new thread
I searched the archives to see if this has already been mentioned but I didn't find anything. So apologies if this has already been discussed!
If you are like me and desire a pin-straight style but have some or lots of body/wavy/curly hair (I am 1/2 Brazilian so I have body and a slight wave normally) there is a fairly expensive process at salons called the Japanese iStraight. Why does everything these days have to have a lower case i in front?
Anyways, I was going to get one as it is 100% permanent. Well until new growth comes in and then you need a touch up. Well I was just about to have the gal do it when her supervisor comes over and specifically asks her if she asked me if I had ever had a relax job that had lye in it done. She does this as sometimes they neglect to ask. Why is this so important? Well if you have, the procedure will melt your hair off! All that will be left is the hair that has grown out since the relax job.
Now lye is usually only used for african hair type relaxation products. I said I assumed what was used was not lye based as lye would have been overkill for my hair type. But I was not willing to take any chances and opted for a Brazilian Blowout. That's when they put a sticky goo that is mostly keratin through your hair and seal it with a flat iron. Your hair is soft, flows well and looks pin-straight. But it only lasts a few weeks at best before the keratin coating wears off.
So if you go for this, either avoid all chemical relaxment jobs, or only use lye-free product. But be aware that lye can be a by-product of even lye-free stuff. So I would suggest if they want to do so, get a test strip done first before they put the iStraight goo on you. A test strip is probably a good idea for anything at all really that involves strong chemicals and your hair :-)
...: Anyways, I was going to get one as it is 100% permanent. Well until new growth comes in and then you need a touch up. Well I was just about to have the gal do it when her supervisor comes over and specifically asks her if she asked me if I had ever had a relax job that had lye in it done. She does this as sometimes they neglect to ask. Why is this so important? Well if you have, the procedure will melt your hair off! All that will be left is the hair that has grown out since the relax job.
Hi 'MT' - thx. for the warning - the moral I glean from this = is love the hair God has blessed us with - no matter - remembering we are the only species on this planet that can grow hair from our scalp to the floor - this is a gift worthy of celebration - we must all embrace what we have & love it, love ourselves = so we can then love others ... cheers to you CEM. :))
... dare iLaugh ... hehehe :)))
I thought your hair appeared kind of straight in the 2013 pic. In the shorter pic on the left, your hair appears to have some curl. Is the pic from 2013 with the straightening procedure done?
Needless to say, I don't have pin-straight hair naturally. But you can bet I will not be experimenting with any straightening procedures anytime soon. Thanks for the information.
Ted
It's straighter in the 2013 pic (that was taken about 6 months ago) due to the use of a flat iron.
Getting keratin straightening treatments ever month gets a bit spendy after awhile.
Even doing it DIY with supplies from the local hair products supply store gets expensive. So I just use a flat iron every once in awhile if it gets a bit wavy or too many frizzies.
My hair is rather thick with a wave, but not curly. It's more the body I am trying to reduce as the sight wave doesn't bother me. But I have always desired flat hair that just hangs there. Like Ozzy Osbourne's when he has super long hair. Growing up in the 80's I was the only longhair that wanted it flat and straight when all other guys with long hair wanted it poofy and huge as was the hair band style at the time. And now at 41 I still want it flat and straight.
I use the keratin shampoo and conditioner that came with my last DIY kit (Ion Keratin Smoothing Shampoo/conditioner) and have found I don't need to flat iron it all that often even though the treatment has long washed away. It is sold all by itself so when these bottles run out I will buy more of it and probably not bother with the actual brazilian keratin deal again.
But sometimes I do use the flat iron to give it a nice smooth look. My hair is tough enough to handle the heat without damage to it thanks to my brazilian mom. But I do limit the frequency of using the iron.I think using it every day or several times a month might be an excessive amount of heat exposure.
Due to Apple Success with Itunes, Iphone, Ipod, etc.