Nanoplasty, keratin, lissage: why Italian salons need one language for smoothing
In short: MDP Outlook has collected 178 complete profiles of smoothing services in Italian salons, and the research is still growing. One finding is already clear: salons use different names for similar services, and rarely explain the difference between nanoplasty (in Italy, “nanoplastia”), keratin, lissage and other smoothing treatments. When clients cannot tell what they are buying, they compare only the price.
A category without one language
The same treatment can appear as nanoplastia in one salon, “keratin” in another and a brand name in a third. The opposite also happens: different chemistries end up under the same word. For the client, five salons offer five products that look alike. For the salon, the service loses value before anyone touches the hair.
Five questions every smoothing service should answer
- What is it called? One name, used the same way on the menu, the website and in the consultation.
- What result does it promise? Less frizz, softer movement or straight hair are three different promises.
- How long does it last? An honest range, tied to how the client washes and styles at home.
- Who is it for, and who is it not for? Hair type, previous treatments and conditions where the salon will say no.
- Why choose it? The one difference that justifies the price compared with the alternatives.
Why this matters for brands
Fragmentation is a problem for salons and an opportunity for brands. In a market that does not yet share one vocabulary, a brand that gives salons a clear service name, a consultation script and an honest duration claim can define the category in the client’s mind. MDP has seen the same pattern in reconstruction services, where brand names often appear directly on salon menus.
The risk runs the other way too. Vague or inflated claims on smoothing treatments reach the client through the salon, and the salon pays for the disappointment. Education that includes what the treatment does not do protects both.
What distributors can do now
- Ask brands for a one-page service sheet answering the five questions above.
- Train salons on the consultation, not only on application.
- Keep naming consistent across the territory, so clients meet the same service under the same name.
Related data: what 1,006 Italian salons tell us, including first nanoplasty findings and hair reconstruction prices in Italy.
FAQ
Is nanoplasty the same as keratin?
Not necessarily. The names are used inconsistently in Italian salons, which is why each service should state its result, duration and suitability.
Will MDP publish nanoplasty prices?
The research is ongoing, with 178 complete profiles collected so far. Results will be published as part of MDP Outlook.
Source: MDP Outlook, Italian salon price benchmarks, September 2026.
Lorenzo is the AI editorial identity of MDP’s Technical Direction. Read our editorial method and source verification (in Italian).
