Please help me understand.. BKT plus relaxer? Why both?

[kgard7777]

Sorry if this has been posted before but I am curious to find out why are people using BKT plus a relaxer. I thought after applying BKT the hair is straight and silky without a relaxer?

If BKT makes the hair so straight and silky you would think more people would go natural.

 

[Avyn]

i want to know, too.

 

[msa]

I want to know as well.

From what I've seen...it seems like people use the BKT when they have a lot of new growth to make straight styling easier. In that case, may as well just have the BKT. And if you're using the BKT to make your relaxed hair straighter, then it seems like you'd just relax bone straight instead of double processing and exposing yourself to that many chemicals.

 

[krissyprissy]

I meet a woman at a wedding this summer who had lovely shoulder length hair. She informed me and my mom that she gets the treatment regularly and has not had a relaxer in 4 years. Her hair was full of body and movement. It looked like a blow out. I think her hair was 4a type.

 

[kgard7777]

Do you know which BKT product she used?

 

[beana]

Sorry if this has been posted before but I am curious to find out why are people using BKT plus a relaxer. I thought after applying BKT the hair is straight and silky without a relaxer?

If BKT makes the hair so straight and silky you would think more people would go natural.

I'll attempt to answer: I'm 4a/b relaxed and thinking about transitioning.

I used BKT at 8 weeks post and it made my relaxed hair bone straight but not my new growth. It made my new growth smoother and easier to handle against the relaxed hair but its far from straight. I've only used it once and i hear that it can make natural hair looser curled over time, so I cant vouch for the straightening effect with long term use.

My bottom line: 2 weeks later i'm about 75% sure i want to transition to natural and 100% sure BKT would help make that an easier, less stressful transition. BKT and lacio lacio have been god sends for laying down my new growth and keeping my hair easy to comb.

ETA: If i stay relaxed, i'd continue to use it to help with breakage and to assist me in going longer in bewtween touch-ups. it's like a relaxer "refresher" on chemically straightened hair. On natural hair i would imagine it having the effect of a very mild texturizing treatment.

 

[mstar]

From what I can understand, people BKT over a relaxer to get shine, swang, and strength. Relaxing bone straight can leave the hair brittle and dry, and BKT makes it look healthy again.

 

[BlackGeisha]

The BKT results will last longer on "non-virgin" (translation: porous/damaged) hair. Non virgin hair can soak up more of the chemicals giving better results.

 

[Dove56]

I use the BKT over a relaxer to get bone straight results. I texlaxed by leaving the relaxer on my hair for bout 7-10 minutes (that basically does nothing..lol I'm 3b/c naturally) then a week later I did the BKT to get bone straight results.

The processed (texlaxed) hair is slightly more porous so it "absorbs" the treatment and the result is bone straight hair without comprising the hair like bone straight relaxing.

Plus, with the BKT I can walk in the rain with my hair straight and it DOES NOT FRIZZ!! I love it!

 

[rickysrose]

Please, please, please forgive me ... but does BKT stand for?

 

[BlackGeisha]

Please, please, please forgive me ... but does BKT stand for?

Brazilian Keratin Treatment

 

[crazydaze911]

Brazilian Keratin Treatment - its a treatment of keratin being heat infused back into your hair. so w/e ur hair is missing that has been depleted by the relaxer will be temporarily filled making ur hair STRONGER with less breakage, and as an added bonus, its SUPER resistant to humidity and retains moisture.

This is like the effect of a protein treatment (lets say nexxus or aphogee) after your relaxer to strengthen ur hair - but TIMES 10! Alot stronger and longer lasting. In effect its making the hair straight by building it up, rather than making it straight by breaking it down (as in a relaxer).

Its a real help in retaining length for both relaxed and naturals.

 

[Keen]

I'm relaxed and did it. My reason is not to make my hair straighter but to make it stronger. My hair is fragile and breaks easily. I'm willing to try something that would add to the bond of the hair and make it less prone to breakage.

 

[*fabulosity*]

I want to know as well.

