Brazilian Blowout Vs. Keratin Vs. Japanese Hair Treatment: Which is Better?

Are you battling dryness and frizziness in this humid weather? Then you are a good candidate for a Brazilian blowout, keratin hair treatment, or Japanese hair treatment. These hair treatments make your hair super straight and silky smooth.

Brazilian blowouts and keratin treatments use natural proteins to recondition hair, and Japanese treatments use chemicals and thermal energy to give a blowout look.

But the question is, ”Which of these treatments is the best?”

Brazilian blowouts, keratin treatments, and Japanese treatments benefit frazzled and curly strands. However, if misapplied, Japanese treatments can damage your scalp and hair even more. 

A Japanese treatment is permanent. It relaxes and straightens the hair, so you can avoid flat hair irons.

If your hair is highlighted or color treated, it is pretty damaged. A Brazilian blowout or a keratin treatment can strengthen and recondition the strands in such cases, making them stronger and more resilient.

Each treatment has pros and cons; choose according to your hair type and condition, hair goals, preferences, and budget.

Continue reading to learn more about these treatments.

Brazilian Blowouts, Keratin Treatments, and Japanese Treatments: The Differences

The following are the differences between a Brazilian blowout, a keratin treatment, and a Japanese treatment.

Factors	Brazilian Blowout	Keratin Treatment	Japanese Treatment
Purpose	A semipermanent treatment that temporarily smoothens hair and locks it in.	A semipermanent treatment that strengthens and smoothens hair with heat and a keratin solution.	A semipermanent treatment that turns wavy, curly, or frizzy hair pin straight and flat.
Hair type	It is suitable for frizzy, curly, or wavy hair.	It is suitable for coarse, curly, or frizzy hair that is blow-dried to make it appear straight and smooth.	It is suitable for loose to medium curls.
Results	It straightens and smoothens hair and adds shine.	It strengthens, smoothens, and adds protection and luster to the hair.	It is a permanent treatment that keeps hair straight until it grows out.
Duration	It lasts for about 12 weeks.	It lasts for 3–6 weeks.	It lasts for 6–7 months.
Damage	It causes hair loss, breakage, patchiness, dryness, and brittleness after the treatment wears off.	It is advertised as safe, but the extreme heat causes hair damage.	It causes big clumps of hair to fall off when washing the hair and leads to severe hair damage.
Cost	It is far less costly but cheaper than other options.	It is expensive as it is an in-salon treatment done by experts with specialized products.	It is costlier than a keratin treatment and a Brazilian blowout.

Purpose

A Brazilian blowout is a semipermanent treatment. (1) It temporarily smoothens hair and locks it in with a preservative solution and liquid keratin.

A keratin treatment is semipermanent. (1) It strengthens and smoothens hair with heat and a keratin solution.

A Japanese treatment is a semipermanent straightening treatment. (1) This chemical process restructures the hair bonds completely and turns wavy, curly, or frizzy hair into pin-straight and flat hair.

Hair type

Brazilian blowouts are suitable for frizzy, curly, or wavy hair. People with chemically relaxed, permed, or straightened hair can get this treatment.

Keratin treatments suit people with coarse, curly, or frizzy hair who blow-dry to make it appear straight and smooth. This treatment softens the curls and makes them manageable.

Japanese treatments are suitable for loose to medium curls.

You can treat your extremely coarse and curly hair with any of these hair treatments based on your goals.

Results

A Brazilian blowout straightens and smoothens hair. It adds shine by coating the hair cuticles with keratin, and it also reduces flyaways and frizz.

A keratin treatment strengthens and smoothens hair by infusing the cuticle with keratin. It also adds protection and luster.

A Japanese treatment is a permanent treatment that keeps hair straight until it grows out. It eliminates hair frizz and creates a noticeable demarcation line between the natural hair and the treated hair.

Duration

A Brazilian blowout lasts for about 12 weeks and needs a special conditioner and shampoo to preserve the hair’s smoothness. It is temporary.

A keratin treatment lasts for 3–6 weeks and requires a special conditioner and shampoo to stop the keratin from washing out. It is also a temporary treatment.

A Japanese treatment lasts for 6–7 months and is permanent.

Damage

Brazilian blowouts impact the hair negatively, causing hair loss, breakage, patchiness, dryness, and brittleness after the treatment wears off. Excessive use of this treatment leads to more damage, and flat ironing the hair on high heat can fry it.

No adverse side effects have been reported for keratin treatments. However, professional salon products for keratin treatment contain formaldehyde or its derivatives, and the extreme heat involved causes damage. Nevertheless, this treatment is advertised as safe.

Japanese treatments cause big clumps of hair to fall off when washing the hair. Some people also notice hundreds of strands on their pillow. This hair treatment causes severe hair damage, and growing the treated hair out could be awful.    

Cost

A Brazilian blowout is far less costly than other options. Go for a Brazilian blowout treatment if you want long-lasting straight hair over a few months and don’t mind spending extra bucks.

A keratin treatment is expensive as it is an in-salon treatment done by experts with specialized products. It is long lasting and requires minimal aftercare products to maintain its effect. Some inexpensive at-home options are available, but their effects are unstable.

