I hate my hair! Ok truth be told, I don’t in fact HATE my hair. I do, however, feel that on many occasions, perhaps out of some unreasonable loyalty to my ancestry, my hair will betray my every wish and just not behave! Have you ever had one of those days? When your curly hair decides it is really more of a frizzy mess of tangles at it’s core, or your somewhat straight (albeit unnaturally straight) hair insists that dry and brittle is the path it’s chosen to walk. I feel you…not only has my hair taken on more wildly different personalities than Sally Field in Sybil, but once it’s settled upon a persona du jour there is still the factor of the weather. Oh the weather, the cruel tricks Mother Nature plays with every rise and fall of the humidity index. On it’s best day my hair is no match for the unrelenting power of humidity, and on it’s worst day I have to rely on my arsenal of products, styling tools, and sometimes hats, to steal back what little claim I have over this head. You’d be amazed by how much work goes into creating an “effortless” messy bun!
When I was in middle school I used to have my mom give me home spiral perms to try to tame my mane. They served their purpose, I guess (unless you dig out any old pictures of me.) In high school I turned to the relaxer for a sleeker look and realized that the grass is most definitely not greener on the other side. Even though it sometimes pained me I stuck with straight hair. After over 20 years of relaxer touch ups, where my scalp would go from feeling a slight tingle to an all out burn, as I inhaled the noxious fumes. I knew there had to be some way to level the playing field. Enter the Brazilian Blowout! What’s that you say…you’ve never heard of the magical powers of the Brazilian Blowout? It’s nothing short of a miracle worker! Really, it is to my hair what Annie Sullivan was to Helen Keller…I kid you not! It sounds like a drastic exaggeration, and it probably is, but after years of hearing about the Brazilian Blowout I’m so happy I took the plunge.
I’m not someone who takes change lightly, so I decided that if I was going to take this leap of faith I wanted company to share in my triumph, or misery…whichever the case may be. I coerced my daughter into getting a Brazilian Blowout with me to see what affect it had on her long, naturally curly, biracial hair. She has relied on her faithful side braid for years (I suspect to avoid having to deal with her curls.) I thought this may just give her hair the extra conditioning it needed to make it more manageable for a girl on the go. Like all fearless leaders, I had her go first, so I could watch the process (and make a break for it if need be.) There was no need to run, because after a simple, and painless, application she was finished. Her hair was shiny, it had body, it was absolutely bone straight, and all it took were four simple steps:
Wash - Her hair was washed once with a Brazilian Blowout shampoo. That’s it people…moving on to step 2!
Apply Product - After removing the excess moisture, the professional Brazilian Blowout product was applied to small sections of her hair. It smelled good, and looked like conditioner.
Dry - Her hair was dried completely with a hair drier. (I know what you’re thinking…boring, where’s the burning?) This leads to the fourth and most important step in the process.
Iron - Her hair was again parted into small sections and flat ironed with a professional iron that reaches 450 degrees.
The end result was gorgeous! As much as I loved seeing how she enjoyed running her fingers through her straight hair, the best part for me was knowing that we hadn't just taken away her curls for good. All it took for her was one shower and they were back, but this time they were easier to comb through and didn’t look dry or frizzy in the midst of our SoCal heat wave. The only special instructions post treatment were to use a sulfate free shampoo…and there are quite a few on the market, so that isn’t a biggie. As for me, I am a happy camper too! My hair feels softer and less processed, it has more body, and for the first time in a long time I’m not dealing with the aftermath of a burned scalp. Unlike a relaxer, the Brazilian Blowout isn’t only for ethnic hair, or just for straightening hair. In my estimation anyone with less than perfect locks could benefit from the treatment, and since it fades over time, there are no permanent effects from it. Would I do it again? Absolutely! Would I recommend it to a friend? I already have…and I hope you give it a try!
Post Script: I have not been paid in any way by Brazilian Blowout, or it’s agents, for this testimonial…simply put…I am a fan!
