So, I asked Carole (the woman who's photos are a few posts down who had half her hair Thermal Reconditioned - also known as a Thermal Relaxer) to write a little bit about her experience and she actually did it! Wow!! (thanks so much Carole!!!)
Here's what she emailed me:
I have some exciting news to share with you. It's my hair "miracle". I happen to have this crazy type of hair, straight on the top and sides and curly in back. I could deal with the waves (added body) but after the birth of my daughter, the waves turned into an unruly, obnoxious, time consuming tangle. My attempts to match the front and back left me either looking like a poodle or having to spend an inordinate amount of time (blow dry) and money (products) to straighten the back. And girls, you know how hard it is working behind your head! Anyway, Lynn Caldeiro at E-Clips salon has been my hair expert for years and when she suggested a new Japanese hair technique that would give me no-fuss, healthy, straight hair, I couldn’t sign up fast enough. It was easy, albeit time consuming (6 hrs.) but the wait was worth it.
First, I arrived at Lynn’s E-Clips at 9:00 am. (a little about Lynn: she is very professional, talented and a genuinely good person. You’ll love her.) Anyway, Lynn had suggested I bring a book (and what mother wouldn’t look forward to hours of uninterrupted time?). I’d recommend any special snacks you might desire also. I sat in her chair as she applied a pre-relaxant . This needs to be combed through carefully and then thoroughly dried. This was repeated several times which takes lots of time. Then it was time for the actual relaxant. ( it smells similar to a perm). Lynn was careful to comb the product though each strand of hair, helping it to straighten out. She was very meticulous. Then it was time to dry again. (Drying was a combination of a hand held dryer and sitting in a chair surrounded by warm noisy air.) In my case, Lynn didn’t need to “straighten” my whole head, so she put conditioner on my naturally straight parts. I was offered water, tea, food and the time seemed to fly by. (a great novel helped) Soon it was time to see the final result. A thorough wash (love the scalp massage), a comb out, a blow dry and that’s when you’d think the miracle happened. But no. I was astonished, my hair was shiny and soft and yes, straight a mere 6 hrs later. Now as always, I loved the way Lynn had finished my hair but the true test was to happen days from then, at home. YES, miracle upon miracle, I could reproduce Lynn’s version of straight hair by myself. She hadn’t exaggerated.
I can still easily maintain it with or without blow drying. Yes, without drying and my husband not only loves the look but loves that it takes no time. I would highly recommend this procedure for any of you with annoyingly curly hair. There is a miracle out there for you. Thank you, thank you, thank you Lynn Caldeiro!
**********************************
Note from Lynn: I also love curly hair, but in Carole's case, relaxing (TR) was the best option because she wanted her hair very straight, she fought to manage it, she was only half curly and she has fine hair.
I do TR (Thermal Relaxing aka Thermal Reconditioning) but Josephine Geise is the resident expert on normal chemical relaxers, she's been doing them for 20+ years and I've seen first hand how great she is. Most people shy away from the regular thioglycolic and other chemical relaxing processes because if you apply them wrong you can do real damage - but Josephine is meticulous and will not over process your hair. If you have that kinky, coarse, hard to manage hair and want to tame the curls (not make them bone straight) a regular relaxer is probably a good option for you and it's only a fraction of the cost (and time) of Thermal Relaxing.
Showing posts with label TR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TR. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
More Thermal Straightening Photos!
Carole is a perfect candidate for partial straightening as she has straight hair on the top and sides of her hair but the back and underneath are cury, getting the most curly near the nape.. (and yes, I do her color too!)
BEFORE:
I did the Thermal Reconstructing straightener (no, not brazillian) in the curly section and a moisturizing thermal treatment in the rest (for a deep deep conditioning effect) and Viola!
Let me just show that to you again folks...
BEFORE:
AFTER:
And just a few more for fun...
