Brazilian blowout-hair straightener chemical

[shootingstar]

A dubious chemical (http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Formaldehyde+laden+Brazilian+Blowout+shocks+salons+across+Canada/3646433/story.html)for hair straightening in salons.

[Selkie]

This "service" has been popular in my area for at least the last two years. At the salon that I used to patronize, they charged $500 a treatment. No, I haven't had the treatment nor do I want it (my hair is wavy/curly and I opt for wash, scrunch, and go styling). I do know of some folks who have had it and love it, so each to her own.

[shootingstar]

Naturally straight hair women really wouldn't stay on top of knowing the latest methods. For the first 25 yrs. of life, I cursed my straight hair. It never occurred to me for a very long time that other people might want the beautiful/flowing sheen of straight hair.

Straightening very curly hair, just sounds like such an unnatural hard process on hair.

'Course I haven't done the opposite in years....permed hair. I never will after my hair turned abit brown /burnt and frizzed abit. I just can't be bothered to tame permed hair.

I prefer to stay away from chemically treating my hair...as long as possible/forever. Am a cheapie.

[Crankin]

I permed my hair for about twenty years! My hair has always been horrible; neither straight nor curly, but frizzy, bendy, twisty, ugly and unmanageable. When I was a teen I ironed it and spent innumerable hours with it wrapped around my head, slopped with gel, under a hairdryer. My schedule had to revolve around washing and drying my hair. So, after trying to go natural, I had it permed in the late seventies, when it was popular. Since this was the only way I could manage my hair, as I am horrible with styling implements I was able to keep it long and not have to do anything except wash and go.
I let the perm grow out in 1998. It looked pretty bad, so since I started cycling shortly after that, I just had it cut short and spiky. I really wish I could have longer hair, but this is it. Two years ago I did grow it longer; I had it chemically straightened and had to use a flat iron, too. Then summer came and I looked horrible any time I was riding. Back to the pixie.
I really understand why someone would do the Brazilian thing. I considered it. I can't imagine being able to wake up and shake my head and have my hair look good.

[OakLeaf]

I can't imagine being able to wake up and shake my head and have my hair look good.

I think that's more a testament to the hair stylist than anything. My hair's bone straight, and I can do that, now. But I learned the hard way that only a very skilled stylist can cut my hair this length. When I get a bad haircut, it just looks awful no matter what I do with it.

The most work my hair has ever been was when it was chin length. It wasn't near as much work as it sounds like yours was, but it was 25-35 minutes every single day, no days off, no vacations. I don't miss that.

[Owlie]

My hair's long (too long right now!), thick and curly. It used to be frizzy when I was a teenager. Now the only frizzy bits are the little short ones that are new growth, or the ones that broke. I longed for straight hair, and tried chemically relaxing it and ironing it. It did nothing for more than two days other than fry my hair, and it took forever. I gave up on it. I've wanted to chop it off short in the last couple months, but it'd probably look weird.

My sister has hair similar to mine (but not as thick) and still does the flat iron/chemical straightening. It looks good, but I cannot imagine spending that much time on my hair. I'll take the extra 20 minutes of sleep.:D

[shootingstar]

But I learned the hard way that only a very skilled stylist can cut my hair this length. When I get a bad haircut, it just looks awful no matter what I do with it.


True, naturally straight hair demands skilled, ACCURATE cutting by hair stylist. Just 1 millimetre difference on one side, is noticeable and gets to be a pain when the hair grows longer. An experienced stylist can see in bone straight hair, actual overall growth waves of hair emanating from the scalp which is determined by the shape of a person's head.

I didn't know it for a long time, but I have a cowlick on the top crown of my head of hair. I needed to know this because depending on how my hair falls as it grows longer and how a hairstylist cuts my hair (ie. layering, etc.), if person does it wrong, it shows a small bald spot on top of my head! I honestly thought for a time, that I was going bald.

I don't have naturally wavy hair to hide that type of error..unless I contort myself to use a curling iron at the back of head. (which I gave up years ago)

I could never cut my own hair because of the accuracy that is required for cutting. Anyway, it's a layered cut.

[KnottedYet]

A distant friend of mine had very frizzy hair. After a few years I saw her again, and she had these amazing silky, shiny, glowing curls. Almost corkscrew curls. Lusterous and sleek.

She said she'd stopped using shampoo. Her dermatologist recommended rinsing her hair well every morning, and scrubbing her scalp once a week with sugar or salt (because they dissolve and rinse away) to keep the skin healthy. Pretty much just leaving the hair alone to manage itself.

Words cannot express how lovely her hair was.

She said that some mornings she didn't even rinse it; and that she could just run her fingers through it, shake her head and go.

