Good hair days - for months!

After years of experimentation, I have learned to accept things about myself that would be too much trouble to change — one of them being my alanganin hair. You see, my hair can’t decide between being wavy and being straight. It’s flat and limp at the crown area, and expands into waves mid-section with frizzy bits along the way. I have straightened it, curled it, colored it and permed it. I have had my hair long, short, one-length and layered. Each time I had a bad haircut or a weird color, I would just shrug it off and wait for it to grow. I’ve never shed a tear over any hair mishaps because after crying, I would just be back to the bad hair — plus puffy eyes and a red nose to match.

Now, let me tell you about what I had done. I tried Piandre salons newest hair-smoothening treatment : the Keratin Hair Smoothing Complex. It claims to remove frizz and kinks semi-permanently and leave hair in better condition than when you started. Having been an indifferent hair guinea pig for so long, I was skeptical about these claims. I was scared that my thin, fine hair would stick to my scalp and lie flat like when I tried hair rebonding way back when it was all the rage. I also doubted how my hair could possibly not be damaged when this treatment would take two to three hours. I did research online the day before the treatment and I saw images of black women with tight curls come out with smooth, beautiful hair. This treatment might be too powerful for my limp hair to take!

“This treatment is all about putting keratin into the hair. Straight and smooth hair has a lot of keratin in it, while kinky, curly hair has very little. When you have this treatment, your hair instantly becomes smoother, frizz-free and manageable. It’s like having your hair blow-dried at the salon, but its effects can last from two to five months,” shares Drea Zulueta of Piandre Salon. So I sat there as they shampooed my hair, blow-dried it, slathered on the cream, and ironed it out. My hair looked great afterward — smooth, frizz-free and most importantly, not flat and dead! My hair had movement and bounce. I purposely stopped myself from announcing to the world this fantastic new hair state as I wanted to see how it would look after a week of washing and air-drying.

I was made to bring home L’Oreal’s Pureology shampoo and conditioner (available at leading salons) to help keep the keratin in my hair. I learned that normal shampoos and conditioners have harsh ingredients that can strip the keratin out of my hair while the Pureology line is gentle and effective in treating the hair with vegan ingredients. “The effects of the Keratin Smoothing Complex treatment last longer when paired with a gentle shampoo and conditioner. If you go back to using your regular shampoo, the effects won’t last as long,” adds Drea. I had earlier tried the Pureology line at the amazing Studio Fix salon of Alex Carbonell in Greenbelt 5 and loved it! Unlike regular hair conditioning treatments, the effects from this visit lasted for five days! “Pureology is a serious color care service that has unique and specialized features for colored hair. It’s zero-sulfate and therefore caring and gentle for all hair types. It’s also 100 percent vegan in its essential ingredients that nourish mechanically stressed and chemically treated hair. A great way to have wonderful, healthy hair while saving the environment,” shares Alex Carbonell. My hair felt great, looked healthy, and smelled wonderful. Not bad for P1,850.

Seven days and six nights later, my hair still looks great. It’s not as flat as when I left the salon and I like it better this way because my hair looks like it’s just naturally behaving and not a salon visit byproduct. It’s beautiful in an effortless way. I now welcome the breeze blowing through my hair. I can get into my car with damp hair because I know it will dry out beautifully by itself. I know that I said that I’ve never shed a tear for my hair, but days after this treatment, I feel like shedding tears of joy for all the good hair days I’ve yet to experience for the coming days.

The Keratin smoothing Complex is exclusively available at Piandre salons (www.piandre.com) and starts at P5,000, depending on the hair’s thickness and length.

Studio Fix by Alex Carbonell is at the 4th floor, Greenbelt 5, tel. 501-3062.