I've decided that I am not going to invest in the training for the Brazilian Straightening at this time because a) I have not found a product I like and b) I'm not sure it's worth it as the current trend is waves these days.. I've been told there is a salon in Burien that does the Brazilian Straightening, but I don't know what product they use.. If you are looking for that particular kind of relaxer - you'll have to call around. I've been very happy with the results I get with my Thermal Relaxing system and it really does make the hair softer and more manageable. I almost want to say it IMPROVES the texture of the hair (if I didn't know better I'd say it wasn't damaging, but technically it is breaking bonds and re-arranging them so that would be inaccurate.. and you know what a stickler I am for these things!). I am going to extend my current deal of $400 until the end of the year (December 31, 2008). That's not much more than the Brazilian Treatment, it's permanent and it leaves the hair in excellent condition.
One last thing...
Vote Obama!
Ciao all.
BEFORE:
I did the Thermal Reconstructing straightener (no, not brazillian) in the curly section and a moisturizing thermal treatment in the rest (for a deep deep conditioning effect) and Viola!
Let me just show that to you again folks...
BEFORE:
AFTER:
And just a few more for fun...
I've decided that I am not going to invest in the training for the Brazilian Straightening at this time because a) I have not found a product I like and b) I'm not sure it's worth it as the current trend is waves these days.. I've been told there is a salon in Burien that does the Brazilian Straightening, but I don't know what product they use.. If you are looking for that particular kind of relaxer - you'll have to call around. I've been very happy with the results I get with my Thermal Relaxing system and it really does make the hair softer and more manageable. I almost want to say it IMPROVES the texture of the hair (if I didn't know better I'd say it wasn't damaging, but technically it is breaking bonds and re-arranging them so that would be inaccurate.. and you know what a stickler I am for these things!). I am going to extend my current deal of $400 until the end of the year (December 31, 2008). That's not much more than the Brazilian Treatment, it's permanent and it leaves the hair in excellent condition.
One last thing...
Vote Obama!
Ciao all.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Thermal Straightening Model!
Susan agreed to let me post photos of our work together.. A picture is worth a thousand words so here it is:
The process took about 5 hours and you can read more about it
HERE
It was really fun to do such a big change for her, even though I love curly hair I must agree with her that her hair looks better straight. It just gives her a more polished look. Also, with how curly it is she'll have no problem most "real" straight hair people have which is flatness as it grows longer! She can have the best of all possible world with lustrous shiny straight hair that has volume on top. The weight of the straightened part should weigh the new growth down enough that this should last her at least 8 months to a year! Hooray for Susan!!
It was really fun to do and see such a radical change! (plus to seeing how happy it made her was really fun too!) She may be sending me an email about how it's been for her so far and if she does, I'll post it here too.
You can also email me if you have any questions... lynncaldeiro@lynncaldeirostyling.com or contact me through the comment section of this blog.
The process took about 5 hours and you can read more about it
HERE
It was really fun to do such a big change for her, even though I love curly hair I must agree with her that her hair looks better straight. It just gives her a more polished look. Also, with how curly it is she'll have no problem most "real" straight hair people have which is flatness as it grows longer! She can have the best of all possible world with lustrous shiny straight hair that has volume on top. The weight of the straightened part should weigh the new growth down enough that this should last her at least 8 months to a year! Hooray for Susan!!
It was really fun to do and see such a radical change! (plus to seeing how happy it made her was really fun too!) She may be sending me an email about how it's been for her so far and if she does, I'll post it here too.
You can also email me if you have any questions... lynncaldeiro@lynncaldeirostyling.com or contact me through the comment section of this blog.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Brazillian Hair Straightening
So, I've read about a new straightening system to rival the Japanese Straighteners (or TR): Brazilian Straightening. I have a feeling this may be the faster, less expensive straightening service some salons are offering as Japanese Straightening, since both require the use of a flat iron, but Brazilian Straightening is a much faster process at about half the price of Japanese Straightening. It also produces similar (some say better) results. Brazilian Straightening, however, is not permanent. It lasts 2 to 3 months and runs in the $250 - $450 range depending on the salon.
