I trust my stylist like a sister, so when she said I was the perfect candidate for a Brazilian Blowout, I was on board. If you’ve ever browsed Pinterest for hair inspiration, you’ve probably stumbled on before and after photos of a Brazilian Blowout.
It’s one of the most popular hair smoothing treatments around the world, eliminating frizz and sealing the cuticle to prevent damage. It also adds moisture and shine. I’ve been getting Brazilian Blowouts 1-2 times per year since 2017. In this review, I share everything you need to know about the Brazilian Blowout before you commit.
So, curious to know what the Brazilian Blowout does, its cost, and whether it’s right for your hair type? Keep on reading for my review of the Brazilian Blowout treatment or click to jump to the summary.
What is a Brazilian Blowout?
The Brazilian Blowout hair treatment is a smoothing treatment that originated in Brazil. It’s designed to eliminate frizz, hydrate, seal the hair shaft to prevent damage from heat styling. It also adds overall shine and gloss. The amino acid formula used in the treatment incorporates Brazilian ingredients like camu camu, acai berry, and annato seed. Its bonding technologies create a protective layer around each strand of hair. This smooths and straightens the hair while allowing you to heat style it (curl, flat iron, wave, blow dry).
What is the average cost of a Brazilian Blowout hair treatment?
The cost of the treatment depends on two factors: the salon and the length/thickness of your hair. Since I have a lot of hair and it’s long, my treatments cost roughly $400. The average cost of a Brazilian Blowout treatment ranges from $200 to $500.
What is the difference between a Brazilian Blowout and a Keratin Treatment?
Both are smoothing treatments that add radiant shine and eliminate frizz, but Brazilian Blowouts are more customizable.
A Keratin straightening treatment gives you a stick-straight texture, you can’t shower for 3-4 days after your hairdresser applies it, and you can’t really heat style it to alter the look (curl it, wave it, braid, etc.).
The Brazilian gives you your hair but relaxed, smoother, and shinier. Unlike a traditional keratin treatment, a Brazilian doesn’t make your hair completely straight. My hair is smooth as butter with a slight wave, and I can still use a curling iron, flat iron, etc.
How long does a Brazilian Blowout treatment last?
My Brazilian Blowout lasts anywhere from 4-6 months, depending on how often I’m washing and styling my hair. As the treatment wears off, I’ll notice texture around my hairline first. But there isn’t an obvious demarcation line.
One cool thing about the Brazilian Blowout is that the treatments build on one another. Now that I get them regularly, my stylist doesn’t need to use as much formula. This = $$ savings, and the results seem to last longer.
How long does the Brazilian Blowout process take?
The entire Brazilian Blowout process takes 1-2 hours. It’s dependent on how much hair you have, the condition of your hair, and how curly it is.
Here’s the step-by-step process:
- Your stylist cleans your hair with a clarifying shampoo 2-3 times that will make it feel like straw. This removes all product so that the formula can attach.
- Working in sections, the Brazilian Blowout treatment is applied with a brush from root to tip.
- The hair is blow-dried smooth and straight with the treatment in it.
- The treatment is sealed into your hair with a very hot flat iron.
- Your hairdresser may wash your hair again and apply a deep conditioning treatment.
During the process, the formula can be uncomfortable if you have sensitive eyes. I hold a towel over my face while my stylist is using one of her straighteners to go around my face-framing pieces. Also, your stylist should be able to detect this based on the condition of the hair, but if your hair can’t take a lot of heat, as breakage can occur if your stylist goes too hard with the flat iron.
Brazilian Blowout Hair Treatment Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Amazing option for women with frizzy hair or curly hair in humid environments who want frizz-free hair for an extended period of time.
- Makes your hair look smooth and glossy, and it improves the condition of your hair by protecting it when you’re blow-drying and heat styling.
- The smoothness, shine, and anti-frizz come without a loss of volume or a greasy feeling.
- Significantly reduces air-drying and blow-drying time.
- The gentle formula (compared to a Keratin treatment) is flexible, allowing you to achieve any hairstyle (classic curls, loose waves, braids, straight, etc.) you want.
- It’s safe for color-treated hair.
Cons:
- The treatment is expensive, costing $300+ for most hair types.
- If you shower daily, the treatment may only last 10-12 weeks.
- The aftercare instructions recommend that you avoid salt water, chlorine, and use a sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo and conditioner.
- It is not safe for pregnant women.
- Like many hair straightening formulas, the Brazilian formula contains formaldehyde. There’s controversy surrounding this ingredient. Be sure to wear a mask and make sure the salon is well-ventilated. Some salons carry formaldehyde-free formulas.
Who’s the Treatment Best For?
This treatment is best for:
- Women who are exhausted with their frizzy, wavy, or curly hair and want their styling process (or air drying process!) to be quick and easy.