[shootingstar]

A distant friend of mine had very frizzy hair. After a few years I saw her again, and she had these amazing silky, shiny, glowing curls. Almost corkscrew curls. Lusterous and sleek.

She said she'd stopped using shampoo. Her dermatologist recommended rinsing her hair well every morning, and scrubbing her scalp once a week with sugar or salt (because they dissolve and rinse away) to keep the skin healthy. Pretty much just leaving the hair alone to manage itself.

Words cannot express how lovely her hair was.

She said that some mornings she didn't even rinse it; and that she could just run her fingers through it, shake her head and go.

Interesting. So it was the oil in her hair that kept it unfrizzed?
Sorry, for sounding so obtuse. But straight haired people really do live in a different hair world. :p The concept to me to towel-dry wet hair and have it air dry naturally into a curl, is foreign.

I simply look at hair conditioner bottle and shiver. I can't use that stuff on my hair...dullens it, makes it lifeless.

As you can tell, I don't have problems with dry ends.

[Owlie]

Heh, lucky.

Curly hair is usually dry, and shampoo often strips all the oils out (the idea, of course, is to replace it by buying their handy matching conditioner!). I cut back my hair wash to once a week, and it's much happier. Actually, most stylists who have cut my hair have told me to only rinse with conditioner on the body of my hair, away from the scalp.

[sarahspins]

I can't imagine being able to wake up and shake my head and have my hair look good.

I do.. every day :P Seriously, my hair is not straight but it is wavy (and not frizzy) and the way I keep it cut is very much a "shake and go" style... I use ZERO product on my hair.. not even conditioner. I alternate between one of the Burt's Bees shampoos and Jason Naturals (the no perfumes/dyes one).

I don't dry my hair with a hair dryer, and combined with the lack of any product that can damage my hair, means I never have split ends. I get my hair cut maybe twice a year... they always comment on what great shape my hair is in. I always laugh, because I usually feel like I'm completely neglecting it, but apparently that's what my hair needs :)

[Crankin]

Wow, I am envious of all of you, which sort of underlies my point. My hair is not frizzy and twisty because of damage I've done to it. It's in great shape, despite the fact it's colored. I've rarely used a hair blower. If there's even a breath of breeze, my hair gets fluffy, frizzes, out of place, even with the paste and gel combo I use for my spikes. I can't even touch my hair after it's dried. Forget about riding in the convertible DH has. I make him keep the windows up. He thinks I am crazy, since my hair is so short, but I am not imagining this. When I lived in Miami, it was hell... I was 16 and had hair that was shoulder length. Wearing a hat? Oy.
Part of my problem is that I am a "head sweater." Just normal walking makes my scalp sweat, which makes my hair look crappy. I have a great hairdresser (I've had several), so that's not an issue. What it comes down to is the fact I have ugly Jewish hair that I have learned to live with, by cutting it all off!

[Bike Chick]

My hairdresser has an album of "before" and "after" photos of women that have had the Brazilian Blowout and I will say that it's amazing. I would be tempted to have it done if I was unhappy with frizzy, curly hair. However, my daughter's best friend is a hairdresser that went to the training but opted not to offer it in her shop because of the chemicals. She says it is so potent that they end up with a headache from the exposure and she wants no part of it. Can't say that I blame her.

[Eden]

A distant friend of mine had very frizzy hair. After a few years I saw her again, and she had these amazing silky, shiny, glowing curls. Almost corkscrew curls. Lusterous and sleek.

She said she'd stopped using shampoo. Her dermatologist recommended rinsing her hair well every morning, and scrubbing her scalp once a week with sugar or salt (because they dissolve and rinse away) to keep the skin healthy. Pretty much just leaving the hair alone to manage itself.

Words cannot express how lovely her hair was.

She said that some mornings she didn't even rinse it; and that she could just run her fingers through it, shake her head and go.

hmmmmmm
that may be worth a try....

I have curly hair that used to be more frizz than curl. With age it seems to have tamed down and become more curls, less frizz, but I've also cut back on the shampoo a lot. I usually shampoo it once or twice a week with a lauryl sulfate free shampoo and then only try to get the areas near my scalp as it does get oily and nasty and dandruffy looking if I don't, but if a sugar scrub would take care of the skin and the scalp oils without drying my hair I'll try it.

[badger]

my hair's getting wavier as I get older. If I knew about brazilian blowout and could afford it and didn't care about chemicals, I probably would've done it. But I'm not a girly girl in any way, so I never spend any time (or money!) on my hair.

I was talking with my hairdresser yesterday (it just so happens I was getting my bi-annual hair cut) and the salon she works at does brazilian blowout but she herself doesn't. I was also talking to her about colour, how when it's finally time to cover my grey, if she used "natural" colouring. She said no, that they give an orange tint.