A word about Brazilian Straightening: there is some controversy with regard to the health effects as the Brazilian Straightening uses a chemical mix-up of Keratin (conditioning protein) and Formaldehyde (classified as “a probable carcinogen” by the EPA). Some manufacturers can be trusted to use only the acceptable ratio of formaldehyde in their systems (2 parts per million during a 15-minute episode in an airborne environment) while others are not ("some companies are purported to be pushing Brazilian brews with formaldehyde content at the 30-percent mark" according to an article by A.K. Sterling). It is important for stylists to be aware of these companies and research their products, especially considering there are companies that state their product is "within FDA guidelines" when the FDA does not regulate cosmetics.
Personally, I will be doing more research on this straightening system. It is a much faster process than regular Thermal Reconditioning, it produces results much like TR but not as permanent (hair reverts back to curly after about 3 months) and it claims to be completely non-damaging because it does not break down the hairs natural bonds. According to Mark Garrison, of New York City’s Mark Garrison Salon, thick, coarse, fuzzy hair was instantly transformed into glossy, smooth hair. Frizz disappeared, and his staff’s blow-dry time was cut in half. He says " it gives this crazy shine to the hair, leaving a very reflective surface.” and the product can be used on color treated hair.
Formaldehyde is nothing new to the salon industry and with proper product research by your stylist on the suppliers of this new treatment clients should now have a quicker and less expensive (though less permanent) alternative to the Japanese Thermal Reconditioning service.
Looks like I have some homework to do!
A word about Brazilian Straightening: there is some controversy with regard to the health effects as the Brazilian Straightening uses a chemical mix-up of Keratin (conditioning protein) and Formaldehyde (classified as “a probable carcinogen” by the EPA). Some manufacturers can be trusted to use only the acceptable ratio of formaldehyde in their systems (2 parts per million during a 15-minute episode in an airborne environment) while others are not ("some companies are purported to be pushing Brazilian brews with formaldehyde content at the 30-percent mark" according to an article by A.K. Sterling). It is important for stylists to be aware of these companies and research their products, especially considering there are companies that state their product is "within FDA guidelines" when the FDA does not regulate cosmetics.
Personally, I will be doing more research on this straightening system. It is a much faster process than regular Thermal Reconditioning, it produces results much like TR but not as permanent (hair reverts back to curly after about 3 months) and it claims to be completely non-damaging because it does not break down the hairs natural bonds. According to Mark Garrison, of New York City’s Mark Garrison Salon, thick, coarse, fuzzy hair was instantly transformed into glossy, smooth hair. Frizz disappeared, and his staff’s blow-dry time was cut in half. He says " it gives this crazy shine to the hair, leaving a very reflective surface.” and the product can be used on color treated hair.
Formaldehyde is nothing new to the salon industry and with proper product research by your stylist on the suppliers of this new treatment clients should now have a quicker and less expensive (though less permanent) alternative to the Japanese Thermal Reconditioning service.
Looks like I have some homework to do!
Monday, July 9, 2007
Review of Flat Irons from Slate
Reading this article annoyed the hell out of me.
http://www.slate.com/id/2164776/fr/flyout
I just can't help but think of all the people who will read this and take it to be gospel, I think it's a little irresponsible (the rating system not having the imput of a professional stylist) but I also realize it's supposed to be a somewhat fluffy (no pun intended) piece about hair.
Here are some important points to consider:
Alot of the damage caused by a flat iron is not going to register to some people as damage. For instance if you are using a very hot flat iron and running it over your hair at too slow of a pace, you can actually melt your cuticle layer. Your hair is going to FEEL smooth and silky (which she rates as very important) but the amount of damage done to your hair is not negligible, though not readily detectable. It may become an issue for you when you decide you want to highlight etc.