- Those who want smooth, shiny, frizz-free hair that is more relaxed than your normal texture but not pin straight or stick straight hair.
- People looking for a relaxing treatment that will still allow you to style your hair with hot tools (curl it, wave it, dry it, hot roll it, etc.).
- Women who live in a humid area and have frustrating frizz or volume.
Brazilian Blowout Before and Afters
A few photographs of my hair before and after I started doing the Brazilian Blowout. I’ll update these with salon photos the next time I get a treatment done!
How my hair used to look (this was professionally curled for our engagement photos—not “bad,” just very frizzy):
Immediately after a Brazilian Blowout:
To get a better sense of how my texture is with the Brazilian now, see my ‘Hair’ highlight on Instagram.
My Honest Review of the Brazilian Blowout Treatment
It’s important for you to know that my natural hair is fine, wavy, and has some frizz—and I have a lot of it. In my pre-Brazilian days, it took me nearly 45 minutes just to blow dry my hair. There was also always some frustration about having small waves or kinks at around my hairline, neck, and at the back of my head when I straightened, curled, or blew-dry my hair.
The price tag turned me off when my stylist recommended it. But I trusted her, gave it a go, and it’s been such a game-changer for me.
Here’s my review: The Brazilian Blowout treatment allows me to both air dry beautifully and achieve the loose curls, classic waves, and fun hairstyles I love with smoothness, shine, and ease that I’ve never experienced before. I was always jealous of women who could simply get out of the shower and go about their day with air-dried hair—my hair used to take 4+ hours to air-dry. With the Brazilian keratin hair treatment, my hair air-dries smooth and shiny, but I can also blow-dry and heat style it in under 30 minutes.
While the cost isn’t ideal, the changes it makes to my hair and lifestyle are incredible. When I’m diligent about washing infrequently, my Brazilian can last 6-12 months. If you break down how much it costs me ($400), that’s less than $50/month.
There you have it! Have questions about the Brazilian Blowout? Let me know in the comments. I always love chatting with you guys! To find a Brazilian Blowout near you, click here.
For more hair care and hair growth tips and reviews, visit this page. Don’t miss my most popular hair posts, how I went back to my natural hair color and my review of the Dyson hair dryer.
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What can I say? Expensive yet worth the price! I’ve tried it but they say it only lasts for 3 months…
I used to get a Keratin treatment once a year in the spring. It was excellent and lasted a long time. For the last 6 years, I’ve been getting a Brazilian Blowout instead. I find that the Brazilian doesn’t last as long as the Keratin. In fact, I had one that lasted only a few weeks. I would LOVE it to last 6 months. That would be wonderful. I does make my hair shiny and healthy. I use the recommended Brazilian shampoo, conditioner, and spray to help maintain it.
Hi there, that’s so interesting! I’ve had people say that they prefer brazilian to keratin and the other way around, so maybe it depends on the hair type and the stylist that applies the treatment. Mine lasts about 4-6 months, and I shampoo and condition at least 5x a week, but I don’t use the official Brazilian shampoo/conditioner. I guess everyone’s hair takes the treatments differently! 🙂
Hi! Thank you for sharing this! I got my 1st BB in July & got a 2nd one in November! I absolutely love it & can relate as I have frizzy, fine hair & a lot of it! Before if I blowdried my hair, it would be all over the place & couldn’t go out until I flat ironed it! I love it as I can blow dry & get by with going out! But still like to smooth it a bit as I have pretty wavy hair. I was curious if you use certain products on yours to keep it smooth or shiny & what brand you use? Thanks for any info! I wish it would last longer but I do wash my hair frequently as I am a golfer & outdoor gal! Thank you for sharing!
How exciting! It’s an amazing treatment, isn’t it?! I use Oribe products to help it last as long as possible. I shower frequently as well, so high-quality hair care products help it last longer!
My daughter is getting her first Brazilian Blowout this Sunday. I visited the official website of Orin’s to purchase their products that the options are too many. What Oribe product would you recommend after a Brazilian Blowout?
Hi Rosemarie! That’s so exciting! I hope she loves it. I use the Oribe Signature shampoo and the Oribe Gold Lust conditioner. However, there is a kit that’s on sale right now at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale that’s a great deal—it includes a full-size Gold Lust conditioner and shampoo as well as a travel size conditioner and shampoo. You can find it here: https://rstyle.me/+MwHYlVA6aSkwDmIxPLXwew
Hi Natalie, I’m so glad you love your hair and it looks gorge!! Thank you for sharing your experience, which I came across in my Google discovery page, so cheers on that! As a Brazilian Blowout and keratin treatment Specialist (also a client and fan), I’d love to clarify some details. Ar first, it seems like you’re writing about Brazilian Blowout (a specific brand name product/treatment), and even make a comparison between it and keratin treatments. But then some details seem to get conflated. Would you be open to collaborating on another post, or having a guest writer for a post on the topic?
