The short answer
Hair botox and keratin are both smoothing treatments, and at UNIQUE PERSONA they cost exactly the same: AED 700 for roots, AED 1000 short, AED 1200 medium and AED 1500 long. Price cannot decide this one for you. Hair botox also contains no botulinum toxin and has no connection to the injectable, whatever the name suggests.
Both treatments are on the menu at Downtown Dubai and Dubai Marina. Palm Jumeirah does not sell either one.
A third option sits in the same section of the menu, nanoplastia. It is priced higher at every length than either of these two, and it is a different question rather than a straight third choice.
What is hair botox?
Hair botox is a marketing name. It contains no botulinum toxin and is not injected. It borrows the word to suggest a smoothing effect.
A marketing name is not a defined category. There is no standard fixing what a hair botox treatment must contain, so one salon's version does not have to match another's, and the name describes an intended result rather than a formula.
Some menu names work the opposite way. A trademarked protocol runs on one manufacturer's equipment and is the same treatment wherever you find it, which is the case with the HydraFacial device facial. Knowing which kind of name you are reading tells you how much the word itself guarantees.
Hair botox is on the Downtown Dubai and Dubai Marina lists. What the formula contains and how the appointment runs are not set out anywhere, so both are worth asking about at the consultation.
What is a keratin treatment?
A keratin treatment is a conditioning service: a keratin-based formula is worked into the hair and sealed with the heat of a flat iron, filling the damaged cuticle and smoothing the surface.
Keratin is not chemical straightening. Chemical straightening permanently alters the structure of the hair and leaves a visible line where new growth meets treated hair. Keratin washes out gradually over three to five months, and the hair eases back to its own texture with no hard regrowth line.
Who is a keratin treatment for?
Keratin suits frizzy, unruly or damaged hair, and anyone tired of fighting a blow-dry every morning in Dubai's humidity. Hair comes out smoother, dries faster and takes styling more easily.
There are limits. On coloured or lightened hair the condition of the hair matters, and on hair that is already very damaged the result holds for less time. On curly hair the treatment softens and removes frizz without always fully releasing the curl.
None of this is established for hair botox.
What does each cost in Dubai?
Both treatments are priced by hair length, in the same section of the menu, at the same figures. Downtown Dubai and Dubai Marina match each other on every row below.
| Length | Hair botox | Keratin | Nanoplastia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roots | AED 700 | AED 700 | AED 1200 |
| Short | AED 1000 | AED 1000 | AED 1500 |
| Medium | AED 1200 | AED 1200 | AED 1750 |
| Long | AED 1500 | AED 1500 | AED 1900 |
Prices on the salon's lists are before VAT, and 5% is added to the final bill.
The same section of the menu carries a thickness surcharge, listed in centimetres:
| Thickness | Surcharge |
|---|---|
| 7 to 8 cm | AED 150 |
| 9 to 10 cm | AED 250 |
| 11 to 12 cm | AED 350 |
| 13 to 14 cm | AED 450 |
| 15 to 17 cm | AED 700 |
The menu does not say what those centimetres measure, or which treatments the surcharge attaches to. Settle both before you book: at the top band the surcharge adds AED 700 by itself.
Where does nanoplastia fit?
Nanoplastia is on the same two lists and costs more at every length: AED 1200 at the roots against AED 700, and AED 1900 for long hair against AED 1500. Depending on the band, that is AED 400 to AED 550 more.
As with hair botox, what nanoplastia involves is not set out anywhere. The consultation is the place to ask what it does and how it differs from the other two.
Which salons offer them?
Hair botox, keratin and nanoplastia are all on the price lists for Downtown Dubai and Dubai Marina. Palm Jumeirah carries none of the three, so none of them can be booked at that branch.
The wider treatment list is on the hair services page.
What to ask before you book
The two treatments are not equally documented, which makes the consultation the place where the difference gets settled. Five things worth asking:
- What is in the hair botox formula, and is it formaldehyde free? Keratin here uses formaldehyde-free formulas, and nothing equivalent is stated for hair botox.
- How long should each hold on your hair? Keratin lasts three to five months.
- Which length band your hair falls into, since that is what sets the price.
- Whether the thickness surcharge applies to the treatment you are booking, and what the centimetre measurement refers to.
- Whether recent colour or lightening changes the recommendation, and in which order the two should be done.
Frequently asked questions
Is hair botox the same as a keratin treatment?
No. They are separate line items on the menu, priced identically at both salons that carry them. Keratin is a defined treatment with a stated formula type and a stated duration; hair botox is a marketing name with neither.
Does hair botox contain botulinum toxin?
No. The name is borrowed from the injectable, and that is the whole of the connection between them.
Can I have a keratin treatment at Palm Jumeirah?
No. Keratin, hair botox and nanoplastia are listed at Downtown Dubai and Dubai Marina only.
How long does a keratin treatment last?
Three to five months, washing out gradually rather than growing out behind a line. There is no comparable figure for hair botox or nanoplastia.
Which one is better for coloured hair?
Keratin is often done on coloured hair and can improve its condition. If you are planning colour, it is best done before the keratin or after a pause. There is no equivalent guidance for hair botox.
In short
Hair botox and keratin are priced identically at UNIQUE PERSONA: AED 700 at the roots rising to AED 1500 for long hair, at Downtown Dubai and Dubai Marina, with Palm Jumeirah carrying neither. Nanoplastia sits above both, at AED 1200 to AED 1900.
Keratin is a defined treatment with a known formula type and a known duration. Hair botox has a price and a name. Until that changes, the difference between the two is something to establish in the chair rather than online.
