A stylist's guide from Reverie Salon in River North, Chicago.
These two get lumped together constantly, and I understand why — they both promise smoother, less frizzy hair. But they work differently, last different amounts of time, and suit different people. Here’s what we actually tell clients at Reverie when they ask which one to get.
Keratin treatments
A keratin treatment infuses the hair with keratin protein and uses heat to seal it into the shaft. The result is smoother, shinier hair that’s dramatically easier to blow dry and style. It works from the inside out — repairing damage and filling gaps in the cuticle that cause frizz and roughness.
A good keratin treatment lasts 3–6 months. It doesn’t eliminate your curl pattern completely — it relaxes it. Think of it as turning the volume down on your frizz by about 70%. Your hair still has movement and body, it just cooperates.
The trade-off: the initial appointment takes 2–4 hours. Most formulas require you to avoid washing your hair or putting it in a ponytail for 48–72 hours afterward. That first few days can be annoying. After that, you’re living your best hair life for months.
Brazilian Blowout
A Brazilian Blowout is a specific brand of smoothing treatment that works a bit differently. It coats the hair in a liquid keratin formula, then uses a flat iron to seal it. The result is similar — smooth, shiny, frizz-free — but the process is faster and there’s no waiting period afterward. You can wash, style, and tie your hair up immediately.
The downside: it typically lasts 8–12 weeks versus the 3–6 months you get from a traditional keratin treatment. So you’re coming back more often. The per-appointment cost is usually lower, but the annual cost can end up being similar or higher.
Which one is actually better?
It depends on what you need. Here’s how I think about it:
Get a keratin treatment if: You want the longest-lasting result. You can handle the 48–72 hour post-treatment restrictions. Your frizz is moderate to severe. You want to significantly cut down your styling time — clients who normally spend 40 minutes blow-drying can often get it done in 15 after a keratin treatment.
Get a Brazilian Blowout if: You can’t deal with the wash-free waiting period. You want something quicker — the appointment is usually 90 minutes to 2 hours. Your frizz is mild to moderate. You want a smoothing effect but don’t want to commit to something that lasts half a year.
The formaldehyde question
I’ll address this head-on because it comes up every time. Early keratin and smoothing treatments used formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing chemicals, which raised legitimate health concerns. The industry has moved significantly away from those formulations. The products we use at Reverie are formaldehyde-free. Always ask your salon what specific product they use, and don’t settle for “it’s safe.” Ask for the brand name and look it up.
What about the damage?
Both treatments involve heat — a flat iron at high temperature is used to seal the product in. On already-compromised hair, this can cause additional stress. We always assess the hair’s condition before recommending either treatment. If your hair is severely damaged or over-processed, we might suggest repairing it with K18 treatments first and doing the smoothing treatment once the hair is in better shape.
On healthy hair, the smoothing effect actually protects against daily heat styling damage because you’re using less heat in your daily routine. So the net effect is often less damage over time, not more.
Can you color and smooth?
Yes, but timing matters. Color should be done at least two weeks before a keratin or smoothing treatment. If you color after, the smoothing treatment can affect how the hair absorbs color. We plan the sequencing during your consultation so everything works together.
Aftercare decides how long either one lasts
This is the part people skip, and it is the single biggest reason a smoothing treatment underperforms. Sulfates and sodium chloride strip the treatment out of the hair — a $500 keratin can lose months of life to a drugstore shampoo, and a Brazilian Blowout has even less margin because it is shorter-lived to begin with.
Whichever one you get, you go home on a sulfate-free, salt-free smoothing shampoo and conditioner. Coarse or humidity-reactive hair tends to do best on the Milbon Anti-Frizz line. Ask your stylist to match it to the formula they actually used on you — it isn’t the same answer for a keratin and a Brazilian Blowout.
Pricing at Reverie
Our Keratin Smoothing Treatment starts at $500, depending on hair length and density. Prefer a lighter commitment? The Keratin Blowout starts at $200 and the Color Lock Keratin Smoothing at $150, and Brazilian Blowout pricing is quoted in person. Every smoothing service begins with a thorough consultation to make sure the treatment fits your hair type and goals.
Not sure which one is right for you? Book a consultation at Reverie and we’ll look at your hair, talk about your lifestyle, and make an honest recommendation. River North, Chicago.
Book a smoothing treatment in Chicago
Reverie Salon is in River North, Chicago, rated 4.8★ on Google. See the full keratin and smoothing treatment options, or book an appointment and we’ll tell you honestly which of the two your hair actually wants. If frizz is really a styling problem rather than a chemistry one, a blowout may be the cheaper answer.
Not in Chicago? Take the questions above to your own salon — especially the one about the exact product name. A salon that can’t answer it is the wrong salon.