I’ve had 2 BB’s (6 mos apart). Each time I also had a root touch up. This recent (one) has not had the same results; unruly/‘staticy’. What could’ve made the difference? BTW they were applied by different stylists.
Hi! Hm, that’s interesting and such a bummer about the static! My stylist never does my color and brazilian at the same time, so that might be a factor. I would recommend going to the first stylist and asking her about why the results were different. I do know that the skill/technique of the stylist is important for the Brazilian Blowout (at least, according to my hair girl). I hope you find a solution! xo!
Hello I have had a brazilan blow out before. I know it’s extremely expensive. This stylists I used this time,I don’t think she used the real products. I have a problem with that. Is it illegal to say your using brazilan blow out if you’re not using that product. I feel used.$160.00
I’m so sorry to hear you didn’t have a good experience, Valerie! I’m not sure if it’s ‘illegal’ but it’s definitely poor business practice. I recommend going to another salon next time—I believe that they there is a certificate that should be posted or that the salon should have if they are using the authentic Brazilian blowout products. Best of luck!
Hi. Which brand did your stylist use? Do you have a pic of how your hair looks after air dried and no blow
Dryer or flat iron used? Thanks
Hi! I believe they use the official Brazilian Blowout brand but I’m not 100% sure. I don’t have one available but it looks very smooth with no frizz yet still has a little bit of my natural texture/wave. I hope that’s helpful!
Appreciate the insight! I read that you should stay away from oils and serums after a treatment? Is this true? I regularly use most olaplex products including the bonding oil. Just wondering if I should discontinue? Thanks for any thoughts!
Hi Michele! That’s a good question. So, there’s an “official” Brazilian blowout shampoo and conditioner that you’re technically supposed to use, but my stylist said that as long as the products you’re using are high-quality (which means sulfate-free, for me), you should be okay. I haven’t heard to stay away from oils and serums—I still use the Oribe gold lust oil from time to time and haven’t noticed any negative changes. Hope that helps!
What if you decide you DON’T like it? Will your “regular” hair eventually come back? or does it need to grow out? I’m so scared to try, but I HATE my frizzy hair, it’s such a pain! And it’s itchy on my neck too.
Hey Jocelyn! That’s a great question. I asked my stylist this too because I was nervous that my wavy/curl hair would be gone “forever” with this treatment, but it doesn’t change your hair long-term. It washes out over time and your hair should return to its normal texture/shape. I haven’t let mine wash out fully yet, but I imagine it would take between 8-16 months, depending on how often you wash and style your hair. I hope that helps!
You would like it as long as you don’t want curls. I love mine. I have curly hair. Without heat my hair looks like loose wavy pattern. Frizz free is so awesome. Imagine getting caught in the rain and your hair still looking decent when it dries! Lol Takes me 15min to do my hair.
Absolutely! I feel the same way about my brazilian blowout. Having no frizz is the best, especially for summer.
Hi there. I’m so tired of my frizzy big hair. Every product I have tried always fails and I feel unattractive with my hair in a bun all the time. I need to know where to go what salon to go to?
Hi Natalie! I go to a salon in our town. If you visit the Brazilian blowout website (BrazilianBlowout.com), there’s an option to find a salon near you that offers the treatment.
Hi Natalie. I have wavy hair that has highlights and I live in an area that gets very humid in the summer…that’s why I love winter! No matter how much product, eg. Kerastase, Oribe etc. my hair gets fuzzy. During the winter, I can go a day or two without washing my hair but during the summer I wake up looking like Phyllis Diller so I have to wash it daily. Would you recommend the Dyson Airwrap or a BB? By the way, I have the Dyson Supersonic (bought it after reading your review) and love it. Thank you!
Hi Donna! Haha, your comment about looking like Phyllis Diller made me laugh. 🙂 So, my airwrap and supersonic actually work MUCH better on my hair (in terms of smoothing) when I have a Brazilian blowout. I think you’ll absolutely love a BB if your number one issue is frizz/humidity in the summer. I’m getting my next one done in May so that it will last me through early fall! If you get one done, you’ll have to let me know what you think.
Would you mind sharing where you get your hair done in Raleigh? I live in the area and I’m on the search for a new stylist. You spoke so highly about your salon/stylist that I figured I might as well ask – Thanks for your help!
Hi Meredith! I’m happy to share! 🙂 I go to Ashley Biehl (she goes by Alley in the salon) at Samuel Cole Salon. I’m not sure if she’s taking new clients, but she’s great if you can get in! If she isn’t, I’d ask for any stylist there who has trained under her.
