Request - Permanent/ Semi Permanent Hair Staightening

I had a request to do a post on the different types of hair straightening.  Your basic options are ionic straightening, relexers, and keratin straightening.  You can also straighten your own hair with a flat iron but everyone already know how long that lasts/ maintainence.

Ionic Straightening:
Developed in Japan, this chemical straightening service leaves the hair sleek and straight. Even the unruliest curls are left straight, even with out blowdrying, until it grows out.  Not recommended for very damaged, or hair that has had lots of chemical services (colour, lots of bleach highlights etc).
Maintenance: You need to have your regrowth done every 6 - 8 weeks as your hair that grows in is curly and the rest is very, very straight.  As this service is damaging you want to use a salon-brand hydrating or repairing shampoo and conditioner (and deep conditioner once a week).

Cost: approximately 50 - 600 depending on how much hair you want to straighten & how long/ thick your hair is.
Tip: If you like lots of body in your hair this is not the treatment for you.
       If you like your round brush blow dry your hair (for that victoria secret style) you'll have to use a curling iron for this now.


Relaxers:
Chemical hair relaxers were first developed by accident in 1910.  This straightening service leaves the hair relaxed and not nessassarily straight. Not recommended for very damaged, or hair that has had lots of chemical services (colour, lots of bleach highlights etc).  See photo.

As you can see the hair is "relaxed" /straightened but its doesnt have that silky sleek straight look. It can still has small movement but not fully a curl.
Maintenance: You need to have your regrowth done every 6 - 8 weeks as your hair that grows in is curly and the rest is straight.  As this service is also damaging you want to use a salon-brand hydrating or repairing shampoo and conditioner (and deep conditioner once a week).

  

What regrowth looks like when you have your hair relaxed (this would be even more obvious if you had an ionic straightening as the hair that has been treated would be straighter)

Cost: approximately 200 - 400 depending on how long & thick your hair is.

Brazilian Keratin Treatments:
Ahh the treatments that got bad reps for lying about having formaldahyde in their products...
In the salon I use a product called KeraStraight, which contains absolutely no formaldahyde or other aldahyde porduct in there formula.  Developed in brazil, this service is a temporary straightening treatment that uses a low ph protein and amino acids (which are extracted from vegetables, which mean the amino acids would naturally be aborbed into your body).  The treatment can be used to eliminate frizz, straighten curl and repair damage. Recommended for all hair types however, absorbs best into hair that has been previously chemically treated. Virgin hair will benefit from the treatment but will likely see straighter results after more than one application.  The treatment will cut down the time it takes your hair to dry & styling will be alot easier/ smoother with less effort.
Maintenance: Virtually no maintenance as the treatment gradually fades out of your hair after about 4 months. You may however do the treatment once a month. You can still colour your hair with out affecting the treatment.  There is a specific take-home shampoo & conditioner made by KeraStraight to help the longevity of your treatment.  It contains no sulphates & is very very gentle so you dont wash your treatment down the drain. DO NOT USE A DEEP CLEANSING SHAMPOO IN YOUR HAIR! Doing so will open the cuticle too much and your treatment wont last as long.
Cost: approximately 300 - 600 or so depending on how long/ thick your hair is.

The model shown has nautally very curly hair that has lots of colour history. The picture doesnt do it justice (as it was taken from my phone) but its alot "frizzier" and very dry/ damaged.  She wanted to repair her damage, and smooth out her frizz while maintaning her curl.

 The model's hair is dry with out any product or brush to show its natural texture.

 

 Model's hair diffused after treatment (again sorry for bad quality photo) to show what her hair would be like work airdried.

Model after 1 - 2 passes with a blow dryer & a paddle brush. (before with the model's hair to get a section 1/4 of the size this smooth, it needed lots of tension, product and atleast 4 passes with a round brush. 

If you ask me this treatment is pretty amazing.