The cheap, drugstore flat irons tend to damage the hair not so much from excessive heat as heat combined with too much tension (users often try and press really really hard to get better results, which causes breakage - the most obvious form of damage). Also important to keep in mind, you can melt your cuticle layer with low heat applied too long as well. As a general rule of thumb: beware of cheap flat irons! Just don't use them.. trust me. I've never seen more damage from flat ironing than from people using drug store flat irons, no matter what brand of professional grade flat iron you use, it will be exponentially less damaging to your hair than using a drug store iron. Period.
That she rates a flat iron which her boyfriend says leaves her hair smelling "slightly burnt" as the best one - really makes me nervous... I hope people realize she's a writer, not a hairdresser.
Personally, I own a Paul Brown, which I like. I chose it because it has a manual temperature setting and will heat high enough for thermal relaxing (TR) in less than a minute. When clients ask me what brand of flat iron they should buy I invariably recommend the CHI. It's been an industry standard for many years for a reason. The beauty of the Chi is that it is ridiculously simple - an on/off switch. I almost always use a Chi at the salon (my Paul Brown is on back up duty these days and for use with TR).
The CHI does the job fast and it self monitors. If it is reaching too high of a temperature it allows itself to cool down, therefore really protecting the hair from serious damage from melting. At the risk of repeating myself, MELTING your hair is not good! Yes it feels smooth, but trust me... you are not doing yourself any favors. Just get a thermal relaxer and be done with it! Yes it's expensive, but you really only need it once a year in most cases.
For more information on TR please visit my website:
http://lynncaldeirostyling.com/thermalrelaxers.aspx
http://www.slate.com/id/2164776/fr/flyout
I just can't help but think of all the people who will read this and take it to be gospel, I think it's a little irresponsible (the rating system not having the imput of a professional stylist) but I also realize it's supposed to be a somewhat fluffy (no pun intended) piece about hair.
Here are some important points to consider:
Alot of the damage caused by a flat iron is not going to register to some people as damage. For instance if you are using a very hot flat iron and running it over your hair at too slow of a pace, you can actually melt your cuticle layer. Your hair is going to FEEL smooth and silky (which she rates as very important) but the amount of damage done to your hair is not negligible, though not readily detectable. It may become an issue for you when you decide you want to highlight etc.
The cheap, drugstore flat irons tend to damage the hair not so much from excessive heat as heat combined with too much tension (users often try and press really really hard to get better results, which causes breakage - the most obvious form of damage). Also important to keep in mind, you can melt your cuticle layer with low heat applied too long as well. As a general rule of thumb: beware of cheap flat irons! Just don't use them.. trust me. I've never seen more damage from flat ironing than from people using drug store flat irons, no matter what brand of professional grade flat iron you use, it will be exponentially less damaging to your hair than using a drug store iron. Period.
That she rates a flat iron which her boyfriend says leaves her hair smelling "slightly burnt" as the best one - really makes me nervous... I hope people realize she's a writer, not a hairdresser.
Personally, I own a Paul Brown, which I like. I chose it because it has a manual temperature setting and will heat high enough for thermal relaxing (TR) in less than a minute. When clients ask me what brand of flat iron they should buy I invariably recommend the CHI. It's been an industry standard for many years for a reason. The beauty of the Chi is that it is ridiculously simple - an on/off switch. I almost always use a Chi at the salon (my Paul Brown is on back up duty these days and for use with TR).
The CHI does the job fast and it self monitors. If it is reaching too high of a temperature it allows itself to cool down, therefore really protecting the hair from serious damage from melting. At the risk of repeating myself, MELTING your hair is not good! Yes it feels smooth, but trust me... you are not doing yourself any favors. Just get a thermal relaxer and be done with it! Yes it's expensive, but you really only need it once a year in most cases.
For more information on TR please visit my website:
http://lynncaldeirostyling.com/thermalrelaxers.aspx
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