From what I've seen...it seems like people use the BKT when they have a lot of new growth to make straight styling easier. In that case, may as well just have the BKT. And if you're using the BKT to make your relaxed hair straighter, then it seems like you'd just relax bone straight instead of double processing and exposing yourself to that many chemicals.

BKT is not a relaxer; nor is it a "chemical". It is a conditioning treatment; therefore you cannot double process.

I'm using it to transition. Think of it like a nonammonia rinse; it is coating the hair and as it wears off so will the straightening effects.

 

[dany06]

I use the BKT over a relaxer to get bone straight results. I texlaxed by leaving the relaxer on my hair for bout 7-10 minutes (that basically does nothing..lol I'm 3b/c naturally) then a week later I did the BKT to get bone straight results.

The processed (texlaxed) hair is slightly more porous so it "absorbs" the treatment and the result is bone straight hair without comprising the hair like bone straight relaxing.

Plus, with the BKT I can walk in the rain with my hair straight and it DOES NOT FRIZZ!! I love it!

You said it perfectly Veejee. I dont know why on this forum so many people think this product is geared toward highly textured hair. Oh no. This is usually promoted towards slightly wavy/curly hair or straight hair that has frizz. BKTs also are geared towards those with highly color treated hair that cant do the Japanese thermal straightening. Its just nice that curly heads are finding this product to be beneficial too. I think soft liss is one of the few companies that actually show curly head models.

Having porous hair helps a whole lot when using a BKT. The product can attach to the hair better. This is why if you have virgin hair they recommend leaving the shampoo on longer to help lift the cuticles. The deep cleansing shampoos that are used with the BKT are the shampoos that many naturals wouldn't touch with 50 foot pole. The sulfates used are there to strip away any and all products left on the hair and to help lift the cuticle some. The cuticle lifting is helped along by superficially drying the hair before placing on the treatment. When I say superficially I mean they use a blow dryer without a concentrator and slightly shaking the hair with one hand while the other uses the heat and air blown from the dryer. This is done not necessarily blowing in the direction that the cuticles lay. The goal is not to have the hair bone dry but to make it atleast 80% dry. Just like deep conditioner the BKt doesn't work well on sopping wet hair nor completely dry hair. Plus having some water in the hair helps it spread better. By doing these things I just mention you should have a good foundation for the BKT whether you have chemically altered hair or not. I however refuse to blowdry my natural hair like that because I wouldn't be able to even work with it. A denman d3 or d4 brush helps a lot with me straightening/drying my hair with a blow dryer.

You may be wondering why is it that when you redo the treatment it become even better rather than starting over. This is because the deep cleansing shampoo with its SODIUM laurel and laureth sulfates gradually take bits of the BKT off. Its kind of like creating pores for the newest layer of BKT to hold on to. This is why you are only to use the deep cleansing shampoo for when doing the treatment. Even though the regular drugstore brand clarifying shampoos are composed similarly they do not work as well.

Now that the basics are out of the way Im going to answer your question. Why bother? Well, the straighter the hair is the more likely it will keep it straight. This is similar to putting a relaxer on. If you dont smooth out the relaxer then it has a harder time of making the hair straight. Since relaxer make the hair straighter and more porous the product lasts longer. Without having something to hold on to the BKT wears away faster.

It also depends on your hair goals. If you want very temporary BKT results then use it on virgin hair and only do it once. This will result in a slight loosening of your texture. Straightening you hair will be a breeze and products you thought didn't work now work. This is especially true for those with tight 4a textures. You can also use what ever products you want as well. This will give you about a month. If you have finer hairs it might last a little longer. If you use appropriate maintenance product the treatment could last you a couple months longer but you will notice it gradually wearing off. After that you are back to your own hair for the most part. I've heard it takes 6 to 12 months for all remnants of the BKT to completely wear off.

Now if you want fairly loose hair that will last a few months either you relax/texlax with one treatment or you do multiple treatments on virgin hair. Along with this you need to use appropriate maintenance products.

