Keratin vs. Rebonding vs. Relaxing: Which Hair Treatment is Right for You?

07 Oct, 2025

If you are wondering how to decide which hair treatment to go for, this is the ideal read for you.
In this blog, we break down each of the above 3 treatments, exploring aspects like:

Who needs it
Who should avoid
General questions to ask your hairstylist

Keratin Hair Treatment

Semi-permanent treatment of nurturing your hair with keratin proteins to smooth, reduce frizz, and add shine.
The Goal: Smoother, shinier, healthier hair care.

Who needs Keratin hair Treatment:

You have unmanageable hair: Individuals with unmanageable, frizzy hair. Keratin treatments offer dealable hair instantly, reducing your styling time greatly.
You have colour-treated hair: If you are someone with colour-treated hair, this is a good choice for you. Keratin revives your colour-processed hair, enhancing its strength and shine.
You seek something temporary: If you are looking for a temporary hair makeover, keratin treatment is for you. A transformation that lasts about 3- 6 months.

Who should avoid Keratin Hair Treatment:

You want to have the distinctive, fully straight hair. Keratin treatments usually leave you with slightly straightened hair, but focus more on shinier and smoother hair.
If you have naturally straight or fine hair, avoid keratin treatments. Keratin can weigh down your hair, making your hair lose even more volume.
You have scalp sensitivity or open wounds. Exposing keratin to your scalp with these conditions can cause irritation and allergic reactions.

Hair Rebonding Treatment

A hair rebonding treatment permanently straightens your hair by breaking natural hair bonds and restructuring them to be pin-straight.
The Goal: Aims for long-lasting, drastic results. Extremely pin-straight, frizz-free hair.

Who can go for Hair Rebonding:

You want completely straight hair: If you are someone with wavy to curly hair texture looking for a dramatic change, rebonding is the best choice. It
You are sure about your choice: Rebonding alters the hair’s protein bond structure permanently. So, there’s no going back to your old hair texture unless you cut it.
Comfortable with the expenses: Hair rebonding costs more than hair relaxing and keratin treatments, both upfront and in the long term.

Who should avoid hair rebonding:

You have weak hair: If your hair is porous and brittle, rebonding can worsen breakage. The process is intensive and involves stronger chemicals. We don’t recommend this for hair that has been over-processed with colours and chemicals, either.
Cannot commit to touch-ups: To maintain the sleek look even after the session, a root touch-up is required every 3- 6 months.

Hair Relaxing Treatment

Hair relaxing treatments are simply used to relax your hair texture. From extreme curls to slightly wavy to sleek straight, it completely reforms your hair texture without going to the extreme.
The Goal: Softer, straighter, more natural hair that is more manageable. Less extreme than rebonding.

Who needs hair relaxing:

You prefer a more natural hair look: Want to have a more natural hair look instead of an extreme straight look? Hair relaxing softens your curls and waves a notch, offering a perfectly balanced texture. No extreme, artificial look, just a natural yet impactful hair makeover.
Prefer minimal thermal styling: If you are someone who is used to daily thermal styling, those days are over. Hair relaxing offers permanent results, so you can eliminate your daily dose of thermal styling.

Who needs to avoid hair relaxing:

Anyone with chemically damaged hair: If your hair has been exposed and damaged by chemicals and colours for a long time, this is not for you. Similar to rebonding, this treatment also involves an intensive process of restructuring protein bonds of your hair.
Seeks versatility in styling: Hair relaxing doesn’t limit you to one look. It lets you explore a wider range of styles from slee,k straight looks to more controlled, uniform curl patterns.

Consultation Questions to Ask Your Stylist

Need further information before your hair makeover? Here are some practical questions to ask your stylist before deciding:

What specific products/brands will you use? Is it formaldehyde-free?
Which treatment suits my current hair health?
Can you show before & afters of similar hair types?
What’s the exact aftercare routine and recommended products?
What’s the realistic timeline and cost for touch-ups?

Choose Your Transformation Wisely

Hair makeovers can be transformative, but the best results come from a careful consultation and expert stylists. That is the secret of Noeline’s hair transformations.
Our hair treatments begin with a proper analysis of your hair’s history, health, and lifestyle. If you feel unsure which treatment suits you, feel free to consult our stylists anytime. Our expert hair stylists are fully open to answer any of your questions related to your treatment and make you feel secure about this step.
Ready to treat your hair with the care it deserves? Book with us at Noeline’s, the premium hair salon in Colombo and beyond. Visit us for professional hair salon services across Sri Lanka, at our other branches in Kandy, Weligama, and Hiriketiya as well.