The Other Brazilian
Exciting news for those with course, frizzy, untameable hair –
There is a hot new Brazilian in town! Ooooh la la la la….
And since they say the proof is in the pudding, this post will begin as a photo-essay – followed by commentary and treatment details.
As I’m sure you can relate, very few things are as upsetting as a Bad Hair Day. I believe this process to be a non-damaging promise of Good Hair to many women who desperately seek it and struggle in achieving it every day.
BEFORE & AFTER: the front
BEFORE & AFTER: the side
BEFORE & AFTER: the back
I don’t think words can speak to the stunning transformation that took place in 90 minute’s time in Midtown NYC.
And note, the BEFORE pics are after the model’s own at-home blowout . My fearless guinea pig naturally has some serious, tight, unmanageable curls. In contrast, the after pictures look like a girl who wakes up to shampoo commercial hair every day.
My friend for years, who happily agreed to test the treatment for me, has NEVER had better hair than when we left the salon. No professional blowout even compared to the softness and shine this process imparted. And make no mistake, we pay a pretty penny for some of the best stylists in town.
There were many times at which I thought she would cry – happy tears. This is a girl who would travel to beach destinations but take any and all measures to never get her hair wet. Who needs to spend a significant amount of time whenever her hair did get wet to properly blow it out. There was no such thing as wash & go for her.
Now she is liberated.
It may only be hair, but the confidence she exuded leaving the salon is something I wish all women could experience.
Something as simple as Good Hair, when it never came easy to you, can truly rock your world.
THE PROCESS
Details on the process, done at CONCEPT SALON IN NYC.
- This is a NEW Brazilian semi-straightener.
- The treatment softens and relaxes hair but doesn’t not promise stick-straight hair. You can still wear you hair wavy or curly. The quality and texture of the hair is changed, so your blowout (if you chose to go straight) will take hardly any time at all. The treatment promises to eliminate frizz. Hair becomes tame and manageable. A professional blowout for my model pre-treatment took at least 60 minutes. Her post-treatment blowout took TEN.
- The treatment takes 90 minutes from start to finish.
- The treatment is keratin-based, like the Brazilian-straighteners used in many salons, however this one uses a substitute preservative called glutaraldehyde that makes it safe and gentle on the hair.
- There is NO formaldehyde in the treatment, making it non-carcinogenic. There is no mask you need to wear while it is applied.
- The treatment is so gentle you can do it the same day as your color.
- You do not have to wait 3 days or any specified amount of time to wash you hair after the treatment, as you must with other kinds. Having said that, it is recommended that you wash less to preserve and extend the treatment.
- The treatment lasts 2-3 months depending on how well you care for your hair.
- The treatment ultimately washes out so there is no regrowth issue, as there is with Japanese straightening, which requires growing out the hair.
- The treatment costs $280-300 depending on hair length. IF YOU MENTION DIVALICIOUSBLOG.COM, YOU WILL RECEIVE A 20% DISCOUNT ON YOUR FIRST VISIT.
- The salon is located at 1107 2nd Avenue 212*644*6366… Ask for brazilian hair goddess Jo.
THE FINISHING TOUCHES
To complete the makeover, I couldn’t help but offer a touch of foundation, a pop of color and a wash of gloss to my radiant model who couldn’t stop staring at her new look in disbelief. So much so that it felt fitting to keep the mirror in the shots when it originally only served as a light source.
THE SHOUTOUT
THANK YOU JO!!!! YOU DID AN AMAZING JOB.
CONCEPT SALON 1107 2nd Avenue 212*644*6366
DISCLAIMER: I happen to personally love curly hair, so much so that I choose to deal with the unpredictability of my own rather than professionally relax it for easy wash&wear. But my hair works with me and does what it’s told. This new process is for women who struggle and fight their curls or their frizz every day, who constantly look for new products and treatments to show their hair who’s boss.
CANNOT DIAL FAST ENOUGH!!! Many thanks to LDiva and her intrepid model! This is big news and I want to be newsworthy too. :-)
Please report back! Would love to know your post-treatment thoughts!
I did this treatment at Concept last week and LOVE IT!! My hair is softer, smoother and only takes 15 minutes to blow dry (instead of the 45 it used to take). I also don’t need to use a flat iron anymore, which will help keep my hair healthier! This is a must try!!!
I have extremely thick hair that is not wavy yet not straight that has a tendency to get VERY frizzy if I don’t completely fry my hair with the flat iron. I had always heard of the Japanese straightening and other chemical straightners but opted not to use them since I dont have curly hair. This treatment was a god send! I am so thankful that there is something for those of us who experience frizz but don’t have the curls, it works wonders!
WOW – great feedback!!
Thanks for posting!
I have a feeling we’re going to keep hearing back from new Concept Salon clients :)
it looks almost the same- before and after
ur blowout does look good, but her blowout looked good too.