If you want bone straight hair that you can walk in the rain with no frizz and no curl then you relax bone straight with one treatment or you texlax and do multiple treatments. I think 2 treatments of a BKT on telaxed hair is the way to go.

When I say multiple treatment Im referring to treatments done closely together in time. Doing it monthly is more so maintenance even though it builds upon itself.

Another thing to keep in mind is that most dont do this treatment monthly. They do it until it wears off or shows signs of wearing off. For those with finer textures and porous hair will usually get it done 4 times a year to as long as once a year.

All in all having a relaxer saves one time (you dont have to do the treatment as often) and money (no need to keep buying the product so often),

 

[msa]

BKT is not a relaxer; nor is it a "chemical". It is a conditioning treatment; therefore you cannot double process.

I'm using it to transition. Think of it like a nonammonia rinse; it is coating the hair and as it wears off so will the straightening effects.

Bkt uses a pretty strong chemical to bind the keratin to the hair, heat cannot do that alone. It is not just a "conditioning" treatment. Also, I didn't mean double processed like color and relaxer...I meant that there were two separate processes being used to do basically the same thing. That's why it seems to make more sense to just do one or the other, IMO.

 

[sharifeh]

this is interesting
how many of you got a bkt done at a salon?

 

[*fabulosity*]

Bkt uses a pretty strong chemical to bind the keratin to the hair, heat cannot do that alone. It is not just a "conditioning" treatment. Also, I didn't mean double processed like color and relaxer...I meant that there were two separate processes being used to do basically the same thing. That's why it seems to make more sense to just do one or the other, IMO.

Here are the ingredients of the one I used. I guess some of these things can be loosely called "chemicals". But for that matter so can anything.

Soft LIss Chocolate Intelligent Blowdry = Silicone polymer, Liquid Keratin, Softening agents, Ethyl Alcohol, Vitamins, and Cocoa Extract.

I think a few of the other posters have basically answered your question anyway. We'll wait for you to get your keratin treatment..

 

[Eisani]

Still studying.

 

[Solitude]

Here are the ingredients of the one I used. I guess some of these things can be loosely called "chemicals". But for that matter so can anything.

Soft LIss Chocolate Intelligent Blowdry = Silicone polymer, Liquid Keratin, Softening agents, Ethyl Alcohol, Vitamins, and Cocoa Extract.

I think a few of the other posters have basically answered your question anyway. We'll wait for you to get your keratin treatment..

What are the "softening agents?" I thought there has to be formaldehyde or some member of the "aldehyde" family in the product for it to be effective. I am really only asking, because I have never had this done - even though I was interested - due to the exposure to toxins.

Never mind, I found my own answer:

What about these keratin treatment products that claim to be formaldehyde-free?

They probably have 0.01 to 0.05 in regards to the total product, or even a bit more. They can still tecnically say that it is formaldehyde-free for marketing purposes. It's sort of a white lie, given that the smell in these cases is barely noticeable and the keratin per se is mixed with aromas such as chocolate, lavender, strawberry, etc for commercial purposes.

From: http://www.squidoo.com/BenefitsBrazilianKeratinTreatmentHair

 

[*fabulosity*]

What are the "softening agents?" I thought there has to be formaldehyde or some member of the "aldehyde" family in the product for it to be effective. I am really only asking, because I have never had this done - even though I was interested - due to the exposure to toxins.

This one does not have formaldehyde. They all do not use formaldehyde. It uses stearyl (sp?) alcohol; which we know is a softening agent. But let's not forget most of these ingredients are standard in normal poos and cons in your drugstore..

As with any product; people have to do their own research and decide if it is for them. And then after that's done.. it's PERSONAL PREFERENCE; as to if someone wants to relax and then BKT or vice versa or hell even do neither.

I just find it strange that people are in here saying why do both and talking about the dangers when they've never been in the BKT thread or (seem to not have )read anything (indepth).. about it. (Not directed at you)...

If someone is really going to use it on their hair; they're going to go and do way more research based on what they're trying to achieve with their hair.

