, chemical reactions (different from physical lifting of the keratin) are taking place beneath the keratin coating, or anything of the like. I hope I did not accidentally write all that in invisible font.

I also don't know how on EARTH that could have logically been inferred from anything I said.

I know you love BKT but really. My goodness. I'm not trying to snatch it from your hands. No reason to be up in arms.

Never said hair is alive. Never said a body could be embalmed with BKT or a 1.5% formaldehyde substance.

I DID joke with another poster (intending to relate that it was AMUSING, not true) she likened the process to embalming the hair. That is ALL that was written. I don't mind being picked it, but really! Please let there be some form of rationale.

 

[AtlantaJJ]

Just saw this.

Yes, I know all hair is dead and that it comes out of the scalp that way.

Don't know where on earth I said hair is alive, that is is TRUE the hair is being embalmed, chemical reactions (different from physical lifting of the keratin) are taking place beneath the keratin coating, or anything of the like. I hope I did not accidentally write all that in invisible font.

I also don't know how on EARTH that could have logically been inferred from anything I said.

I know you love BKT but really. My goodness. I'm not trying to snatch it from your hands. No reason to be up in arms.

Never said hair is alive. Never said a body could be embalmed with BKT or a 1.5% formaldehyde substance.

I DID joke with another poster (intending to relate that it was AMUSING, not true) she likened the process to embalming the hair. That is ALL that was written. I don't mind being picked it, but really! Please let there be some form of rationale.

I wasn't being salty, just stating some obvious facts in just, dry humor no rational intended. I should have added a smiley face

 

[nichole21]

Very informative thread, Im so glad I read through it. Very helpful!!
Cubanit, thanks for sharing with us. I'm glad to hear your hair is back on track!

 

[sheba1]

Its good to hear from those who have had the BKT experience. No matter what the situation is, there's always some good, bad, and ugly involved. That's why its so important to share! Thanks, Cubanit!

Agreed! The more info the better.

You are right a relaxer can do what BKT does but it doesn't wear off gradually, you have to cut it out. Also, having a relaxer doesn't cut your drying and styling time like BKT. I think the main people use the BKT is because it has the same look and effect as a relaxer minus the permanance.

this is why I do it, that's for sure.

I wonder if the exploding could have been caused by moisture being left in the hair (bkt not completely dry) before the flat iron process at high heat. I've seen that some women have complained of this exploding when doing wet to dry flat ironing. Something about the water trapped in the strand boiling and causing the rupture.

Just in case, I'll be super duper sure that my hair is dry during the blow dry step before flat iron.

Also, Cubanit, how many treatments did you do, if you don't mind me asking?

I've had three treatments, so far, all done DIY. So far, so good. Thank goodness my hair shows know signs of damage, even though my strand is very fine. And the first time and second time I did many swipes at the highest heat. But I'll keep watch and be sure to keep everyone posted, one way or the other.

 

[blackbarbietea]

I can tell that your hair is thinner on the ends, but it did grow alot, and it actally looks like you layered it. Did you go to a salon or something in between time? salon stylists love to give you "secret layers"= layering your hair without even consulting you.