Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or professional treatment. Always consult a healthcare provider for scalp/hair conditions and perform a patch test before using any chemical products.
If your recent keratin treatment left your natural curls completely flat, limp, or permanently relaxed, don’t panic. While keratin is designed to smooth frizz and add shine, high heat and strong chemical formulas can sometimes over-process curly hair, erasing your natural texture.
Whether you want to rapidly strip a treatment you got yesterday or safely transition out an older Brazilian Blowout, we will show you the exact process to get your curls back without causing severe hair breakage.
Types of Keratin Treatments
With keratin, you can either smooth or straighten your hair (see common hair straightening methods). Depending on what hair treatment you’ve gotten, the process for reverting to your natural curls will be a little different.
Keratin Smoothing (also known as Keratin Express or Soft Keratin treatment)
Keratin smoothing (also known as Keratin Express or Soft Keratin treatment) is usually much quicker than a full blowout and is used when you want to keep your curls intact.
Applied for only a few minutes, you’ve probably done this to get frizz-free and shiny hair without completely losing your curls.
Keratin Straightening (Brazilian blowout)
A Brazilian Blowout is a semi-permanent smoothing treatment that typically lasts up to about 10–12 weeks with proper aftercare. Permanent straightening treatments can last until the hair grows out.
It’s usually an hour-long process where the Brazilian blowout treatment is blow-dried into your hair and then run over with a flat iron. Keratin treatments and Brazilian blowouts are smoothing treatments that reduce frizz and loosen curl patterns, but they rarely make hair pin-straight like a permanent chemical relaxer or Japanese straightening would.
How to Return Curls after Keratin Straightening
If you had fine or loose curls, it’s possible you completely straightened them out with a Brazilian blowout. If this wasn’t your intention or you’re missing your curly hair, don’t worry. You can get it back.
If you’ve recently had (and regretted) your Brazilian treatment, the first step to get rid of the keratin treatment is to wash your hair thoroughly. The active ingredients (often aldehydes or glyoxylic acid) begin bonding fast once the hair is heat-sealed.
Washing your hair immediately with a clarifying shampoo can disrupt the setting process and reduce the treatment’s longevity, but it likely won’t remove the chemical bonds entirely once they are heat-sealed.
If it’s been longer than 48 hours and you decided that you’re unhappy with the treatment, you can still work to reverse the keratin treatment. You should wash your hair more frequently than normal.
Even though this won’t remove the treatment once it’s heat-sealed, more frequent washing can help it fade faster.
To help it along, you can break a few hair care rules. Use a strong clarifying shampoo. Clarifying shampoos lift the cuticle and strip surface coatings without abrasive scrubbing.
Do not wash your hair more than twice a week with clarifying shampoo. This kind of harsh washing can strip essential moisture, and it can also fade any hair color or toner you have applied.
As anyone with curly hair knows, excessive washing with strong clarifying shampoos will strip your hair of its natural lipids. Immediately deep condition your hair after a clarifying wash to avoid hair breakage.
Caution
Use a protein-free moisturizing deep conditioner. Your hair is already overloaded with protein from the keratin treatment. Adding more protein via a mask will cause your hair to become stiff, brittle, and highly prone to snapping.
How to Return Curls After Keratin Smoothing
Keratin smoothing enhances curly hair by removing frizz, increasing shine, and maintaining curl shape. However, it’s possible that the amount of Keratin or the treatment time was incorrect for your desired look.
If you wanted to keep your curls tight, leaving the treatment in for too long can relax the curls or even alter the texture of your hair.
Step 1: Wash Your Hair
To get curls back after keratin treatment of this kind, you’re going to want to wash your hair more frequently. It should be easier to remove than a Brazilian blowout, as fewer chemicals are usually used and for less time.
You can follow the steps above, including clarifying washes and deep conditioning. If you’re very unhappy with your appearance, you can increase washing frequency with normal shampoo and conditioner.
But because of the potential for hair damage, the best option is to wait it out. If you got a smoothing procedure, these usually last for only two months anyway.
Step 2: Styling While Re-Growing Your Natural Hair
As your hair grows, the natural curls and texture will return. This process is known as “transitioning.” You will have a line of demarcation where your natural texture meets the treated hair, and it can be a weak point. If you want to keep it looking good during this awkward phase, apply a water-based leave-in conditioner first for hydration, then seal it with argan oil. If using hyaluronic acid, always apply it to damp hair.
Schedule regular trims (every 6–8 weeks) to gradually cut off the chemically treated ends and prevent split ends from traveling up your new growth. Some people prefer a “big chop” to remove most of the treated hair at once, while others do long-term transitioning with trims.
Deep condition once a week. To blend your growing roots with the treated ends, try textured styles like braid-outs, twist-outs, or rod sets. Avoid simple air-drying, as this highlights the difference between your two textures.
Because some amount of the keratin treatment will remain in your hair no matter what you do, you want to avoid doing too much of anything else to your hair.
Things To Avoid
You shouldn’t use anything more than a leave-in conditioner or styling cream. Avoid using flat irons or high heat, as heat can re-bond the keratin to the hair shaft and prolong the smoothing effect.
Avoid any additional chemical treatments, heat damage, or excessive styling like extensions, which will stress your hair more. While “stressing” your hair may not affect the keratin, it can increase the chance for breakage. If you see your hair breaking and drying, you’re likely to over-correct with new treatments.
Before You Go
When well-applied, a keratin treatment can do wonders to enhance the natural beauty of your curls. But if you find yourself with a bad result or simply missing your natural hair, a keratin treatment is not the end for your curly hair.
There are ways to naturally remove keratin treatment from your curls that won’t cause further damage. You can also maintain your look while simply waiting for new hair to grow in and for the keratin to fade from the treated areas naturally.
Don’t panic and over-correct by applying more keratin or even some other treatment. You’ll have your curly hair back soon enough with some patience and a little conditioner and water.