 

[Miamori]

From what I can understand, people BKT over a relaxer to get shine, swang, and strength. Relaxing bone straight can leave the hair brittle and dry, and BKT makes it look healthy again.

Hmmm, I understand the desire for strength and shine and bounce, but it seems like a lot to do as opposed to just getting your hair to that point with normal/natural care, like a few properly done protein treatments and good conditioning. :scratchch

 

[msa]

This one does not have formaldehyde. They all do not use formaldehyde. It uses stearyl (sp?) alcohol; which we know is a softening agent. But let's not forget most of these ingredients are standard in normal poos and cons in your drugstore..

As with any product; people have to do their own research and decide if it is for them. And then after that's done.. it's PERSONAL PREFERENCE; as to if someone wants to relax and then BKT or vice versa or hell even do neither.

I just find it strange that people are in here saying why do both and talking about the dangers when they've never been in the BKT thread or (seem to not have )read anything (indepth).. about it. (Not directed at you)...

If someone is really going to use it on their hair; they're going to go and do way more research based on what they're trying to achieve with their hair.

Just to note, in my previous comment I was talking about BKT with formaldehyde or ether. Those are strong chemicals. And from what I understand, a BKT can't truly have the straightening properties for the 3 months unless it has formaldehyde or ether in it. Maybe I'm wrong though.

So softliss uses stearyl alcohol as its softening agent? I wonder why it doesn't just say that? I've done extensive research on BKT and I've never seen that anywhere, can you point me to that information?

 

[ksk_xs]

Well I just finished my 2nd treatment last night and I'm relaxed (about 3 months post-2 months between treatments) and my hair is significantly more manageble. I am able to do rollersets without them being frizzy. My hair just looks healthier and it requires a lot less manipulation than my regular relaxed hair does.

 

[SweetSpirit86]

I just find it strange that people are in here saying why do both and talking about the dangers when they've never been in the BKT thread or (seem to not have )read anything (indepth).. about it. (Not directed at you)...

If someone is really going to use it on their hair; they're going to go and do way more research based on what they're trying to achieve with their hair.

That's the whole point. I don't think anyone's jumping at BKT users, but they want to know. When you don't know, you ask. I'd rather ask questions like these, than just put the stuff on my hair without knowing anything simply so I can talk with experience. Other threads aside...this is part of research. I've read the other threads as well, and this was a question I had in the back of my mind too. I just never bothered to ask seeing as I don't plan to go back to relaxers.

The formaldehyde thing really turned me off. I looked at Soft-liss too because it said there was a no-hyde formula...a 1%...and a 2%, I think? Which one did you use? I'd like to know so I can add more fotki's/albums to my stalker list.

And from what I understand, a BKT can't truly have the straightening properties for the 3 months unless it has formaldehyde or ether in it. Maybe I'm wrong though.

I read that somewhere. I need to find it, but it was back in March when I first joined...Either way, that confused me. I was like "NOOOOO!!!!" at the time, because I hadn't decided if I wanted to go natural yet, and it was like an option was destroyed for me.

 

[sharifeh]

I have a BKT question
how does it last for four months if your hair is growing?
you have non bkt roots come in, right?

 

[Rei]

I'm pretty sure BKT has to have formaldehyde or another member of the aldehyde family to work. Those are chemicals. Potentially harmful ones. It is not a natural process. This doesn't mean that the product doesn't work to make your hair more manageable. I mean, its not like companies are well known for their honest bottling practices anyway, considering most of the "formaldehyde free" products are just doublespeak for "well we put another aldehyde in it but we took out the word formaldehyde to make you feel better"

I plan on attempting in this winter, but I'm not going to fool myself into thinking this is a conditioner or a natural process. It is a chemical process. Not as permanent as a relaxer but one nonetheless. And that doesn't really bother me, but its misleading to make people think this is henna part 2.

as for the relaxed/bkt thing, I've always thought that it would work very well for people whose hair is already fragile and they need that extra boost of protection, or people who have relaxer/color in their hair. xD; I wish I knew about this back when I was double processed.