Just thought you would all be interested to know the latest…
I washed my hair for the first time since the treatment and I am still amazed!! Not only did it feel silky smooth,like I was on the conditioner stage before I even added conditioner while washing it… (compared to knotty,matted and crunchy in the old days) when it came time to the blow dry it only took me 10 min!!!!
The texture is still shiny,smooth and soft.Completely manageable! : )
Now that I know it is all real, I hope it lasts a long time. More on that in the weeks to come!
That’s great Ali!
I was a witness and the texture/look of her hair was completely different before and after!
The texture was absolutely different. It’s a shame if the pictures don’t reflect how dramatic the difference was.
More than texture though, this process offers convenience (a 45-60 min at-home blowout becomes 10-15 after) and confidence (ali can now go in a pool or ocean and let her hair get wet, she can even style it wavy if she wants since the curl isn’t so tight and difficult).
That’s a life-changer if you are someone who has forever struggled with course or frizzy hair.
UPDATE!
I got caught in a massive down-pour last night! (the rain this summer is ridiculous) Needless to say I got soaked and my hair got wet.
Normally I would have had to pull my hair back as tight as could be and twist it into a bun in an effort to look somewhat presentable on my way to a client dinner. Not anymore!!! Amazingly, my hair dried without frizz or kinks or curls and I was even able to take it out of the ponytail at dinner. Never in my life!
In case you didn’t already know, I am obsessed. I am going to air dry on my own this weekend and see what happens.
Your product is not Fromaldehyde free if it contains Glutaraldehyde which is a colorless liquid with a pungent odor used to disinfect medical and dental equipment. It is also used for industrial water treatment and as a chemical preservative.
However, it is toxic, causing severe eye, nose, throat and lung irritation, along with headaches, drowsiness and dizziness. It is a main source of occupational asthma among health care providers.[1]
Glutaraldehyde is an oily liquid at room temperature (density 1.06 g/mL), and miscible with water, alcohol, and benzene. It is used as a tissue fixative in electron microscopy. It is employed as an embalming fluid, is a component of leather tanning solutions, and occurs as an intermediate in the production of certain industrial chemicals. Glutaraldehyde is frequently used in biochemistry applications as an amine-reactive homobifunctional crosslinker. The oligomeric state of proteins can be examined through this application.
Monomeric glutaraldehyde can polymerize by aldol condensation reaction yielding alpha,beta-unsaturated poly-glutaraldehyde. This reaction usually occurs at alkaline pH values.
Article is very misleading especially if somebody is allergic to formaldehyde or has asthma…can you say lawsuit.
Thank you Veronica for your very detailed comment on the other uses of this ingredient.
I’m not worried about a lawsuit personally, as I’m not personally performing the process. I also believe any reputable salon that does perform the process understands how to use this ingredient properly for this particular treatment.
Any woman who treats her hair – and this would include even just shampoo – understands that there are chemicals involved. Of course these chemicals can be used in combination with other ingredients or alone in very different ways. The same is true for lipstick and skincare.
You can choose to be all natural if that’s your thing – and forego makeup, skincare and haircare altogether – but I believe you’d be in the minority.
As for the majority, this is a less harsh alternative to the current formaldehyde straightener many women currently choose.
Women deserve all the options and can make their own informed decision.
Currently, there is no all-natural relaxer or straightener.
Thank you for participating in the conversation and offering your personal perspective!
Just wanted to let everyone know that Glutaraldehyde and Formaldehyde are two different chemicals! Glutaraldehyde does NOT = Formaldehyde. The product used for Concept’s treatment is completely free of Formaldehyde.
Even hair bleach in large doses is toxic. Concept’s treatment is a gentler version of the similar, more harsh treatments that use Formaldehyde. This is a safe and gentle treatment that will do wonders on the texture and management of hair!
That’s quite a bit of information. Do you have the source for this information. [1]??? Isn’t that plaigerism…can you say lawsuit??
Prior to trying this process I was warned about some of the very HARSH chemicals in some of the other hair relaxers. I would never sit through a beauty process that required that I wear a face mask… and believe me some of the other salon treatments absolutely do. I promise as I sat through the 90 min. process there was no harsh smell (during or after)and no burn whatsoever when it was applied.
Good thing I don’t have asthma, and absolutely love my hair!
Thanks Sarah! That’s exactly why I went to Concepts! : )
Concept Salon in NYC does use the newly formulated Brazilian Blowout without formaldehyde, which is the same product I had used on my hair. I did actually suffer from irritated eyes due to the glutaraldehyde (part of the “hyde” family) in this formula. While I teared uncontrollably during the process, I do love the results! It has been a life changing experience for me.
