If you have battled dry, damaged, frizzy hair for your entire life – or a month! – this is the answer to your prayers!
I have had to suffer with too curly, dry, brittle hair since I was little. As Cher stood on stage swinging her long shiny locks all over, I stood in front of my mirror with beer can rollers, lye straighteners, and an iron in an attempt to get straight hair, for just a few hours!
Technology and hair treatments haven’t changed much at all over the ensuing years. Unless you had hours to spend each morning with hair dryers, product, curling irons and hot plates, your choices were and are minimal. If your hair is frizzy, face it. It’s always been a losing battle.
Until now! I had heard about this new process called the Brazilian Keratin treatment. Supposedly it softened the frizz to the point that your hair actually straightened out on its own. It is not a lye based straightening product, but rather a keratin loaded product, with some formaldehyde, which acts as a super conditioner, putting your hair in better, not worse, shape.
Since I moved to Southern Florida about seven years ago, I completely gave up any sincere attempts at getting my hair to look good, never mind terrific. The humidity is my worst enemy. And it’s humid here almost every day. I wash my hair, load it up with serums and gels, and pull it back in a pony tail, no matter what the occasion. I can do little else.
I finally bumped into a neighbor a few weeks ago who had had the keratin process done. Her hair looked so remarkable, I didn’t recognize her! Long gone were the tight curls and head band, now replaced with super straight and shiny shoulder length locks that even Cher would be proud to own.
I asked, “How and where?” . She scribbled a phone number on my hand, and I went the following day. I was at my wit’s end. I canceled two client appointments and crossed my fingers.
When I arrived, I was reassured that I was doing the right thing. The stylist promised me that the worse the hair, the better the results. She said it would take about two hours and there was nothing to worry about.
They first wash your hair, unlike other treatments where the chemicals are applied to dry hair. Next, your hair is combed as straight at possible and sectioned off. The keratin is then slathered on with a coloring brush from the scalp to the ends. The application takes about 20 minutes depending on the length of your hair.
Once it’s on, your hair is again combed straight, and pulled even straighter. Don’t worry – your hair won’t break.
The keratin stays on your hair now! I wish I had been prepared for this next step ahead of time because it was a bit scary, but it’s all good. As the keratin remains on the hair, your hair is then blown dry with a huge roller brush and a very hot blow dryer held very close to the hair. What happens is that the keratin starts smoking. Literally. I thought my hair was on fire and almost jumped out of the chair!
The fumes can get pretty strong and even the stylists who perform this procedure on a regular basis are instructed to wear masks, along with making sure the product itself is stored in a space with plenty of ventilation.
However, as each section was blown dry, I could see how it just flopped down, totally lifeless. But that’s a good thing! It was no longer frizzed, stuck out, showed off the split ends, or did anything else to embarrass me. It just lay there. Beautiful. Glistening in the light.
I touched it, and was a bit concerned about how dry it felt. After all, I told myself, this is a heavy duty conditioning treatment and my hair should feel better along with looking better.
My stylist saw me poking and prodding my hair and took her comb to smack my knuckles. Your hair won’t feel soft until we use the flat iron!”
So I sat back and waited. In 45 minutes, after it was blown dry, my hair was as straight as a ruler. Not a wave, not a curl, not an errant split end. Straight. Cher straight. At that point, I didn’t care if it was soft or not. I was seeing something I had never seen before. All the straighteners, all the rollers, all the blow drying, and all the goop in the world had never given me hair like this.
I was thrilled. I had reached my own personal Nervana. I could die a happy woman – and I was certain I would if I had to breathe in any more of those formaldehyde fumes! I finally took a tissue out of my pocket to put over my nose.
Next came the hot iron. I almost screamed when I heard loud crackling coming from my head because I was certain my now perfect hair was being burned to a crisp. Again, my stylist reassured me that what I was hearing was nothing more than the keratin popping like pop corn. No problem.
She took section by section and used the straightening flat iron – something I would probably never try on my own – and my hair got even straighter, which totally amazed me.
After about two hours I had the most perfect soft, straight hair ever seen by mankind. I was so happy I broke into tears.
After this process, you will be instructed to not get your hair wet for at least four days. Nothing. No product, no sprays, no sweating!! Water will kill the process – the keratin needs to remain in an active form to complete its mission!
When I left the salon, it was actually raining. I had an umbrella, but I was waiting to see what the humidity would do. And it did – nothing! Absolutely nothing. Nada. Perfectamundo!
I went shopping, I went to dinner, I went to visit friends. It was so humid my sun glasses steamed up. But my hair was perfect. For the entire week!
When I finally washed it the first time, I got nervous. I don’t really have time to blow dry and use a hot flat iron, so I let it dry naturally. I did have a few waves towards the bottom, but the frizz was completely gone. No split ends sticking up all over. No need for tons of product. I used a cream leave in conditioner and … voila. Perfection.
Prices range from $150 to over $800. Try a smaller suburban salon where prices are cheaper. I live in Miami, but I went to the outskirts of the suburbs to find a certified salon and paid only $150. Miami Beach and New York City are closer to $500.
