Keratin treatment vs heat styling for damaged wavy hair, what would you recommend?

Hi everyone, looking for some honest advice. I’m a doctor and usually have had pretty good hair overall ; healthy, black, mid-length hair. It’s naturally a bit wavy, but over time it has become more curly/frizzy, I think partly because I used to straighten and heat-curl it a lot without heat protection.

Now it doesn’t look as healthy as before, and I feel like I can’t attend events without heat styling it first. I’m considering getting a keratin treatment, but I’m unsure what to expect.

My questions:

- Is keratin treatment likely to improve the look/texture a lot, or can it damage hair long-term?

- If I maintain proper hair care afterward, does that reduce the risks?

- Can keratin treatments increase hair fall/shedding?

- Would it be smarter to skip keratin and instead invest in something like a Dyson/Airwrap plus consistent heat protectant?

- If you were in my position, what would you do to restore healthier-looking hair while still styling for events?

Would really appreciate advice from people who’ve actually dealt with heat-damaged hair or had keratin done. Thank you!