Straight Hair but at What Cost?

So we all know women - if you have curly hair you want straight hair and if you have straight hair you want curly hair.  Well the things women will do to get straight hair is unbelievable.  Apparently, there is this new treatment called a Brazilian Blowout and tons of different Keratin Hair Treatments.  Everything I have read says that it uses formaldehyde and that it is brutal to get done and I have even read that some woman died from not washing her hair (as recommended by the salon) and the fumes killing her.  Believe me I know how much it sucks to do your hair and then go out in the humidity and all of your hard work kinks up in a second.  It totally sucks.  But are you seriously willing to put your life in danger for some flat hair?  Also beware of products that state formaldehyde free - testing has been done and they found formaldehyde in those products too.  

Back in college I had my hair chemically straightened twice - it definitely wasn't a Brazilian Blowout but I'm sure that wasn't good for me either.  The second time I got it done, the girl applying the product says oh crap...then leaves the chair....she comes back and I ask if anything is wrong ... she says no.  Well about a month later I realize what the "oh crap" was....TONS of hair had broken off and now had grown back.  I couldn't even wear my hair in a pony tail for months because the little pieces stuck straight up through the smoothed back hair.  I dubbed it my mini-fro (smaller version of white girl fro) and had to suffer through it until it grew back and I've NEVER gotten a chemical straightener since!  Also, I still had to blow dry my hair AND use a flat iron so what was I spending money on?

Is flat hair really still in?  Don't get me wrong I'll straighten mine every once in a while now but I'd much rather sport the Kardashian Hair.  Also, right now my hair is pretty long and pretty healthy and I know it is from giving it a rest.  Take care of your hair because burning it off with my horrible chemicals just for flat straight hair will definitely not look better than some curls.