Hello, I’ve done a keratin treatment before and it was an absolute waste of my money because my big, thick, curly, wavy hair was still very frizzy with no difference made to be honest (unless I ironed my hair, but in that case I could’ve just ironed my hair normally without doing the keratin Tx then as it defeats the purpose). So I’m skeptical about trying the BB as it’s even more expensive. But I’ve heard before that with the BB, you don’t need to style your hair by ironing/straightening or blow-drying it? My thing is that I love my natural hair as it is and don’t have the time, energy nor effort to style my hair when I go out (I also cover my hair so its not an issue what it looks like in public for me), but I’d like to enjoy my curly wavy hair without the frizz when I’m home, especially because I have a lot of thick hair which makes the frizz look more pronounced and my hair look far too bigger than I’d like. Since I’m not worried about how my hair looks when I go out, the BB is pricier than it’s worth to me, but because I’d like to enjoy my hair looking smoother and more effortlessly well-styled in its natural form outside that, I would be interested in at least trying the BB if I know that my hair can come out frizz-free that way naturally as it air dries after showering? However, if BB still requires blowdrying/straightening to style it and just reduces the styling time, then it’s not what I’m looking for. But it’s hard to tell from reading online because everyone that gets BB also heat-styles their hair by blowdrying and/or straightening/curling. A friend once told me her hair came out “nicely this way” when she didn’t even iron it after showering thanks to BB, but hair treatments have just never worked on my hair for what’s promised, so I’m still skeptical about it. So if you could just explain that for me from your experiences because of my personal thoughts on it, I’d appreciate it. thanks!
Hi Elena! I’ve never done a keratin treatment, so I can’t really compare the two other than what I hear from others’ experiences with keratin. I like to explain the brazilian blowout as your hair but better/smoother/less frizz. I still need to style mine when I have a BB, but I can absolutely let it air dry and feel fine about leaving the house with it because it’s so smooth and shiny. I still have a little of my natural wave with the brazilian, but there’s FAR less frizz and texture to tame. I still need to style it if I want big curls, beach waves, etc…but yes, I find that the brazilian makes air drying a dream. I have naturally frizzy, wavy hair and with the BB, when I air dry, it’s smooth, shiny, and I don’t feel like I need to apply anything or use any hot tools to feel okay leaving the house with it down, half up, braided, ponytail…you name it. I hope that makes sense! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi. My daughter is getting married in 3 weeks. I am 55 and have very course, unruly, and thick hair. Is there any reason that I should not have this done so close to the wedding date? Can it go wrong in any way? Thank you.
Hi Beverly! How exciting! If you are seeing a trained professional who you trust and who has performed brazilians many times, I don’t foresee any issues. I would double check the stylists’ reviews and make sure they are using the official brazilian blowout products as there are many knockoffs. The only thing to be aware of is that the brazilian does make your hair fairly smooth immediately after which can result in a little bit of flatness at the root, but this fades with time (usually within 2 weeks for me). If you’re having someone style your hair for the day of the wedding, you may want to do another trial after you’ve had the brazilian done.
I just got my first BB 2 hours ago. My hair is thick, frizzy, and wavy. It takes forever to style. I am excited to see the results in a few days after washing it. I have had the keratin treatment in the past and loved it. I wanted to try something different this time. I want to be able to let my hair air dry and go! I work in healthcare and don’t have time to do my hair so it is always pulled up. I normally only wash my hair 1-2 times a week because it gets so dry if I wash it to much. I use biolage ultra hydra source conditioning balm and shampoo on my hair. Will this still be ok to use?
Hi Jamie! So exciting! I think you’re going to love it! I’m about a week out from my most recent brazilian and air drying it with no fuss is the absolute best. I wash my hair every day and use Oribe’s products on my brazilian and it’s been fine. The “official” brazilian blowout brand shampoo/conditioner is what’s technically recommended, but my stylist told me that any sulfate free shampoo and conditioner is OK. So just check your Biolage products for that! Enjoy it!
My hair stylist told me it’s fine to use it but use the one that’s color care in the pink. I’m going on two weeks and seems to be good using it.
Also paraban free and the big one to look for is sodium hydroxide. That stuff eats through your BB and Keratin 3 to 10X faster than without
Wow! I never would have guessed. Thank you so much for commenting!
Hi! Do you know if it’s safe to do a Brazilian blowout over a perm?
I had 2 perms done last year, the last one was about 6 months ago. It’s mostly come out, and my hair feels overall pretty healthy after several trims, but I just have a little remaining frizz leftover. I’m getting married in September and trying to get my hair as nice as possible before then.
Hi! To be honest, I’m not sure! I bet your hairstylist or even a salon that offers brazilians would know.