Pre-Wedding (Bro''s not mine!) Day Hair Straightening

[Bia]

Hi Ladies (and any gentlemen). I had a question about hair straightening. My brother is getting married in September of this year and I will be in the wedding party. In the Northeast, September can be still very hot and muggy. So, I have been researching different hair straightening methods hoping that I might find something that will keep the frizz at bay for the summer--flat iron is great but in the summer, as soon as my hair gets damp, IT IS OVER! My poor hair HATES summer, unless I am at the beach and the sweaty tendrils look kind of cute...sort of

So my questions to you are:

1.) Has anyone done any form of permanent straightening (i.e., Japanese Thermal Reconditioning, Keratin treatments, or anything similar)?

2.) If so, how long has it lasted, and did it do more damage than good?

3.) Does it help with frizz?

4.) How much did you pay? What area are you in? I am in the NYC area.

And, all-in-all, was it worth it? If you have heard anything, but not done it yourself, please let me in on the info anyway! Even you lucky ones with beautiful, glossy hair!

Thanks!

 

[Ice Princess Cristy]

Hi! I can''t help with the permanent straightening, but my hair tends to be wavy and frizzy. I used to live on LI and it was horrible in summers. I just used my straightener at home and use primarily aveda straightening products. They always worked well, my hair was soft, flowy and shiny without being oily looking or frizzing up after a few hours....
Don''t know if have tried any of those products yet or if you are set on the permanent thing... good luck!

 

[Bia]

Have tried it all LOL, EXCEPT for the product you listed. Will have to give it a try.

The permanent straightening is all the rave up here--particularly women with ethnic and/or very curly hair. However, I have heard some have harsh chemicals, which I don''t want either. The results on these web sites are amazing but if I am going to damage my hair then I don''t want to bother paying so much money.

Thanks for the info, much appreciated!

 

[FireGoddess]

1.) Has anyone done any form of permanent straightening (i.e., Japanese Thermal Reconditioning, Keratin treatments, or anything similar)? Japanese Thermal

2.) If so, how long has it lasted, and did it do more damage than good? About a year till I had to get the regrowth done...the rest of the hair stays pin straight

3.) Does it help with frizz? Yes, tremendously

4.) How much did you pay? What area are you in? I am in the NYC area. NoCal...prices I saw were approx $500-800 on the lower end

And, all-in-all, was it worth it? If you have heard anything, but not done it yourself, please let me in on the info anyway! Even you lucky ones with beautiful, glossy hair!

Totally worth it. I think the Japanese method is much less damaging to your hair...some of those other formulations can really fry your hair.

Thanks!

 

[iwannaprettyone]

Toni and Guy makes a straightening serum that works well against the frizz.

 

[Gemma12]

Hi Bia,

I have had BioIonics done on my hair and a ''relax'' treatment the name of which I can''t recall but I will ask my hairdresser. I have super super thick, coarse and frizzy (no definite wave) hair).

The Bio is way expensive (I had it done as a ''hair model'', so was free for me!) but lasted on my hair about 16 months. I never got the regrowth done but my hair stayed much more manageable for about 2 years.

The relax treatment is not as ''straight''-more takes out the frizz. I can style it super straight much more easily than previously.

Both treatments are chemical and my hair was drier afterwards. The Bio had a special shampoo that you use. With the relax one I just used my normal aveda products. Both helped hugely with frizz but as FG says, much straighter with the thermal techniques. My hair did not look ''treated'', but looked and felt very smooth and shiny.

I live in Oz so the costs probably won''t help you but Bio on my long thick hair would have cost me about $800-1000 and the regrowth is just as expensive. The relax treatment they just do on the bits that need it. It was $250 for my whole head, so a lot cheaper (and 2 hrs vs 4 hours in the salon!)

I would recommend both-if you want pin straight, the Bio is better, but to reduce frizz, the Relax worked just as well for me.

HTH!

 

[Bia]

Thanks ladies for your responses!

