You have finally decided to bite the bullet and get your curls straightened out once and for all, but you want to know if it’s an expensive venture. Now that you are here, you will learn all the various types of hair straightening and their charges.
Generally, the cost of straightening your hair depends on the treatment option you choose and some other factors. Still, it mostly ranges from $5 to $900.
Yeah, we know that’s a pretty wide margin. Let’s dig in to find what options exist within this wide range of hair straightening costs.
Hair straightening is typically a hair styling technique used to modify the shape and texture of hair to give it a smoother, sleek, and straighter look devoid of curls.
Generally, there are two main methods of straightening hair: temporary and permanent hair straightening.
Temporary Hair Straightening
The method involves using tools like the straightening comb, flat iron, blow dryer, and hair rollers to give the hair a straightened look.
We consider it temporary because the straightened locks only last for a few days, after which the hair returns to its former state.
Temporary hair straightening is tedious and doesn’t last long enough for all the work that goes into it. It only lasts for a couple of days before the hair returns to its natural state. So, when people are considering hair straightening, they are thinking about permanent treatment options.
Permanent Hair Straightening
Unlike the temporary method, permanent hair straightening tackles the internal structure of the hair.
The cost of permanent hair straightening largely depends on your preferred option, and to some extent, the salon location.
The most popular permanent hair straightening options include chemical straightening, keratin treatment, and Japanese hair straightening.
Let’s look at these options: how much they cost and how effective they are.
Chemical Hair Straightening
A more common name for a chemical straightener is a relaxer. As the name suggests, this option involves chemically modifying the hair structure, getting rid of or at least reducing curls and waves.
The chemicals are targeted at breaking the hair’s disulfide bonds, thereby getting rid of the waves and curls to make the hair straight.
While you can get any of the no-lye relaxer kits for as low as $5 to straighten your hair at home, the calcium hydroxide in them is not strong enough to break the disulfide bonds. Also, hair straightening from home relaxer kits do not usually last beyond one wash. Going to a professional hairstylist can cost as much as $250.
Unlike the home kits, the relaxer used by professionals contains lye – sodium hydroxide – which is more effective at breaking disulfide bonds. Depending on the formula used, hair maintenance, and the rate at which new growth appears, the result can last between 4 and 6 months.
Japanese Hair Straightening
Also known as thermal reconditioning, Yuko, or rebonding, Japanese hair straightening combines chemicals with heat to produce straightened hair. While the chemicals used in this process are extensive, ammonium thioglycolate is the essential ingredient in breaking and reshaping the cysteine protein bonds in the hair.
Breaking down the hair’s protein bonds takes between 15 and 20 minutes, after which the hair is flat-ironed to set the straightened texture in. The Japanese hair straightening process is completed with another chemical treatment by applying a neutralizer to the hair to seal the bonds into their new straight shape.
Of all the hair straightening processes, the Japanese hair straightening process is the longest, costing between 6 to 8 hours for treatment. However, the result lasts longer — between 6 and 8 months. You can pay as low as $150 and as high as $900 or above to get the Japanese hair straightening.
As can be expected with chemical treatments, Japanese thermal reconditioning is likely to pose the most threat to your hair. The combination of two chemical procedures with intense heat requires that your hair is strong enough to bear it all.
Keratin Hair Straightening
The keratin treatment, also known as a Brazilian blowout, is popular because it is the safest and the most gentle of all other options. It involves a professional applying a layer of keratin to the hair and then setting it in with a flat iron. Keratin is the natural protein found in hair shafts.
The professional applies some keratin solution to your hair and seals it in with a hot flat iron. The keratin solution will fill broken protein gaps, including those that cause waves, coils, or curls with keratin. The result is hair that lays flat and straight.
Keratin treatment not only eliminates curls but adds volume. It costs between $150 and $600. Because of its nature, it does no damage to your hair if you leave it on for about 6 to 8 months.
And unlike the other treatment options, the keratin treatment is suitable for all hair types, including damaged and previously treated hair.
Final Words
The cost of getting your hair straightened varies depending on several factors, as we have seen. However, you now have a general idea of the options between the $5 and $900 hair straightening cost margin.
We also know that the $5 price is only available when you choose to use the home relaxer kits as your preferred option. Getting a chemical hair straightening done by a professional at a salon will cost at least $50.
Regardless of your preferred treatment option and the results, the straightening process only affects the available hair at the time. It means that new growth will not be affected. So, after some time, you will need to visit the salon to do something about the new growth.
Aside from your preferred treatment option, the location of the professional hairstylist to attend to you also determines the overall cost of hair straightening.
And in almost every location, there are at least a couple of high-end salons with higher service charges.
Have you ever straightened your hair at a salon before? How much did it cost in your area and what was your experience? Kindly let us know in the comments section.
