Call today! 813.949.3300
Call today! 813.949.3300
Nu Image Medspa is where to get a keratin treatment in Lutz, FL — a smoothing treatment that infuses keratin and seals the cuticle to cut frizz, add shine, soften curl and dramatically reduce blow-dry time for months. A keratin smoothing treatment starts at $275 and lasts about 3–5 months. We offer formaldehyde-free options, performed by a licensed stylist in the clean, ventilated setting of a medical spa. Find us at 3939 Cheval Blvd, just off N Dale Mabry Hwy near Cheval, Steinbrenner High School and Gaither High School.
It’s not a permanent straightener — it relaxes and smooths rather than poker-straightens, so your hair stays natural, just calmer. In a market where humidity barely lets up all year, that makes keratin one of the highest-value services on the menu — wash-and-go hair that survives the lake, the pool and the gym without frizzing. It’s the only salon in the area inside a medical spa. Serving Lutz, Cheval, Carrollwood, Northdale, Odessa, Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel. Call 813.949.3300.
Some treatments are a nice-to-have here. Keratin is closer to a necessity, because it’s aimed squarely at the one thing every Lutz head of hair fights daily — frizz — and frizz, around here, is a humidity problem before it’s anything else. A treatment that’s a seasonal luxury up north is a year-round workhorse on the Gulf side of Florida, and understanding why is the difference between a keratin that earns its keep and one that disappoints.
Frizz isn’t random; it’s physics. Hair is covered in tiny cuticle scales, and when the air is wet — as it is here, with summer dew points sitting in the 70s for months — those scales lift and the strand drinks in moisture and swells. That swelling is frizz. A keratin treatment smooths and seals the cuticle flat so there’s far less for the humidity to grab, which is exactly why it does more for a Lutz client than for someone in a dry climate: It’s solving the local problem at its source.
The payoff isn’t just smoother hair — it’s time and freedom. Keratin can cut blow-dry time roughly in half and let hair air-dry far smoother, so the morning routine shrinks and the hair holds up through a day on the water, a round of golf or a workout without puffing out. For the Cheval and North Tampa crowd whose lives are spent outdoors and on the move, that wash-and-go resilience is the whole appeal.
Most of what the climate does to hair is damage to defend against — sun fading color, chlorine turning blonde brassy. Keratin flips that script: The hotter and more humid the market, the harder it works and the more obvious the result. There’s no real off-season for frizz in Lutz, so unlike a northern winter that buys you dry-air relief for months, here the smooth lasts as a genuine, year-round upgrade — which is what makes it one of the best-value things you can do for your hair in this zip code.
If you’ve researched keratin at all, you’ve run into the word formaldehyde. It’s a fair concern: Some older and cheaper smoothing formulas rely on ingredients that release formaldehyde gas when the hair is heated with a flat iron, which is what created keratin’s mixed reputation in the first place. The treatment itself isn’t the problem — the formula and the setting are.
This is where being a medical spa rather than a booth or a quick-service chair genuinely changes things. Nu Image offers formaldehyde-free options, applies them by a licensed professional who assesses your hair first, and works in a clean, properly ventilated, medically-supervised environment — the same standard we hold for every treatment under our roof. You get the smooth, frizz-free result without guessing about what’s in the bottle or what’s in the air.
It’s the same advantage that runs through everything here: Your keratin, your color, and your skin treatments all happen in one trusted place, held to a clinical standard — not a luxury most salons can offer.
| Best for | Frizz control, humidity-proofing, softening curl, cutting blow-dry time, added shine |
|---|---|
| What it is | A smoothing treatment that seals the cuticle — not a permanent straightener |
| Formaldehyde | Formaldehyde-free options · clean, ventilated medical-spa setting |
| Starting price (Lutz) | From $275 · varies by length & density · see specials |
| Appointment time | About 1.5–3.5 hours, depending on length & thickness |
| Results last | About 3–5 months · fades gradually, no hard line |
| Performed by | A master stylist, decades behind the chair · meet the team |
Pricing is approximate and confirmed at your complimentary consultation. Final price varies with hair length, density and goals. Ask about current specials and flexible payment plans.
Every treatment starts with a consultation to match the right system and strength to your hair. Common options:
The complete treatment — maximum frizz control, curl softening and shine that carries you through months of humidity.
$275+
A lighter, faster smooth for mild frizz or a refresh between full treatments — less commitment, quicker in the chair.
By consult
The result without the controversy — formaldehyde-free formulas applied in a clean, ventilated medical-spa setting.
By consult
Softens curl and erases frizz on wavy, curly, coarse and textured hair while keeping natural movement — never poker-straight.
By consult
Pairing a smooth with color, balayage or highlights? We plan the timing so each protects the other.
By consult
The right take-home shampoo and products are what make it last — we set you up so your smooth holds for months, not weeks.
Take-home
Not sure if keratin is right for your hair, or whether a full or express smooth fits? A quick consultation maps it out — with pricing confirmed up front.
