My Experience With Cysteine Hair Treatments: Better than Keratin?

If you’re new to hair treatments and chemical styling, then you might not have heard of cysteine hair treatments. Keratin probably sounds more familiar, doesn’t it? I’ll explain both of them, so not to worry. While I was in Mumbai, the heat really got to me. My hair is naturally frizzy and wavy to curly. To top it off, I ruined my hair and got a Pixie cut. I know, I can almost hear you shouting at me. But could you blame me? The heat and humidity were gross! I didn’t like the haircut but I had no choice but to wait. I waited for a while until I had some length and decided to take the plunge and get a hair treatment done. And boy am I grateful that I did!

What are Cysteine Hair Treatments?

Cysteine hair treatments are used to strengthen and straighten dry and unruly hair. Sounds like my hair type for sure! Cysteine treatments use a non-essential amino acid to do their magic.

The treatment is semi-permanent, meaning it’ll last around 3 months. This varies from person to person depending on how well you care for your hair. So just because you get the treatment done, doesn’t mean there’s no aftercare!

What’s the difference between Keratin Treatments and Cysteine Hair Treatments?

I’m not saying that one is better than the other. It depends on the look that you’re going for. If you want pin-straight hair, then maybe Keratin is a better option. But if you’re looking into keeping your hair healthy and investing a little bit more, Cysteine is the way.

I have done both and I’ll explain my experience with both hair treatments in a moment. But if you check out the table above, you’ll realize that while Keratin might be more affordable, you’re protecting your hair if you stick with the Cysteine hair treatments instead. Sure their longevity is shorter but if you use the right products you can maintain it at home!

My Experience With Hair Treatments

Back in the day, when I had longer hair (til my hips), I got the keratin treatment done to keep it straight. Because my hair is naturally frizzy, I would try all sorts of deep conditioning masks and hair oils to keep it looking neat. Unfortunately, all that did was weigh my hair down.

The process took almost 6 hours because of the thickness and length of my hair. What’s worse, some of the liquid got into my eye and I wound up with a reaction. This might have been just me, but those chemicals are very harsh! So be careful!

After everything was done, I was asked by the stylist to not wash my hair for 3 days and not to sweat. It sounded a bit odd to me, but I did what he said and on the 3rd day he washed my hair. I was in love! My hair looked like it was straight out of a commercial for Pantene Pro-V.

Cons of Keratin

Keratin is a structural protein. It did wonders for my hair, but sadly, not my scalp. My skin and scalp were dry and very itchy! I had flakes galore and that’s not a cute look, trust me.

To care for your treated hair, you need to use sulfate-free shampoos. That’s not an issue considering you can find loads of them at Target! But, for you to keep the treatment in longer, I was advised to use products with keratin in them. This lead to a lot of hair breakage.

Did I mention how long my hair was at the time?

My stylist told me not to tie my hair. Why? By tying your hair you will alter the structure of your hair, because of the additional keratin present. Meaning what? You’re going to have semi-permanent kinks unless you heat-style them out.

My Hair Loves Cysteine

Spoiler! Yes, you got it! Cysteine was a much better option for me. I got this treatment done recently, (a few weeks ago) and I love it. I have noticed a significant change in the amount of hair breakage and hair fall. Although my hair is short and not prone to knots, I’ve noticed that as I style or comb it, it doesn’t break. Cysteine offers more freedom with styling your hair.

The process took 2 hours and it didn’t stink! Keratin stank and I couldn’t get the smell out of my nose for days! To care for Cysteine-treated hair, just avoid swimming for a month and don’t frequently wash your hair.

I use Kerastase and while it’s pricey, it keeps my hair hydrated and my scalp itch-free. There are other options as well. I was told Olaplex would be a great alternative as well, but please consult before using it. I’m not sure if I would personally combine the two because Olaplex in itself is a hair treatment. I love it, but I wouldn’t be sure about combining it with Cysteine.

One product that I will recommend using is the Olaplex Bonding Oil after you wash and towel dry your hair. This oil is amazing! It conditions and protects your hair from UV rays. This is important especially if you have color treated your hair. It works for all hair types without weighing it down (a little goes a long way!). It’s also a great heat protectant!

Overall Thoughts

Keratin is more affordable but less money doesn’t mean better quality in this case. Cysteine hair treatments are pricey but if you want to invest in great hair treatments and haircare, you need to put in some money. Just like skincare, not all haircare is created equal. If you have very unruly and dry hair, I would suggest the Cysteine treatment. Ask your salon if they provide it and make sure you double-check that it’s indeed formaldehyde free so there’s no confusion (you don’t wanna wind up with something else in your hair).

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