Straight hair is a popular hairstyle choice for many people across the world. To achieve poker-straight hair, people go to great extents by using hair straighteners and various types of chemical treatments. Hair straighteners were used in ancient Egypt, where women used flat iron plates to straighten their hair.
Today, a new player entered the hair-straightening scene: hair botox. Unlike cysteine and keratin treatments, hair botox is nonchemical and formaldehyde-free. Thus, there is no doubt hair botox is best for your hair.
Moreover, most expert smoothening therapies, such as relaxers or keratin, need high heat to activate the formula, which may contribute to damage. However, hair botox doesn’t need anything but itself to strengthen the hair, boost shine, and reduce breakage and frizz. (1)
Article Contents
Hair Botox Versus Cysteine Treatment
Hair botox treatment
Hair botox is not like the standard skin Botox treatment you know about; it just borrows the name Botox. It does not include injecting anything, but it is a deep-conditioning treatment that is applied to the hair to reverse the damage done to it.
In this process, a cocktail of nourishing ingredients including amino acids, ceramides, vitamins, collagen complex, and glycolic acid is used to coat your strands, which builds a protective layer on the hair and protects and revitalizes it. (1)
The primary purpose of hair botox is to smoothen frizzy hair and give it a fuller and smoother look with a deep-conditioning treatment. It is a beneficial and effective treatment if you have dull, itchy, and dehydrated hair.
A small study showed that hair loss was also significantly reduced by 39% due to botox hair treatment. Moreover, 75% of people who had botox hair treatment had seen positive hair growth with no adverse effects. (2)
Cysteine hair treatment
Cysteine hair treatment is a semipermanent treatment where cysteine, a complex hair protein, adds vibrancy, strengthens, and protects the hair. Cysteine straightening treatment uses a non-essential amino acid in keratin to strengthen and straighten your hair.
If you have unmanageable and tight curly hair, this treatment can help relax your hair without using natural additives such as formaldehyde. It also strengthens your hair roots.
However, the straightening effect wears off naturally after a while, as it is a semipermanent treatment that lasts for only 3 months. (3)(1)
Advantages of Hair Botox
Hair botox is nothing but a deep-conditioning and nonchemical treatment that:
- Gets rid of frizz.
- Strengthens the hair by repairing damaged strands and replenishing hair fibers.
- Prevents hair thinning, hair loss, and split ends with its deep-conditioning treatment (It infuses damaged strands with necessary nutrients that are primarily natural and aid in reversing hair damage and sealing the cuticle layer.) (1)
- Adds volume to hair
- Protects the scalp against dandruff, psoriasis, and other scalp problems
- Controls hair damage,
- Strengthens and smoothens the hair
- May assist in stimulating blood circulation in the scalp and promoting hair growth.
- May also help encourage hair growth and nourish the hair follicles
Advantages of Cysteine Hair Treatment
Cysteine hair treatment offers the following advantages:
- It is determined as gentler (4) than other solutions, such as keratin treatments.
- Cysteine treatment does not include any substitute or formaldehyde, which are harmful chemicals that are present in keratin treatment products.
- The effects of cysteine treatment gradually decrease with time in comparison to other similar treatments. It is highly efficient in hair straightening and has good retention capacity than keratin and is less toxic. (3)
Tips to Follow After Botox and Cysteine Hair Treatments
Hair botox
It is recommended to use sulfate-free shampoos after the treatment. Regular shampoos may undo the treatment effect. It might also help if you avoid using hair dryers and flat irons to prevent the loss of vitamins and minerals from the hair.
Cysteine hair treatment
The after-care process for cysteine treatment involves using sulfate-free hair products, which are not as affordable as regular shampoos but are much better for your hair.
Oil treatments and swimming in chlorinated pools are also not advisable once you undergo cysteine hair treatment. (5)
Side Effects of Hair-Straightening Treatments
- Straightening hair has many side effects. The no-lye relaxers are less irritating to the scalp than the lye relaxer sodium hydroxide. (6)
- Allergic and irritant contact dermatitises are common. It might be caused by the fragrance, formaldehyde, and parabens in straightening solutions.
- Heat application during the treatment leads to the denaturation of different hair proteins and causes hair damage.
- Scarring alopecia and scalp inflammation are reported with both no-lye and lye relaxers.
- Telogen effluvium might occur due to improper use and excessive use of straightening agents. (1)
- The pH of the straightening formulation also impacts hair strength, wherein a low pH might lead to good straightening but less hair strength and vice versa.
- Chemical treatments make hair more porous as the hair is exposed to straightening chemicals for a higher concentration or a longer time. (7)
General Queries Related to Hair Botox and Cysteine Hair Treatments
What are the short-term side effects of these treatments?
Itching on the scalp during the process and burning sensation in the nose, eyes, and throat have been reported with hair treatments. (8)
Can cysteine hair treatment cause hair loss?
No, the truth is that it helps in hair growth. Cysteine is a type of protein necessary for hair health. It is recommended not to get repetitive keratin or cysteine straightening treatments, although they are still less dangerous than repeated ironing, curling, blow-drying, and using chemicals on the hair.
What type of hair needs hair botox?
All hair types are best for hair botox, as everyone benefits from extra moisture in the hair.
Can you oil your hair after cysteine?
Don’t oil your hair too much after a cysteine hair treatment, as it may lead to a buildup on the scalp that counters the effects of the treatment. However, it may further cut down the treatment longevity.
Final Word
Hair botox is a highly in-demand chemical-free hair restoration treatment that fits all types of hair. It is a bit heavy on the pocket, but the results may look worthwhile after treatment.
Opt for a hair botox on your next hair session and see the results on your tresses.
References
- What do we need to know about hair straightening? – researchgate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354152688/.
- NEJM Journal Watch: Summaries of and commentary on original medical and scientific articles from key medical journals. https://www.jwatch.org/jd201111100000001/2011/11/10/growing-hair-with-botox.
- Xu H, Song K, Mu B, Yang Y. Green and sustainable technology for high-efficiency and low-damage manipulation of densely crosslinked proteins. ACS omega. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6044844/. Published May 31, 2017.
- Dias MFRG, Loures AF, Ekelem C. Hair cosmetics for the hair loss patient. Indian journal of plastic surgery: official publication of the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8719955/. Published December 27, 2021.
- Shetty VH, Shetty NJ, Nair DG. Chemical hair relaxers have adverse effects a myth or Reality. International journal of trichology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746223/. Published January 2013.
- Hatsbach de Paula JN, Basílio FMA, Mulinari-Brenner FA. Effects of chemical straighteners on the hair shaft and scalp. Anais brasileiros de dermatologia. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9073307/. Published 2022.
- Goshiyama AM; Dario MF; Lima CRRC; de Araújo GLB; Baby AR; Velasco MVR; Impact of acid straightener’s ph value in the hair fiber properties. Journal of cosmetic dermatology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31241825/.
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Hair smoothing products that release formaldehyde when heated. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-products/hair-smoothing-products-release-formaldehyde-when-heated.