Straight Talk on Keratin Hair Treatments

Friday, August 06, 2010

BEAUTY by Becky DiStefano, GoLocalProv Beauty Expert

My hair has a dual personality: on one hand it is super curly yet curl-specific products just weigh it down; on the other hand, it looks fabulous straight but takes a long time to get it silky and smooth. What’s a girl to do? The answer came in a bottle: Keratin Complex Smoothing Therapy.

Peter Coppola, award-winning stylist, came up with this ingenious product because he wanted to help women achieve smooth, silky, healthy hair with very little maintenance. Now, all the over the world, women who have been dealing with unruly, misbehaving hair are realizing their dreams of gorgeous, luxurious locks.

Stylist Carol Pappas, of RGE in Warwick (and also this beauty expert’s aunt!) took the three-hour certification class to learn the precise procedure to apply the complex and the straightening method to lock it in. The entire treatment takes about three hours, depending upon hair type and texture. Then you must wait 72 hours before you can wash with a sulfate-free shampoo. Some places recommend only 24 hours, but the Coppola treatment requires 72 for maximum absorption.

Here is a little diary of my experience:

Day 1 (Monday)

I went into the salon around 11:30 and was out by 3pm. I was washed and blown dry, and then the complex was applied and sits on the hair for 20-25 minutes. After that, the hair is blown dry again then divided into tiny sections and flat ironed in 7 times. After the entire process, my hair felt incredibly silky and looked pin straight and very shiny.

Day 2 (Tuesday)

So far so good! My hair is still looking fierce and fresh, still so straight after sleeping on it!

Day 3 (Wednesday)

The humidity is kind of killing me but the hair is looking unreal despite how greasy I feel.

Day 4 (Thursday)

I am so ready to wash. I am literally counting down the hours! My locks still look unreal but this humidity calls for a shower every hour.

Day 5 (Friday)

OMG. Hair is absolutely fabulous. It is silky, soft, and straight! Even after I piled it on my head after a shower, it dries beautifully. I’m sold.

According to the company and my aunt Carol, my hair should be this way till around Christmastime. This is huge as I love the low maintenance aspect for get up and go hair! All in all, I am extremely happy with my hair and would highly recommend the Coppola Keratin Complex Smoothing Treatment.

For more information, go to http://www.keratincomplex.com

Buyer Be Aware

One thing I must warn you about is the common use of formaldehyde in many straightening treatments being touted as “keratin treatments.” Keratin is a protein and is very healthy for the hair, helping to both protect it from new damage and heal the old. It also shields the hair from the effects of humidity and free radicals and toxins in the environment.

However, other subpar products are out there that contain dangerous chemicals that are harmful to your skin, scalp and hair. The best advice is to read the bottle before your stylist applies the product. Be sure there is no “formaldehyde” listed as this is very toxic and the fumes are unsafe, let alone it touching your skin. You must look for “keratin protein” or some version of those words in order for it to be called a keratin treatment.