Brazilian Blowout, answered.

A Brazilian Blowout is a brand of salon smoothing treatment that takes frizz out of hair for up to 12 weeks. At OLLIN Beverly Hills, our keratin treatment is $400–500, and a blowout is $85–125. Book online or call (424) 204-9095. We're at 8912 W Olympic Blvd.

Does Brazilian Blowout have formaldehyde in 2026?

It depends on the formula: the brand now sells Brazilian Blowout FREE, which it says is formulated without formaldehyde, alongside its Original treatment. The Original is the one with the history. In 2012, California's Attorney General settled with its maker after state testing found 6% to 10% methylene glycol, which the FDA says releases formaldehyde when heated, in solutions sold as "formaldehyde free." Since January 1, 2025, California law bars selling any cosmetic with intentionally added formaldehyde or methylene glycol. Ask your stylist which formula is in the bottle.

Why are Brazilian Blowouts bad for your hair?

The main risk is to your lungs and eyes, not your hair: formulas that contain formaldehyde release it as a gas when a flat iron heats them. The FDA lists watery eyes, burning in the eyes, nose and throat, coughing and skin irritation, and OSHA air tests have found formaldehyde above its limits in salons using a product labeled "formaldehyde free." For the hair itself, the repeated flat iron passes are the stress. Brazilian Blowout's own FAQ says it can be done on color-treated hair.

What is a safer alternative to a Brazilian Blowout?

A blowout is the alternative with no chemistry at all: smooth hair for a few days, gone at the next wash. For smoothing that lasts months, choose a formula without formaldehyde or methylene glycol, which is what California now requires of products sold here, including the brand's own FREE version. Read the "free" label with care: a 2024 New England Journal of Medicine letter tied a glyoxylic acid straightening cream, one of the common replacements, to repeated kidney injury in one patient. Ask what is in it.

How many hours does a Brazilian Blowout take?

About an hour and a half: the brand puts its Original treatment at "as little as 80 minutes," and its Express version at 60 minutes or less. Long or very thick hair takes longer, because the solution goes on in sections and every section gets blow-dried and then flat ironed to seal it. Plan for extra time if you are coloring the same day, because color goes first.

How many times can you do a Brazilian Blowout?

You can repeat it as often as it wears off, which the brand puts at 10 to 12 weeks with its aftercare, or four to five times a year. The brand calls it cumulative: it says results last longer with each treatment. Express lasts about four weeks, so it repeats more often. If the formula releases formaldehyde, every repeat is another exposure, which is the reason to know the formula before you book a standing appointment.

My Brazilian Blowout didn't work. What should I do?

Call the salon that did it first, and find out which treatment you got, because most "it didn't work" stories have one of four causes. Express is built to last about four weeks, not twelve. Very curly hair is meant to stay curly: the brand says the treatment softens frizz while keeping the curl. Skipping the aftercare shortens it, since the brand ties its 10 to 12 weeks to its own shampoo and conditioner. And color booked too soon after is the fourth: the brand says to color first or wait two weeks.

What ruins a Brazilian Blowout?

Washing it out too fast ruins it: sulfate shampoos, washing every day, and swimming in chlorine or salt water all wear the smoothing layer down before its 10 to 12 weeks are up. The brand recommends its own Anti-Frizz Shampoo and Conditioner for this reason. Coloring too soon is the other common mistake; the brand says to wait two weeks after the treatment, or color first on the same day.

Does hair go back to normal after a Brazilian Blowout?

Yes, it returns to its natural texture as the treatment washes out over about three months. It is a semi-permanent smoothing coat that heat seals onto the hair, so nothing about the curl pattern changes for good. The roots go first, because new growth was never treated. The brand says hair keeps its natural volume and still holds a curl from an iron.

How long after a Brazilian Blowout can you wash your hair?

Right away, if you had a current Brazilian Blowout formula: the brand's consumer page now lists "no wait period" for both its Original and FREE treatments, and says Express can get wet right after the service. The 48 to 72 hour rule you still see online belongs to traditional keratin formulas, which need days to set. Ask which product was used, and follow that product's window.

Brazilian Blowout and keratin at OLLIN

A Brazilian Blowout is one brand; keratin smoothing is the category it belongs to. If you want frizz gone for months, book our keratin treatment and ask about the formula at your appointment. If you only need it smooth for an event, a blowout is enough. For shine without changing texture, try a gloss.

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