Since I'm so anal about chemicals and using products that are biodegradable and cruelty free, I may just have to go naturally grey... or just use henna and have orange hair.

I feel really badly for hairdressers and those nail salons. The chemicals they're exposed to daily can't be good.

***
have any of you heard or use Moroccan Oil? I don't like hairspray and crusty stuff in my hair so my hairdresser used that on my hair yesterday. She said she totally swears by it now. Did a bit of research, I guess it's argan oil, Moroccanoil is a brand.

[KnottedYet]

Since I'm so anal about chemicals and using products that are biodegradable and cruelty free, I may just have to go naturally grey... or just use henna and have orange hair.

Or you could use brown henna, or black henna... you don't have to use red henna. Red henna will make gray hair strawberry blonde or orange if you use only red henna.

I use brown henna with a little red thrown in. No orange effect unless I use straight red henna, and even then the orange effect washes out in about a week.

[badger]

Or you could use brown henna, or black henna... you don't have to use red henna. Red henna will make gray hair strawberry blonde or orange if you use only red henna.

I use brown henna with a little red thrown in. No orange effect unless I use straight red henna, and even then the orange effect washes out in about a week.

good to know, thanks!! I have very dark brown with red hilights, so that sounds great (like streaks!). At least if it's awful it'll wash out. I feel more hopeful now ;)

[channlluv]

I permed my hair a couple of times in the early 90s because my hair was surfboard straight and wouldn't hold a curl for the life of me, but the perm only made it poodlish. I didn't care for that, either, so I went back to the standard center part, surfboard straight style and I wore a lot of bandannas.

About three years ago I won a cut and color from a high-end salon in a fundraiser at my daughter's school. It was the first time I'd ever been to any place other than the local Supercuts kind of place. This woman, Joanna, did an amazing job cutting my hair. I had enough to do a 14" ponytail for Locks of Love and still have my hair come just to my shoulders, so she cut that off first, and then did something I'd never had before: layers. Who knew I had naturally wavy hair?

I loved it! The new style got a lot of compliments and I went back to her a couple more times, but ultimately, I just couldn't afford it. (Her salon is in the posh section of La Jolla, which was named the moniestest place in America or something like that not too long ago, to give you an idea).

Back to Supercuts for me, but I lucked out and found a woman there that had worked in high-end salons before and had moved back to my area to be close to her family. Lucky me. When she's finished with my cut and color and blow dry, I look like I just stepped off a magazine cover.

Of course, the next day, I'm back to the bandannas and scrunchies, but still. I kept the layers, and although they're growing out down to my shoulder blades now, it's still long and wavy and I like it. It's very easy to take care of.

On the shampoo, I do wash just about every day, with L'Oreal's EverStrong Reconstructing Shampoo and Conditioner, and once or twice a week I'll do a deep condition with a keratin hair mask.

Usually Sunday mornings, my at-home spa day. Deep condition the hair, do a mask or peel on my face, wax the brows, shave the legs, then lotion everything from the neck down, take a nap...ah, bliss.

Roxy

[Eden]

good to know, thanks!! I have very dark brown with red hilights, so that sounds great (like streaks!). At least if it's awful it'll wash out. I feel more hopeful now ;)

I have med brown/auburn hair with red highlights and I occasionally use straight up red henna to kick the color up a bit. for the first week or two it does look kind of orange (as does my scalp!), but that goes away and it looks natural after that. Plain old henna has a hard time coloring my greys though. Fortunately most of my grey is still underneath, but the henna puts only a light, light stawberry blond color to it, which is much lighter than my normal highlights, so it still looks like greys. The brand I use does have a "grey covering formula", but I haven't tried it yet.

I tried a salt scrub today.. it felt good, we'll see what my hair looks like when it dries. I was just thinking that whenever I've swam in the ocean I get *super* curly from the salt water.... I've washed the salt out of course, but we'll see how my hair reacts.

[KnottedYet]

My red hair started going gray in my mid-20's. I've used red henna for probably 20 years, but as my hair has lost more of its own color (it is now all gun-metal gray with patches of white) it has started to look orange-y with pure red henna.

So over the last couple years I have started adding larger and larger proportions of brown henna to my red henna. At this point I use mostly brown henna, with just a bit of red mixed in.

I've used the same brand of Henna ("Light Mountain" http://www.light-mountain-hair-color.com ) it seems like forever, so I'm pretty confident mixing and matching my own henna recipes. My hair chickie (who has been cutting my hair since before I started dyeing it) says that when it goes totally white I can keep the color perky by dyeing first with red henna, then dyeing over it with brown.

Quite honestly, if I end up with the same lovely hair my grandma had, I won't dye that.

Eden - I'm very interested in how your hair turns out!

[Eden]

Eden - I'm very interested in how your hair turns out!