Both smooth frizz and add shine — the difference is in downtime and how much curl comes out. A keratin treatment softens curl more and lasts a little longer; a Brazilian Blowout® is built to wash and style the same day. Here’s the honest side-by-side.
| Keratin smoothing | Brazilian Blowout® | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Keratin smoothing treatment | Branded smoothing system |
| Frizz & curl | Smooths frizz, softens curl | Smooths frizz, keeps more curl |
| After it’s done | Wait ~1–3 days (some formulas) | Wash & style same day |
| Lasts | ~3–5 months | ~3 months |
| Formaldehyde | Formaldehyde-free options | Varies by formula — ask |
| Best for | Maximum frizz & curl control | Frizz control, zero downtime |
Keratin can look like a paint-it-on service, but it’s chemistry plus heat on hair that may already be colored, lightened or sun-worn — and that’s where it goes right or wrong. The judgment is choosing the correct formula and strength for your exact hair, clarifying properly, and sealing at the right temperature for a lasting smooth without scorching the strand. Rushed or mismatched, a keratin leaves hair limp or damaged; done right, it leaves it healthier than it found it — which is what Karen delivers, to a clean medical-spa standard with formaldehyde-free options, inside a Lutz practice trusted for 20+ years with a 4.7-star reputation.
Master Stylist · Licensed Board of Cosmetology · Smoothing & Color Timing · NYC Hair Show Veteran
Karen’s smoothing work is grounded in decades of NYC hair shows, seminars and in-house training. She reads your texture, porosity and color history before choosing a formula, so the treatment calms frizz and softens curl without leaving hair flat — and she knows exactly how to sequence a keratin around your color so neither one undoes the other.
Every keratin starts with the all-important consultation — the hallmark of her work — so the result and upkeep match your real routine. Clients love her sunny, upbeat chair-side energy.
We read your hair type, history and goals and choose the right formula and strength.
Hair is clarified to remove buildup so the treatment can bond evenly and last.
The smoothing treatment is applied and sealed with controlled heat for a lasting result.
You leave with a sulfate-free routine and timeline to protect your smooth for months — and we can add a deep conditioning treatment to keep it supple.
We’re centrally located on Cheval Blvd, a simple drive from Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes through Carrollwood, Odessa, Northdale and Cheval — wherever the humidity finds you. Tap your neighborhood for directions and local details.
Directions from Cheval →
Directions from Northdale →
Directions from Odessa →
Directions from Carrollwood →
Directions from Land O’ Lakes →
Drive times are approximate — check live directions for your exact route. Free on-site parking at 3939 Cheval Blvd, Lutz, FL 33558.
A keratin smoothing treatment starts at $275. The exact price depends on your hair’s length, density and how much frizz and curl you’re smoothing, so it’s confirmed at your complimentary consultation. We also run new salon specials every month.
Typically about 3–5 months. It doesn’t grow out with a hard line — it fades gradually as the smoothing wears off, so your hair eases back to its natural texture rather than changing overnight. A sulfate-free shampoo and the right aftercare noticeably extend it.
It smooths rather than permanently straightens. Keratin relaxes curl, eliminates frizz, adds shine and cuts blow-dry time dramatically, but it isn’t a permanent straightener. Curly hair becomes looser and far more manageable while keeping movement, and the effect fades over a few months rather than leaving a hard line.
Both smooth frizz and add shine. A traditional keratin treatment tends to soften curl more and last a little longer (about 3–5 months), and with some formulas you wait roughly 1–3 days before washing. A Brazilian Blowout® is a branded system built to wash and style the same day with little downtime, usually keeping more natural volume and curl. The right pick depends on your hair and how much curl reduction you want.
The safety concern people read about is formaldehyde, which some older formulas release as a gas when heated. Nu Image offers formaldehyde-free options and performs every treatment in the clean, ventilated setting of a medical spa by licensed pros. We review your hair and goals first and recommend the right formula. Pregnant or nursing clients should let us know so we can advise accordingly.
Yes. It works on straight, wavy, curly and coarse or textured hair, including color-treated hair — the strength and formula are matched to your hair. On curly and textured hair it softens curl and removes frizz while keeping movement, and on color-treated hair it can help seal and protect the color. Timing it around color appointments matters, so we plan that together.
The biggest factor is a sulfate-free shampoo, since sulfates strip the treatment out fastest. If your formula requires it, wait the recommended time before the first wash, avoid tight ponytails and clips in those early days, and limit heavy chlorine and salt-water exposure when you can. We send you home with specific aftercare and product guidance.
We’re at 3939 Cheval Blvd, Lutz, FL 33558, just off N Dale Mabry Hwy near Cheval, Steinbrenner High School and Gaither High School — serving Lutz, Carrollwood, Northdale, Cheval, Odessa, Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel. Free on-site parking. Call 813.949.3300 to book.