After Japanese and Brazilian Hair Straightening/TR:

How to maintain the beauty of your hair.

You may think your service is now complete, but the procedure is not yet over. The neutralizing chemical only begins to re-associate the disulfide/sulfur bonds, the hair still needs to absorb more oxygen and will do so naturally through the air. A rainstorm, an overly humid day or even a steamy shower stall could dramatically affect the straightening process—your hair could have some reversion to its straight state or you may get strange bits of hair doing weird things that they are not suppose to be doing.

The hair has been known to take on the shape of the parting or crimp where it has been clamped during the straightening process and during the 48 to 72 hours after the chemical process. Therefore, it is important that the hair is not parted or clipped in a strange position.

If your hair gets wet accidentally within the first 48 to 72 hours; blow-dry the hair nozzle pointing downward towards the ends of hair. Keep the blow-dryer moving instead of leaving it in one spot, then gently Slide the flat iron on the wet sections at low temperature (120°C to 130°C). If you notice a crease that’s caused from sleeping within the first 48 to 72 hours, Slide the iron gently to remove the crease. Do not stop while flat ironing, keep it moving.

After you leave the salon, it is imperative not to brush your hair aggressively or tucking hair behind your ears for 48 to 72 hours. The stylist will instruct you not to shampoo or wet your hair for 48-72 hours after the straightening service. No work-out/sweating for 48-72 hours after the straightening service. This is to allow your hair to completely neutralize into the current shape. Try not to use clips or bows too often as they tend to break and crease the hair.

Immediately after a chemical straightening treatment the hair will be chemically altered and in a softened condition and it can easily be damaged. That means no clips, pins, metal clips or clips with teeth, rubber bands, barrettes, pony tails, pullbacks for 7 days.

• Do not wear a style that “creates tension” on the hair or along the hairline such as, ponytails and pullbacks for 7 days
• Do not use anything that “causes pressure” on the hair such as, tight cap, hat or scarf for 7 days.

The hair should not be constricted in any way for 7 days after a chemical straightening service. This gives hair time to become firmly established and recover.

The first two weeks after a TR treatment your hair may look bone straight. After two weeks you’ll notice a little bounce and body. This is perfectly normal. However, gradually you’ll notice a little bounce and body. If you put your hair in pony tails try to use a coated rubber band or soft cloth hair scrunchies. Try not to use clips or bows too often as they tend to crease and break the hair.

Do not swim in chlorinate pools or Sea water and/or expose your hair to too much Sun for at least 2 weeks after a hair Straightening/TR service, your hair might react in a way which cannot be predicted and may revert back. It is also important to follow “Before and After Swimming and Sun exposure” directions to minimize damage to the hair and/or reversion.

Do not shower with hot water. Always use warm water, not too hot not too cold. Do not use sulfur base anti-dandruff shampoos, it has detrimental effects on chemically straightened/TRd hair and may cause reversion.

There is another “NEW” technology in hair straightening

and it is called "Brazilian Keratin Treatment/BKT". The BKT works incredibly great for people where the structural stability of their hair is weak and damaged, due to bleach and highlight. These same people may not be a good candidate for a TR, but okay for BKT.

As far as treatment with heat and keratin; it can make damaged hair feel silky again, but as you know, nothing actually re-creates the hair fiber but fills in the damaged areas. Bleached hair "sets" better than normal hair as the matrix proteins have already been made more pliable by bleaching. In this case, the heat of the iron and formalin do cross-link the hair proteins as well as polymerizing the formalin. This make a silky feel on the hair and a straight result that slowly reverts back.

Brazilian Keratin Treatment/BKT is not permanent, the results lasts about 2-4 months. I have clients from all walks of life. My expanse and my experience in working with curly, unruly, difficult to manage hair is large. I have different solutions for different hair types, textures and conditions of hair. The start price I charge for Brazilian Keratin Treatment/BKT is $350. The average price I charge is about $450. It could be more; depending on hair length and abundance of hair.