A Japanese treatment is costlier than a keratin treatment and a Brazilian blowout. It is permanent and uses chemicals and heat to change the hair structure. The process takes 8 hours based on the hair’s length and thickness. 

Brazilian Blowout Versus Keratin Treatment Versus Japanese Treatment: What to Choose?

Brazilian blowouts, keratin treatments, and Japanese treatments are hair smoothing treatments with different hair effects.

They are all semipermanent hair treatments, (1) but the result of Japanese treatments is permanent. So, based on the results, Japanese treatments are better.

A Brazilian blowout coats the hair with a preservative solution and keratin, making it shiny, smooth, and frizz-free for about 12 weeks. A keratin treatment infuses hair with heat and keratin to make it strong, protected, and smooth for about 3–6 months. A Japanese treatment changes the structure of the hair with heat and chemicals, making it permanently flat and straight.

Based on the damaging factors, Brazilian blowouts cause hair damage, leading to hair loss, dryness, and breakage. Keratin treatments may also lead to hair damage as they disrupt the moisture content and protein of the hair. Japanese treatments damage the hair by weakening the bonds and creating a visual line between natural and treated hair.

Brazilian blowouts are a sub-brand of keratin. They have similar effects, which are to reduce frizz and create a straight texture. However, years after they became famous, a report emerged stating the presence of formaldehyde (a carcinogen) in these treatments, which decreased their popularity.

Apart from straightening hair, Brazilian blowouts also make it easy to blow-dry hair, unlike Japanese treatments. Keratin hair treatments may still hold curls and waves; their results last about 4 months.

Japanese treatments create pin-straight strands. This treatment doesn’t fade eventually and will remain straight until the hair is cut off completely.

Brazilian blowouts, keratin treatments, and Japanese treatments are suitable for different hair types with different costs and where they can be done. Consult a styling expert before choosing any. 

What Is a Brazilian Blowout and How Is It Done?

A Brazilian blowout is a personalized treatment for hair smoothening. It is made of amino acids and creates a protective layer around the hair shaft, enhances the hair state, eliminates frizz, and smoothens the cuticle.

This treatment is performed every 36 weeks without a regrowth band. An authentic Brazilian blowout can only be done in a salon by an expert. However, a DIY keratin treatment can have similar effects to a Brazilian blowout.

To do a Brazilian blowout, follow these steps: 

1. Rinse your hair well with an ionic cleanser.
2. Towel-dry your hair and part it into four sections.
3. Apply the smoothening solution from your hair roots to the ends and comb through.
4. Use a boar-bristled brush and blow-dry your hair on medium heat.
5. Flat iron your hair in small sections to lock in the treatment.
6. Wash your hair with lukewarm water and put on an ionic bond spray.
7. Comb and style your hair as you prefer.

What Is a Keratin Treatment and How Is It Done?

Keratin is the hair’s naturally occurring building block. (2) It adds shine to hair by creating a protective layer. However, it can be destroyed with improper hair care routine and overstyling.

You can a keratin treatment done from a reliable salon. This treatment reduces frizz chemically, smoothens your hair, and adds protein artificially.

Whether done at home or by professionals, a keratin treatment involves these steps:

1. A light film or petroleum jelly is put on the scalp. It shields the scalp from chemical burns.
2. Relaxers are applied to the hair ends first in virgin hair, as it takes longer to process.
3. The relaxers are brought to roots from the ends, smoothening the strands in every step.
4. The relaxers are rinsed out after 10–15 minutes with warm water.
5. A conditioner is applied to rebalance the hair’s pH level.
6. A neutralizing shampoo is used several times to deactivate the alkaline chemical process.
7. To reinstate hair hydration, a moisturizing treatment is applied.
8. Overlapping of treatment is avoided for new growth. Only hair roots are touched up every 8–10 weeks.    

What Is a Japanese Treatment and How Is It Done?

Also known as hair rebonding or thermal reconditioning, a Japanese treatment breaks down the hair bonds to straighten them permanently. Unfortunately, this treatment can damage your hair.

Japanese treatments can be done at home or by professionals at the salon. Here are the steps:

1. Shampoo your hair thoroughly and apply conditioner.
2. Massage the Japanese treatment product (serum, mask, or oil) in small quantities on your scalp, from roots to tips.
3. Use a hairbrush to allow the essence to penetrate the hair follicles and massage your scalp.
4. Allow your hair to air-dry. You can also blow-dry your hair to style it.

General Queries

Final Word

Brazilian blowouts, keratin treatments, and Japanese treatments are widespread hair smoothening treatments. It makes your unruly, frizzy hair sleek and shiny. However, their purpose, process, result, damage caused, cost, and hair type suitability differ.

A Brazilian blowout uses keratin for hair smoothening and can be customized. It preserves some texture and volume of hair. A keratin treatment reduces hair volume and builds loose waves. A Japanese treatment is a permanent treatment. It may damage and change the hair structure if not done correctly.

Consult an expert hairstylist before choosing and getting any of these treatments.