Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Getting it straight
Click image to enlarge
|
New thermal retexturizing system leaves hair smooth and shiny.
By SUSAN H. KAHN
Curly-haired women of a certain age almost all have "war stories" about their ongoing battle to tame their tresses. Those trying to effect the straight, smooth styles popular when they were teenagers recall sleeping with their hair rolled around orange-juice cans despite the obvious discomfort. They tell of other desperate and unusual practices such as "wrapping" wet hair tightly around the head to help it dry straight or, more precariously, using a clothes iron to get rid of frizz and curl. Those who tried chemical straighteners often found them harsh, apt to strip color from the hair and leave it dull.
Although the hair-straightening arsenal - more gentle chemical straighteners, blow dryers, flat irons, conditioning and finishing products - has improved greatly over the last 30 years, the biggest breakthrough is a new thermal retexturizing system.
This process, which originated in Japan, has been available in the U.S. for about three years. Marketed under three different brand names, Liscio, Yuko, and Bio Ionic, each has its own patented solutions, but with a nearly identical process. In the last six months, Cleveland area salons have begun offering this service.
The systems all rely on a battery of specially formulated products - shampoo, conditioner, processing cream, neutralizer - combined with painstaking blow drying and ironing. The method, which softens and then reshapes the chemical crossbonds in the hair shaft, is expensive and time-consuming. Salons charge between $400-$900 for the process, which takes from four to eight hours. But hairdressers and customers say the results are nothing short of miraculous; not only does the system make the hair straight and smooth, it also leaves it soft to the touch with a healthy shine.
"One of my clients had long, thick, very frizzy hair; she used to spend hours blowing it out and ironing it," says Julie Spees of David Robert Salon in Shaker Heights, who has been trained in the Bio Ionic method. "The straightening made her hair so manageable it cut the amount of time she spends styling it to just 15 minutes."
Lee Fields of Santo Salon & Spa (formerly Studio on Chagrin) in Woodmere also does Bio Ionic straightening. "We've had different types of chemical straighteners for years but none of them leave the hair in the good condition that this method does," she says. "None of them got it as straight, either."
Before they will straighten a customer's hair, stylists insist on a consultation. At that time, they will blow out and iron the woman's hair so that she can see what it will look like after the process. Fields asks her clients about medications they are taking, especially steroids, hormones, blood-pressure medicine, or anti-depressants.
"There's a whole list of medications that prevent the process from 'taking,'" comments Fields. "If someone is on a mild dose of hormone or anti-depressant, we can do a test strand to see if it will work."
Fields also does a test on her teenage clients because young hair can be harder to straighten.
"My biggest concern is what has happened to the client's hair in the last two years," says Peggy Mancuso of Hairways in Woodmere, who uses the Yuko straightening system. "If the client has had her hair chemically straightened, she has to wait until all that hair has grown out."
These retexturizing methods do not harm color-treated hair. "Hair with single-process color comes out beautifully," says Mancuso. Although she hesitates a bit when hair has been highlighted or bleached because it is more fragile, she says she will do the process on someone with light highlighting.
The process in both methods is as follows: First the hair is shampooed and conditioned using protective products and misted with a protein spray. Next, the straightening cream is applied and left on the hair from 20-45 minutes. This is followed by thorough rinsing to remove the cream. (The Yuko system adds another shampoo and rinse at this stage.) Then the hair is blown partially dry with a special ionic dryer.
Next, the hair is divided into extremely small sections and ironed with a ceramic flat iron until it is completely straight. Because the hair can't be clipped, an assistant is often needed to hold sections of hair as the operator irons. Application of a neutralizing solution follows, then a rinse. The last step is a repeat of the drying and ironing process. The client must not shampoo her hair, clip it, put it in a ponytail or wear a hat for 72 hours.
"They can't even tuck it behind their ear," says Spees. "And we tell them to avoid sweating."
After that three-day period they can do anything they want with their newly straight tresses, including styling with a large round brush if they want a bit of a curve. Touching up should not be needed for six to eight months.
"For the best aftercare, I recommend using an ionic blow dryer, ionic brushes and a ceramic flat iron - not metal," says Deborah Colosimo, master designer from Dino Palmieri Salon & Spa at Beachwood Place, who has been trained in the Bio Ionic method.
Pam Luksenburg of Beachwood always hated her medium length wavy, frizzy hair. She recently had Fields straighten it with the new method.
"It is the best thing I've done for my hair," says Luksenburg. "It has cut in half the time I have to spend on my hair."
Teenagers especially say it has changed their life, comments Spees.
One caveat: These methods leave your hair very, very straight. If you are a curly-haired miss who likes to blow her hair straight some days but likes to scrunch it up in natural waves the next, this is not for you.