Firegoddess: So you did Japanese Thermal. Question, what is the structure of your hair? Is it very thick and course or very curly and thick? My hair is wavy if I brush and put up, but spiral curly if I scrunch w/ product. The thing is, while its not thin or thick, the strands are VERY fragile and break easily. That is what concerns me about the Thermal. Would be interested to know who does best on this treatment. My FSIL wants to do the thermal reconditioning but her hair is very long, thick and more course than curly--quite beautiful actually.

iwannaprettyone: thanks for the advice, I will have to check it out and hope for the best before I spends lots 'o money LOL

Gemma: You said BioIonics? I haven't heard of that one yet. I have heard of BKT, which is Brazilian Keratin Treatment. Heard it works WONDERS, hair stays pin straight for 4 months, BUT the product has formaldehyde in it. The formaldehyde is used to open the hair shaft so you can apply the keratin. I don't feel comfortable with that, especially because of fumes. Isn't formaldehyde a carcinogen? I think I remember that from Anatomy&Phys or Chem...something like that.

I will definitely research the suggestions you have and see what the Bio one was all about. Are you considering doing it again? I would probably only do it once a year, just to get me through the summer, but if I like it, who knows!

Thanks again, I really loved your responses!!!

 

[FireGoddess]

Date: 5/24/2008 9:30:00 AM
Author: Bia
Thanks ladies for your responses!

Firegoddess: So you did Japanese Thermal. Question, what is the structure of your hair? Is it very thick and course or very curly and thick? My hair is wavy if I brush and put up, but spiral curly if I scrunch w/ product. The thing is, while its not thin or thick, the strands are VERY fragile and break easily. That is what concerns me about the Thermal. Would be interested to know who does best on this treatment. My FSIL wants to do the thermal reconditioning but her hair is very long, thick and more course than curly--quite beautiful actually.

My hair is very thick, and it honestly can''t decide if it wants to be curly or straight so it kind of does neither very well. Trying to blowdry my hair straight with a round brush is a joke and it comes out....not frizzy, but not sleek either. Kinda poofy. My hair looks fantastic when flatironed, but I don''t have the time or patience to do it myself with such thick hair. If I scrunched it, it would wave a bit, but never get nice tight curls. With the thermal, I just pointed my hair dryer downward and my hair was pin straight and not poofy in a matter of minutes.

It''s really best to get a consultation with a good hairstylist to find out if your hair can take the treatment. I know that my hair was very very strong before the treatment and afterwards I did notice some breakage, so it''s important that you do a consultation to find out whether your hair is strong enough and which product would be best to use. They can be done in different strengths and formulations depending on whether you want your hair to look flat ironed straight or just natural straight, etc.

 

[Bia]

Thanks! Sounds like you and my FSIL have the same kind of hair. Your hair does look gorgeous flat ironed...like you have extensions but you dont!!! Her trouble is that her hair poofs, it doesn't really frizz (so she has that dome head look)...and its too thick and long to blow dry and flat iron everyday. My hair doesn't take long to do either but I am concerned that I am breaking may hair too much.

I will keep researching. Thanks so much for all the information!!!

BIG HELP

 

[marvel]

Date: 5/23/2008 2:37:00 PM
Author: FireGoddess

1.) Has anyone done any form of permanent straightening (i.e., Japanese Thermal Reconditioning, Keratin treatments, or anything similar)? Japanese Thermal

2.) If so, how long has it lasted, and did it do more damage than good? About a year till I had to get the regrowth done...the rest of the hair stays pin straight

3.) Does it help with frizz? Yes, tremendously

4.) How much did you pay? What area are you in? I am in the NYC area. NoCal...prices I saw were approx $500-800 on the lower end

And, all-in-all, was it worth it? If you have heard anything, but not done it yourself, please let me in on the info anyway! Even you lucky ones with beautiful, glossy hair!

Totally worth it. I think the Japanese method is much less damaging to your hair...some of those other formulations can really fry your hair.

Thanks!

Yes, to everything that FG said. And your hair will only get damaged if you go to someone that doesn''t know what the he11 they''re doing. It''s worth the price if the person is well qualified and knows what they are doing.