Straight and flawless hair obtained with chemical treatment have their pros and cons. Hair smoothening is gaining popularity, especially among teenagers but what you don’t know are those scary side effects.
You have probably ended up here researching the ugly side of hair smoothing treatment. Silky, smooth, straight hair in just 4 hours sounds too good to be true, right?
At the end of this article, you will be able to decide for yourself whether or not to go ahead with the treatment as we will cover all the side effects that accompany hair smoothing treatment.
10 Side Effects You Should Look Out For
For people who don’t know what hair smoothing treatment is, it is drenching hair in a formaldehyde chemical and then using a flat iron to straighten the hair permanently and then drying it out. This treatment is best for people with frizzy and curly hair.
But some scary side effects follow after two to five months of getting a hair smoothening treatment done.
1. Hair Fall
A few months after getting your hair smoothening treatment, you will experience a bunch of hair strands on your pillow, towel, and even on the back of your shirt. Because loads of harmful chemical and excessive heat is used on your hair during a smoothing treatment facing chronic hair fall is obvious.
Hair smoothening treatment makes your hair brittle, not only causing your hair to break from the roots but also the middle. As your hair is stretched to make it straight during a smoothing treatment, it makes the hair weak and eventually causes breakage in them. People have also experienced hair fall while combing their hair even though they are not Tangled.
2. Dehydrated hair
Thinking about getting a hair smoothing treatment to remedy your frizzy hair? Think twice. Hair smoothing treatment sucks all the oil out of your hair, thereby causing dehydration, it may look fabulous for the time being, but it will only do more harm than good in the long run. You might end up with more dry, damaged, and curly hair than you had before getting a hair smoothing treatment done.
3. Dandruff
Besides the loss of confidence, dandruff also causes flakiness and inflammation when further progress. We know the cause of dandruff is the lack of moisture, but apart from that, the chemicals used in hair smoothing treatment result in the pile-up of residual chemicals on the scalp causing acute dandruff.
AUTHORS NOTE – If you want to sustain your hair smoothening treatment for a longer time, you should use the brand of shampoo and conditioner that is similar to the hair smoothing treatment cream.
4. Formaldehyde is Linked to Cancer
Formaldehyde is one of the components used in hair smoothening creams. Studies have shown that formaldehyde has cancerogenic properties. Exposure to formaldehyde in large amounts may have a negative impact on your health.
5. Split Ends
It is vital to care for your hair after the hair smoothening treatment properly. The hairdresser recommends using specific shampoos and conditioners. Failing in doing so may lead to significant split ends. Another reason you might experience split ends is the lack of moisture in your hair, which is again sucked out during a hair smoothening treatment.
6. Greece Hair
Nobody likes oily and greasy hair; it’s extremely irritating and puts you in a bad mood. As we have established earlier, hair smoothing treatment shows evidence of causing dry hair. We often use serums to counter curly hair and make them look smoother. As we use the same comb for the lower strand and scalp, the serum gets on your scalp without you having to apply it.
7. Damage to Natural Hair Texture
In a hair smoothening treatment, chemicals are used to break the natural bonds between your hair and then re-establish those bonds by using heat (flat iron). Hair smoothing treatment causes significant damage to the natural structure of the hair.
8. Hair Thinning
When you part your hair, the parting starts looking broad; that’s when you realize how dreadful the situation is. Has your hairdresser suggested you get hair spa treatments after a couple of months of hair smoothening?. You might think frequently getting a hair spa may make your hair healthier. The creams used in a spa treatment contain nothing but chemicals. Treating your hair with chemicals over chemicals will give you good results now, but they have ridiculous side effects in the long run.
9. Hair Discoloration
Are you ready to risk your natural hair for 8 to 9 months of smoother hair and eventually premature graying?. Hair smoothening treatment uses harsh chemicals that lead to severe hair discoloration, you may not see it immediately, but over time you will observe your hair greying one by one.
The shampoos and conditioners recommended to you by your hairstylist after hair smoothening treatment is powerful and lead to premature greying of hair. Some people who had black hair observed their hair turning brown after getting a hair smoothing treatment done.
10. Other Health Risks
Everything comes at a price, and it is very true for hair smoothing treatments. The chemicals used for hair smoothening are applied to the hair and treated with heat.
Treating hair with heat releases harmful substances like formaldehyde into the air; inhaling formaldehyde can cause severe respiratory disorders, and sensitive people may experience watery eyes, headaches, and difficulty breathing.
The formaldehyde present in the hair smoothening cream when used or inhaled in an excessive amount May lead to cancer.
AUTHORS NOTE – the new hair that grows after getting a hair smoothing treatment grows in its original form.
FAQs
1. Is going to a swimming pool after hair smoothening treatment harmful?
The chlorine and salt present in water bodies like pools, oceans, and seas reduce the life of your hair smoothing treatment. If swimming is essential for you, you should take the following precautions before entering a swimming pool:
- Applying coconut oil before getting into the pool.
- Washing your hair after you’ve done swimming.
- Using a swimming cap
2. Can you apply oil to your hair after a hair smoothening treatment?
Oiling is not recommended for at least a month after your hair smoothing treatment. If the tips of your hair are getting dry, you can apply oil on the ends of your hair but steer clear of the scalp. If you are experiencing dry scalp, go for hair spa treatments instead.
3. Does smoothening improve the quality of hair?
The hair smoothing treatment involves using extensive chemicals on your natural hair. However, the overall quality of your hair does not get better; instead, the hair becomes manageable and looks frizz-free for only 8 to 9 months. What comes after is just damaged hair.
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Conclusion
The main reason behind getting a hair smoothing treatment done is to make your hair manageable. But are 8 to 9 months of manageable hair worth all the side effects listed above is for you to decide.
This article teaches about hair smoothening treatment and the scary side effects that follow it in the long run.
In the comment section below, let us know if you decide to go on with the hair smoothening treatment? And what were your observations?
