Yesterday, I got the Simply Smooth Brazilian Keratin Treatment from Peggy Loughlin, Master Hair Designer & Colorist, at Cassandra Salon and Spa in Nashua, NH.
The process took a little over 31/2 hours from start to finish. She started by shampooing my hair 4 times with Simply Smooth Pre-Clean Purifying Shampoo to strip all the dirt, conditioner build-up, etc off the hair. She then lightly towel dried my hair and went to work combing it out and then applying special Brazilian Keratin Treatment to my hair with a brush that looked just like a standard 8″ brush for applying hair color dye. This part of the process took about an hour.
When the treatment was completely distributed on every single strand of hair, she put my hair in a clip, put a bag over my hair and put me under the heat dryer chair for about 15 minutes. After that, she took my hair out and started the process of blow drying it straight with a brush on a very high heat setting. This part of the process took about an hour.
Once my hair was finally dried (I have very thick hair and it takes forever to dry!) she began the process of straightening my hair and sealing on the treatment with a very hot flat iron. She did VERY small sections of hair at a time and went over it several times to make sure the treatment was sealed onto each strand of hair. This part of the process took about an hour.
Then I was all done! This was the end result after all her hard work…
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I was so surprised that it really took the perm out!
Before I left, Peggy gave me instructions to not to put my hair up in a scrunchy, elastic, clip or anything for as long as possible, but a minimum of 4 days. You also can not wash your hair or get it wet for 4 days afterwards. This ensures that the treatment will fully settle into your hair and bond with it more permanently.
It’s highly recommended that you use the Simple Smooth shampoo & condition with Keratin in it to make sure you make the treatment last as long as possible. Simply Smooth products use the highest quality, purest keratin derived from botanicals and human hair. Using two type of quality keratin increases the performance of the treatment. The formula is also enriched with vitamins from plants, apple pulp, and vanilla. The Simply Smooth formula is gentle enough to allow for coloring and highlighting on the same day, and it will not alter lighter shades of color-treated hair.
Here’s some more pics of my hair after the treatment…
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And here is what my hair looked like the day after I got my perm in November 2009…
No, I don’t color my hair. That’s my natural color. The picture of the perm, is the most accurate to show my true color. The Brazilian Keratin Treatment is still in my hair in the above pictures and I think it made my hair appear more dull and darker in the pictures. Those pictures were also taken with a different camera…
I loved my hair curly and would have gotten it re-permed, but it’s inadvisable to get a perm (or any chemical hair treatments) while pregnant. My doctor said no way because of the chemicals and the salon said no way because the protein in your hair changes while you pregnant, plus your hair grows faster, and hair in most cases will not perm while you’re pregnant.
Since I didn’t want to be left to let my perm grow out for the next 6 months, I opted to try this treatment to take out my perm so I wouldn’t have to deal with a bad hair day from now until August. It’s safe, chemical free and promised to make my hair beautiful and manageable.
At first, the price scared me… a lot… but I heard so many happy reviews from other women who got the same treatment, that I decided to go for it anyway. And fore-go shopping for at least a month to be able to afford it…
It hasn’t even been 24 hours since I got the treatment so I can’t tell you from experience how long it will last, if it “really worked”, or anything like that.
Overall, the experience was very positive. It really didn’t seem like 31/2 and I was never left wondering why it was taking so long or when it was going to be over. Peggy was wonderful to talk to during the treatment and it made time fly by.
I mainly just wanted to document the experience thus far and answer some common questions…
Questions and Answers
Q: How long did it take?
A: About 3 1/2 hours (Average is 1-3 hours depending on the density and length of hair)
Q: How much did it cost?
A: My salon charges by the hour for this – $125/hr. My total came to $320 plus tip, plus products = $456 (OUCH!!!)
Q: How long does it last?
A: It’s supposed to last approximately 16 weeks (4 months) with the proper care.
Q: Does it work on curly hair or does hair have to be straight??
A: I had a perm in November and it seems to have worked great so far on mine!
Q: Is it like a perm?
A: NO! The Simply Smooth treatment is formaldehyde and chemical free smoothing treatment relaxes and revitalizes hair. It’s safer than traditional straightening treatments, but also isn’t as permanent.
Q: Is it safe?
A: Yes! This process does not chemically alter the hair and repairs damaged hair leaving it shiny and full of body.
If you have any other questions, please leave a comment and let me know!!!
Wondering how the treatment held up after a few months?
