Keratin Hair Treatment

Remember when all there was to style curly hair was gel and mousse? I was born in the 80's and my sisters and I ironed our hair with the clothes iron and ironing board, because flat irons did not yet exist. That wasn't so long ago, but it seems very dark ages.

Since I was in high school I have chemically relaxed, thermal reconditioned (japanese straightened), and straight permed my hair. The results did leave my hair straight-permanently-but my hair quality was not improved. In all these cases regrowth, heat styling and coloring made the straightened hair weak, dull and frayed.

A new light has entered the dark world of the frizzy, unruly, wavy haired bitches. The Keratin treatment is a revolutionary application that will make your hair so glossy it will look like a child's hair. Plus the treatment results are cummulative so every three months (using the proper shampoo to protect your results) more and more keratin will be deposited on the cuticle. The appearance of the hair is dazzling and youthful.

I don't buy it when people say you want what you don't have: e.g., I have curly hair and want it straight or straight and want it curly-- I just want options. The keratin treatment leaves my hair straight at first and then over the course of 3 months my own beautiful natural wave starts to come back. When my own natural curl begins it's return it is lustrous and relaxed and most importantly more manageable. The blow dry time for hair that has had a keratin treatment is easily 50% of what it used to be.

THE PROCESS

There are many different kinds of keratin treatment. I do the treatment with Formaldehyde in it. In this treatment, proper application and ventilation are key. This treatment has the longest lasting results, because the formaldehyde strips the cuticle a little, allowing the keratin protein to permeate and coat the cuticle more effectively.

The stylist will wash your hair 3 or 4 times and rough up the cuticle.

Then the stylist will apply very tiny dabs of keratin solution at the root, middle, and end of hair. Candace Dodd, stylist at Patrick Evan's Salon, says that applying the smallest amount of solution possible is important because the heat from the flat iron is going to smoke the chemicals in the hair and excess product means more formaldehyde fumes.

The hair is then blowdried.

Then the hair is flat ironed in small sections starting in the back. "Each section is flat ironed until the shine comes through," Candace Dodd says, "That could happen in 4, 8 or 12 passes." While the hair is flat ironed a ventilator hood is used to suck the fumes that come off the hair.

The entire process takes around 3 hours. At home care for the first 72 hours means, not getting it wet, not shampooing, and not pinning it back or gathering it behind the ears. This may put a bend in the hair.

Price point is between $200-500. You MUST purchase a sulfate-free shampoo and NOT the L'oreal sulfate free shampoo. I used that and it foamed so much it stripped all the keratin out of my hair--leaving it frizzy, yet again. Recommendations: Coppola Keratin Care Shampoo, Unite smoothing or moisturizing shampoo, and Bumble and bumble quenching shampoo. Any conditoner is fine to use. I love Bumble and Bumble Deeep and Yuko Phi-Tenbella Treatment Repair conditioner. Like any beauty treatment at home care is where you maintain results.

I have seen amazing results with this treatment on my clients and myself. i highly recommend The Keratin Treatment, and if you are so lucky to live in the bay area, Patrick Evan's Salon has an incredible reputation for excellence, and I patronize businesses that practice integrity and consistency of service http://www.patrickevan.com/.