So after it dried it was not crazy curly like salt water makes it - I'm sure that's because when at the beach the salt dries in, and with a salt scrub it gets washed out. It also didn't make my hair sticky or prone to tangle like salt water does. It doesn't seem to have dried my hair out, which I was a bit concerned about and was thinking about using sugar instead, but I had some epsom salt so I tried that.

I intentionally did it today as it needed washing and I'd have otherwise shampooed it, so I'd see if salt cleaned it well enough, but I also wasn't going anywhere, so if it didn't I wouldn't have to go anywhere looking like a greasy head....

It looks like the salt did do a good job cleaning up my scalp - I don't have any dandruff and it did a fair job at cleaning my hair, not nasty looking, but not squeaky clean looking either- then again if I get it that clean then it goes all frizz again....

I've always heard that when you kick the shampoo habit you do go through a stage where your hair overcompensates and gets oily, but after a while it reaches equilibrium - but I've never been able to tolerate it long enough to see if it stops looking nasty.. This may be 1/2 way enough to get me to stop the shampoo all together. We'll see.

Cutting down on shampoo and going with a sulfate free brand helped a lot - my hair usually curls rather than frizzing and I no longer have millions of spit ends, so kicking the shampoo habit all together could be a really good thing if I can keep my hair looking clean!

p.s. - I use Light Mountain too - I've been getting the plain "red", but when my grey (well, white really... I think that's probably good?) starts to show I think I may try Mahogany or Chestnut as they are closer to my natural hair color.

[OakLeaf]

To clarify ... only the red henna is actually henna. The consumer information from Light Mountain talks about the three different species (http://www.light-mountain-hair-color.com/LtMntPOP.pdf) they use in their color blends.

Years ago when my hair was long I used neutral henna (Cassia). It made my hair so silky, strong and lustrous.

Right now I'm sort of okay with the grey, but only sort of (and there isn't a lot of it yet). You've revived my interest in henna. :)

[GLC1968]

I had that chemical straigtening procedure done on my hair - twice (also referred to as 'thermal reconditioning'). The first time the results were spectacular. The second time (they had to redo the roots as my hair obvously grew back in curly) was only ok. It looked fine, but I started getting a lot of breakage. I was also having some hormonal issues at the time, so the jury is still out on what caused the weak hair.

As a girl who grew up with a frizzy mass of heavy, long, curly hair - having it smooth and silky with little effort was a real treat. And my hair was not stick straight, either - the ends did their natural bend. Basically, I had barbie doll hair (but brunette!)...I was constantly being told how gorgeous my hair was (by strangers) when it was smooth like that. I get the same compliments when I blow it out now...which I haven't done in 2 years, actually.

Now that I'm curly again and also growing out my hair (that straitening experiment was 8 years ago), I also don't use shampoo. I only use a chlorine removal shampoo after swimming - no other times. I 'wash' my hair with conditioner or just rinse with water, daily. The biggest key to doing this long term are the styling products. You cannot use anything that is not water-soluable otherwise it will build up and make your hair dull and lifeless very, very quickly. Avoid any product with a 'cone' in it (silicone, dimethecone, etc) - these ingredients are designed to smooth out the hair, but they also lock out all moisture - and that's a problem if you aren't regularly removing it with shampoo. I also often use regular daily conditioner as a leave-in on the ends - works GREAT! Honestly, I don't think my hairdryer has been plugged in since we moved here. For me, it's either curls or it's a pixie cut. Everything else is too much work! :p

If you really want some good info on the no shampoo curl routine, check out this book:
Curly Girl book (http://www.amazon.com/Curly-Girl-Lorraine-Massey/dp/0761123008/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286815523&sr=8-1#_)

Editing to add that the 'thermal reconditioning' that I had done was different than the 'brazilian blowout' product listed in the original article. My procedure took over 6 hours and cost well over the $300 that they quoted...

[shootingstar]

Gosh, after reading about curly hair-taming, I'll never complain about naturally straight hair again. And will never complain about the boring routine of shampooing hair after near-daily bike rides.

And will continue to worship very skilled hair stylists.

[smilingcat]

Headline reads: "Portland hairstylist takes on the bigwigs"

According to the article, Oregon OSHA claims that variety of tests used showed, that the samples (Brazilian Blowout) contained anywhere from 4.85% to 10.6% formaldehyde.

Formaldehyde causes serious health problems and cancer.

here is the full online article (http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2010/09/hair_straightening_product_at.html)

Reporter for the Oregonian is Katy Muldoon
ph:503.221.8526
e-mail: katymuldoon@news.oregonian.com

I would say, until we find more about this bru-ha-ha, I would err on caution and forgo using the Brazilian hair straightening product. The manufacturer is based in California.

Sheesh!

Smilingcat