With a growing out perm and generally very dry hair, I came to the realisation that I was slowly morphing into a scarecrow.
My hair is so hard to style and maintain so I jumped at the chance to try out Global Keratin’s (or GKhair) hair straightening treatment, currently exclusive to Cobella in Selfridges, London. My stylist was Mihaly, a handsome Hungarian hairdresser with over 20 years experience and had been specifically trained in the straightening technique. He also shared a mean Goulash recipe with me!
The Juvexin Global Keratin straightening system offers:
- A fairly simple 4 step system (wash, apply, dry, straighten)
- Enhances coloured hair and works best on dyed hair
- Works on all hair types
- Should last 3 months or more
Whilst the product doesn’t contain Formaldehyde it’s worth nothing that Methylene Glycol is used (it is formed by the reaction of formaldehyde gas with water). Therefore, when high heat is applied to the hair once the product is on, a miniscule amount of free formaldehyde may escape from the vapours. More on the vapours later.
The process went like this for me:
1. Wash.
The wash was 2 shampoos with a cleansing shampoo to really open up the hair cuticle. It was a very vigorous wash I have to say which I quite liked because it reminds me of how they do hair in Asia! The REALLY clean your scalp and hair! I found the shampoo room in Cobella quite cool (funky lights, seats that rise up) but the basin was a bit uncomfy (fussy, moi?).
2. Apply the product.
Apply! The product is like a thick cream and you can actually choose a scent – Almond and Chocolate. For me it was plain because they’d sold out of the other two – boo! I’d have loved a whiff of chocolate. The product is applied root to tip and I felt no discomfort.
3. Rough Dry.
This is the uncomfortable bit – blasting the hair dry whilst the product is still on until it largely evaporates. It doesn’t actually take that long despite it being a thick conditioner texture, but I did notice a few things – that there are some fumes – it made my eyes water for a bit and feel a bit of itching where the product got on my skin. Delicate little flower that I am.
Otherwise it didn’t stink or anything, but it is worth remembering that if you are sensitive to these kinds of things, you could be a bit uncomfortable.
4. Straighten.
Using good old GHDs, the hair is straightened well. That’s it! Done in just under 2 hours.
The hair felt fine right after but as it starts to settle, it feels heavy – obviously with all that product on it feels like when you’ve used too much conditioner and the hair is weighed down. The finer your hair is, I imagine the worse this feels.
Also you have to leave it for 3 days. As a committed daily hair washer I found this to be complete and utter torture, especially as I was in London at the time and sweating and running about from place to place. Utter torture. I was a good girl though and didn’t touch it until the third day (I washed it 3 days later ON THE MINUTE).
Bear this uncomfortableness in mind, because you’re not supposed to be putting products in your hair (like dry shampoo) during the three days nor should you be clipping it up or putting the hair into weird shapes. If you do the Keratin straightening choose a time when you don’t have too many events to go to!
Here are the photos.
Before – oh shush, this is what my hair looks like washed, brushed and air dried:
Right after:
After the first wash, air dried:
Ahh! Now look at that!
It’s not exactly the images we’re all so used to seeing when the Brazillian blow dry is advertised is it?
Whilst the treatment has totally made my hair glossier, stronger, softer, and much much much less frizzy and manageable it did not leave it poker straight. It very much still has a curl in it, and a teeny weeny bit of frizz but nothing of the previous levels of monstrosity. I was told I’d be left with a loose curl – its not as loose as I expected I have to say but it is a vast improvement.
Verdict:
I can see why this treatment is so popular if you have frizz bomb hair. It doesn’t take too long, and it has left my hair feeling really soft. However, I expected my hair to be straighter than it is after putting up with greasy hair for 3 whole days and I also didn’t like the eye watering during the blow dry stage. Also I can’t help feeling like it’s made the skin on my face a bit flaky (I am VERY sensitive to new chemicals though). Just be careful if you are sensitive too (ie. the wrong face cream makes my face burn and a unsuitable shampoo makes the back of my neck break out).
But I would do it again, up until my perm grows out (it was supposed to have just disappeared on its own back in, ooh April) because it was so unmanageable before and now it isn’t. This isn’t vanity, this is anti-scarecrowisation.
Info:
The GKHair Hair Straightening Treatment at Selfridges – they have a special discounted rate for new customers and prices vary depending on length (mine would be £200 as a new customer).
This was a complimentary treatment.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ll try a keratin’s treatment this Saturday… fingers crossed.
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Hi tigers
Let me know how it goes
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I don’t think I’d have the patience for this! But the results are pretty good, it would at least mean less time spent everyday on taming the mop. I’m also unsure of the chemicals+heat used :S even if it’s not formaldehyde-based, I’m pretty sensitive to chemical fumes!
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Hi Jen
Yeah I did find it quite tough (the drying process). I’m glad the 3 day waiting process is over x
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I did the same and loved it, even uf for the first 3 days I couldn’t even look at me in the mirror, felt disgusting! Anyway I did in manchester, eccles!!
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I use this for a looser curl and it works well. I like Moroccan Oil products and this is a solid one. It hasn’t been life changing and I haven’t used it
alone to really see what it does but it works well with the David Babaii Bohemian Beach Spray for nice loose curl.
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