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I admit I’m lazy. I DON’T want to spend more than the absolute minimum time on hair each day.

So I thought I would fork out some cash and get my hair permanently straightened.

That way it would just be *wash and go*

This is my hair before:

No styling, freshly washed.

No styling, freshly washed.

So I go the hair dressers and they used a process called Opti Smooth by Matrix, a permanent Japanese hair straightening style treatment.

The process went like this:

[fancylist]

• wash hair
• dry hair
• straighten hair with irons
• apply 1st part of treatment
• leave in for about an hour
• wash hair
• dry hair
• straighten hair with irons
• apply 2nd part of treatment
• leave in for about half and hour
• wash hair
• dry hair
• straighten hair with irons

[/fancylist]

 It took $225 and 3 & 1/2 hours….

But this is what it looked like when I left the salon

 As you can imagine, I was pretty happy!

I wasn’t allowed to wash my hair or put it in an elastic, or even tuck some hair behind my ears for 3 days.

I left it for 5 days just to be safe.

This is what my hair looked like after I washed it for the first time:

WTF??

As you can imagine I was little bit perplexed as to what that massive kink was doing in my hair, since the Opti Smooth by Matrix straightening treatment is supposed to leave my hair completely smooth and straight.

And NO I did not use a hair tie for 5 days.

The weirdest thing is that kink was totally random. It didn’t go all the way around my head and it was lower on the other side.

Weird.

So I went back to the salon. They were perplexed as well and redid the process free of charge.

Again it took 3 & 1/2 hours in the salon and 5 days not touching my hair and this is what I got:

Better, but no cigar

Again, I was not altogether pleased with the result…

Again, I went back to the salon. They said they would call the manufacturer, Matrix, and see what could be done.

Meanwhile not completely trusting the salon anymore… I decided to ask some hair care experts about what might have happened here.

What better an expert than Julie Halkidis, Head of Hairdressing at The Australasian College (AKA The Expert to The Experts)!

Julie said:

[quote]

So, wanting to chemically straighten your hair is not a difficult procedure, but it does require a thorough technical knowledge of the relaxing process. Therefore, it should always be performed by a hair care professional with a track record of success with straightening.

A professional hair stylist that is well versed in chemical straightening will always do a strand test on hair that is to be chemically treated. A strand test is an absolute must to be sure your hair can withstand chemical processing without any adverse reactions. This not only protects the clients’ hair but helps the stylist determine the best type of formula to use.

[/quote]

Sherri Jessie, International Hairstylist and Platform Artist said the same thing:

[quote]

There are various types of texture services available today with most of them providing “smoothing” not complete straightening.

It is essential to do a careful consultation. Previous chemical services on the hair, texture, porosity, density and overall strength of the hair are very important in choosing the  correct formula, timing and application method. (Always perform a thorough evaluation of the hair and follow manufacturer’s instructions carefully and perform a test strand.)

[/quote]

Funny, no strand test was performed in my situation. Hmm.

Unfortunately all the experts I asked said the same thing.

I have to just let it grow out and in the meantime use flat irons over the kink.

So it looks like I’ll be getting a new salon

I got some great advice from Scott Fontana of Cristophe Salon Newport Beach for choosing a new salon.

He said:

[quote]When you’re looking to pick a great stylist, find someone whose hair style you love, walk up to them and ask them who does their hair. Have them provide you with their stylist’s name, as well as the name of the salon. My favorite thing to do is go to the best, most well-known and expensive salon in your area or venture outside your area. Abide by the old saying that ‘you get what you pay for’ when considering services relative to price. You also can go on Yelp.com and find the salon in your area with the best or highest rating reviews.[/quote]

Celebrity stylist Nelson Vercher’s advice to me for finding a hairdresser is:

[quote]Well there is no science to finding the right hairdresser for you. It’s a feeling you get when you have a consultation with someone. Ask them about their experience, how long they been working, where they’ve been trained and pick their brains about their taste – all this should find the right person! [/quote]

And you know what, he is absolutely right.

The girl who did my hair, even though they were trained and at a reputable salon, I didn’t have a good gut feeling about her.

Julie also suggested:

[quote]Casey’s hair needs to be treated with special care because it can become brittle and stiff. The hair will feel more porous and will tend to hold on to dulling residue. Therefore the hair will require extra special care to overcome the effects of the drying chemicals. Casey will require a deep conditioning treatment at least one to two times a week.  Be sure to use a good detangling product and to use a wide toothed comb and comb from roots to ends. The hair will also require a deep moisturising shampoo and conditioner.[/quote]

Sherri, Scott and Nelson also said that I need to do some regular treatments on the hair now as it is damaged from all the chemicals.

No one at the salon I went to suggested this.

Anyway, it’s not the worst hair fail I’ve seen. So I guess I’ll just chalk it up to experience.

Disclosure: Since writing this article, before it being published, the salon has refunded my money.