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Fall in Love with Japanese Hair Straightening

Are you looking for healthy ways to straighten your hair? Are you sick and tired of managing your curly hair? Do you now want to try out having silky straight hair? You are at the right place cause we have a solution for you, known as the Japanese hair straightening method.

Japan1 is popular due to many things such as its technology, scenic beauty, culture, anime, and now this Japanese hair straightening method is making its place on this list as well. It has risen to fame because of straightening curly hair and providing it with a shiny and sleek finish afterward.

Japanese hair straightening
Source: Flickr

What is Japanese Hair Straightening?

Japanese hair straightening is often known as thermal reconditioning2 also. Japanese hair straightening was very famous around the early 2000s. New York City was where it first gained fame and then spread out to different parts of the world.

It was popular among curly hair women who had craved long, silky straight hair forever by spending around $200 to $850 and getting their dream hair. The benefit was that after hours of flat ironing and chemical treatment, the hair would remain straight until new hair grew out.

Yoko Yamashita, the Japanese hair expert, created the Japanese hair straightening method.

How does this Method Work?

First, a specific solution is applied to the hair used in this method, and its use is similar to that of a flat perm. The bond that gives shape to your hair, making it curly or wavy, is broken by this chemical solution making it easier for the flat iron to make it completely straight when used on it.

The hair is soaked with this special solution and then rinsed and dried using a blow-dry, and once the hair dries, keeping the blow-dry aside, it is then ready for flat ironing. The hair straightening is done by taking a tiny 1/8-inch section of the hair and ironing it using a ceramic iron.

After this process, a neutralizer is then applied to it to stabilize the pH and for locking the style in. The entire process takes a whole lot of effort and time. It varies for different people depending on their hair type, thickness, and length.

Japanese hair straightening
Source: en.m.wikipedia.org

After this process, a neutralizer is then applied to it to stabilize the pH and for locking the style in. The entire process takes a whole lot of effort and time. It varies for different people depending on their hair type, thickness, and length.

Hair Damage

Japanese hair straightening method doesn’t cause much damage compared to the Brazilian Blowout, 3but some of its cases of causing damaged hair have risen. Few women reported that this method exceedingly damaged their hair, and hair loss was also prevalent. This caused some of the salons to stop offering this service.

During the consultation, a professional can guide you on whether your hair is suitable for Japanese hair straightening or not. If your hair has received other chemical treatments, such as being colored, then you should definitely let your stylist know as your hair is more prone to damage because of this.

Permanent Hairstyling Method

The word permanent straightening only means that it is not reversible, and one will have to wait for their treated hair to grow out. This is also a disadvantage as when your hair grows, the new hair at the top of your head retains your original hair texture while the rest below is pin-straight, making it look a little weird.

When this happens, you either get your hair cut or creatively style your hair to hide your hair’s weird state as the new hair grows out. This treatment lasts for almost around six to seven months.

Steps to Take Care of Your Hair After Treatment

One has to be careful after getting Japanese hair treatment. For three days after getting the treatment, you can neither wash it nor put it into a ponytail as it is in this time period that it sets. Remember to add no more chemicals to your hair after getting this treatment, as it will only cause more damaged hair.

Also, a perm will not help you get your natural waves back; you will have to wait for your hair to grow out. It is recommended to use only approved conditioners and shampoos to maintain the condition of your hair.

If you really want, you can get your hair colored after two to three weeks but be sure to get it done by an excellent professional and get a consultation before knowing whether it is good for your hair.

Japanese Hair Straightening VS Keratin Treatments

Japanese hair straightening or thermal reconditioning method lasts longer than Keratin treatments. Where keratin treatment stays for 3 months, Japanese hair straightening treatment stays for 6 months.

In the Japanese hair straightening treatment, the hair’s internal structure is changed, and thus it makes curly hair pin-straight. It doesn’t remove frizz4 and might also cause damage.

On the other hand, Keratin treatment doesn’t straighten your hair though it will straighten wavy hair to some extent. They mainly soften your hair and fight frizz.

It uses keratin5, just as its name suggests making your hair healthier as time passes. It is more famous among women than Japanese hair straightening treatments, but you can choose which one is more suitable for you as both provide different results.

What is Keratin?

Keratin is a protein from which our hair, nails, and skin are made up. It is protective in nature and is less prone to tearing and scratching compared to other body cells. Since our hair’s structure is mostly keratin research, it shows that using its products, supplements, and treatments makes the hair healthier and strengthens it.

Japanese Hair Straightening

Japanese hair straightening
Source: Wikimedia

Now that you know all about Japanese hair straightening treatments, you can judge for yourself depending on your hair type if you want to consider it as an option for having beautiful and straight hair or not. You can always go for the well-known Keratin treatment or Brazilian blowout if you feel they are much more trustworthy options.

Remember, it can ruin your hair if done by a person who is not well versed with it, but that would be the case with any other method as well. So we would suggest going to a professional when getting this method to ensure your hair’s safety and getting the best results.

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  1. Hara, S., and Shinagawa Gotenyama. Japan. 2003. ↩︎
  2. Bryant, Harold, et al. “Hair straightening.” Cosmetic Dermatology: Products and Procedures (2022): 331-339. ↩︎
  3. Weathersby, Courtney, and Amy McMichael. “Brazilian keratin hair treatment: a review.” Journal of cosmetic dermatology 12.2 (2013): 144-148. ↩︎
  4. Sinclair, Rodney D. “Healthy hair: what is it?.” Journal of investigative dermatology symposium proceedings. Vol. 12. No. 2. Elsevier, 2007. ↩︎
  5. Wang, Bin, et al. “Keratin: Structure, mechanical properties, occurrence in biological organisms, and efforts at bioinspiration.” Progress in Materials Science 76 (2016): 229-318. ↩︎

Last Updated on by Muskan Mishra

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