By SUSAN H. KAHN
Curly-haired women of a certain age almost all have "war stories" about their ongoing battle to tame their tresses. Those trying to effect the straight, smooth styles popular when they were teenagers recall sleeping with their hair rolled around orange-juice cans despite the obvious discomfort. They tell of other desperate and unusual practices such as "wrapping" wet hair tightly around the head to help it dry straight or, more precariously, using a clothes iron to get rid of frizz and curl. Those who tried chemical straighteners often found them harsh, apt to strip color from the hair and leave it dull.
Although the hair-straightening arsenal - more gentle chemical straighteners, blow dryers, flat irons, conditioning and finishing products - has improved greatly over the last 30 years, the biggest breakthrough is a new thermal retexturizing system.
This process, which originated in Japan, has been available in the U.S. for about three years. Marketed under three different brand names, Liscio, Yuko, and Bio Ionic, each has its own patented solutions, but with a nearly identical process. In the last six months, Cleveland area salons have begun offering this service.
The systems all rely on a battery of specially formulated products - shampoo, conditioner, processing cream, neutralizer - combined with painstaking blow drying and ironing. The method, which softens and then reshapes the chemical crossbonds in the hair shaft, is expensive and time-consuming. Salons charge between $400-$900 for the process, which takes from four to eight hours. But hairdressers and customers say the results are nothing short of miraculous; not only does the system make the hair straight and smooth, it also leaves it soft to the touch with a healthy shine.
"One of my clients had long, thick, very frizzy hair; she used to spend hours blowing it out and ironing it," says Julie Spees of David Robert Salon in Shaker Heights, who has been trained in the Bio Ionic method. "The straightening made her hair so manageable it cut the amount of time she spends styling it to just 15 minutes."
Lee Fields of Santo Salon & Spa (formerly Studio on Chagrin) in Woodmere also does Bio Ionic straightening. "We've had different types of chemical straighteners for years but none of them leave the hair in the good condition that this method does," she says. "None of them got it as straight, either."
Before they will straighten a customer's hair, stylists insist on a consultation. At that time, they will blow out and iron the woman's hair so that she can see what it will look like after the process. Fields asks her clients about medications they are taking, especially steroids, hormones, blood-pressure medicine, or anti-depressants.
"There's a whole list of medications that prevent the process from 'taking,'" comments Fields. "If someone is on a mild dose of hormone or anti-depressant, we can do a test strand to see if it will work."
Fields also does a test on her teenage clients because young hair can be harder to straighten.
"My biggest concern is what has happened to the client's hair in the last two years," says Peggy Mancuso of Hairways in Woodmere, who uses the Yuko straightening system. "If the client has had her hair chemically straightened, she has to wait until all that hair has grown out."
These retexturizing methods do not harm color-treated hair. "Hair with single-process color comes out beautifully," says Mancuso. Although she hesitates a bit when hair has been highlighted or bleached because it is more fragile, she says she will do the process on someone with light highlighting.
The process in both methods is as follows: First the hair is shampooed and conditioned using protective products and misted with a protein spray. Next, the straightening cream is applied and left on the hair from 20-45 minutes. This is followed by thorough rinsing to remove the cream. (The Yuko system adds another shampoo and rinse at this stage.) Then the hair is blown partially dry with a special ionic dryer.
Next, the hair is divided into extremely small sections and ironed with a ceramic flat iron until it is completely straight. Because the hair can't be clipped, an assistant is often needed to hold sections of hair as the operator irons. Application of a neutralizing solution follows, then a rinse. The last step is a repeat of the drying and ironing process. The client must not shampoo her hair, clip it, put it in a ponytail or wear a hat for 72 hours.
"They can't even tuck it behind their ear," says Spees. "And we tell them to avoid sweating."
After that three-day period they can do anything they want with their newly straight tresses, including styling with a large round brush if they want a bit of a curve. Touching up should not be needed for six to eight months.
"For the best aftercare, I recommend using an ionic blow dryer, ionic brushes and a ceramic flat iron - not metal," says Deborah Colosimo, master designer from Dino Palmieri Salon & Spa at Beachwood Place, who has been trained in the Bio Ionic method.
Pam Luksenburg of Beachwood always hated her medium length wavy, frizzy hair. She recently had Fields straighten it with the new method.
"It is the best thing I've done for my hair," says Luksenburg. "It has cut in half the time I have to spend on my hair."
Teenagers especially say it has changed their life, comments Spees.
One caveat: These methods leave your hair very, very straight. If you are a curly-haired miss who likes to blow her hair straight some days but likes to scrunch it up in natural waves the next, this is not for you.
 |
 |
|
| One springular sensation | Spring fling |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of clevelandjewishnews.com.
You must register with a valid email to post comments. Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments. Registration is free.
Registered users sign in here: |
Become a Registered User |
elenora123 wrote on Jun 27, 2009 5:48 AM:
Elenora
estate planning "