Jordana Lorraine, who did my BB, has suggested the Global Keratin Treatment for my next treatment as it is completely “hyde” free.
http://amominredhighheels.com/formaldehydefree-global-keratin-treatment/
If you suffer irritation due to the “hydes” in other treatments, this may be a good option for you as well.
Thank you for your comment and for sharing your experience.
While Concept salon states clearly that this keratin-based process uses glutaraldehyde, which is NOT nearly as harsh as formaldehyde, I think all products (even natural ones) can cause different reactions for different women.
Even the most gentle skincare can cause a bad reaction in women with sensitive skin.
You may be more sensitive than most, because I know several women now who’ve had the process and none has complained of anything similar.
As I’ve said before and personally believe, women should know all their options and can then make their own informed decisions.
Tammy – Did you get your new Brazilian Blowout at Concept Salon??
The only woman who performs the process there, Jo, is not Jordana Lorraine.
Maybe different hair specialists perform the process differently (leave it on for more time, less time, etc) resulting in different reactions to it.
I did not get the BB at Concept. I had it done at Dino-Clark Salon in Santa Monica, CA.
Even with the eye irritation, I’d be willing to do the BB again as it has been such an amazing change for my hair. I will try the GKT next time though because as a beauty blogger, I must be willing to try a variety of options :)
Thanks for the conversation.
I hear you!
I don’t have hair texture that requires relaxing, so I can’t personally weigh in on the experience.
Please let us know how you like the GKT version!
I went in for my second treatment after 3 months since my first Coppola treatment and the salon switched products on me without telling me until it was too late. They used the Brazilian blow-out which stung my scalp horribly. They made me do the “3 day” wait and come back and still charge me the same as the Coppola. The Brazillion Blowiut does not need the 3 day wait.
I have had coughing fits. my hair has no body and I believe I lost a substantial amount of hair.
I did a lot of research before I went in the first time and I called to make sure they were using Coppola.
My hair has absolutely no body — after 5 days my scalp still stings and it hurts to touch my hair. This is going to take a year to grow out.
I know a lot of people have loved the Brazilian treatment but it is not Coppola (though I know some prefer it to Coppola) and if they are charging you $350-$400 for it you are being ripped off.
I am an attorney and I feel like suing their a**es off but my hair stylist is one of the best (he does not do these treatments). It took meyears to find him, people comefrom all over the mid-Atlantic region to have him cut their hair and he charges only $60 bucks whenhe could get much more. So I don’t want to alienate them — but the owner knew they were switching onme and didn’t tell me — Brazilion Blowout is a much cheaper product and this way he could make more money.
Did you do this at concept? I know multiple people who have done it and feel the completely opposite way about it. I’ve had a bad reaction to other products — this didn’t sting and I couldn’t be happier with my hair…
Justicia – to confirm, the process you got was the original, not the new, Brazilian? (The original that contained formaldehyde, correct?)
It’s not clear from your comment.
This new treatment at Concept Salon in NYC is keratin-based and different/more gentle than the older Brazilians on the market.
Which salon do you go to??!
Your experience sounds awful.
Based on all the comments here, I think it’s safe to say not all salons are equal nor are all Brazilian treatments.
More, women react differently to these processes. Which is why it’s so important to only go to reputable salons where they really take into account your hair type, scalp condition, etc.
When my hair is good, it’s very, very good, and when it’s bad it’s awful — frizzy and completely unmanageable. Since getting the “new Brazilian” done at Concept, I’ve said goodbye to bad hair days and cut my prep time in half. Because the treatment smooths and enhances rather than straightens, I’ve maintained my hair’s natural waves and volume. So rather than being asked, “Did you do something to your hair?,” I’m asked, “What are you doing to look so young?” It feels great!
Wow! There is too much here to reply to it all, even though I want to. I am a hair stylist specializing in keratin treatments. There are many out there and as IDIVA said, not all products or salons are equal. I am careful to give accurate information on my website http://www.jordanalorraine.com and to my clients; every single one has been told which keratin treatment I am using on them and why that one is best for them. Unfortunately, many salons use misleading marketing to capitalize on the publicity of the brand name products.
Which brings me to JUSTITIA: I am so sorry to hear about what happened to you. Switching between products like this without notifying the clients is unethical and based on your experience it is clear to me that you did NOT have the Brazilian Blowout as they said. Brazilian Blowout is a brand name product and is the only one which does not require a waiting period before washing your hair. You likely had the Brazilian Keratin Treatment, a different brand which does contain formaldehyde and does have a waiting period. Also, please note that Brazilian Blowout is not a cheaper product (as compared to Coppola or any others I know). I do not know the cost of BKT but it may well be lower, as I know that formaldehyde is a cheaper ingredient. For example, one treatment I do offer is available with or without formaldehyde and the form-free version costs $70 more per bottle.
I have never heard of scalp damage, but the products I use (BKT is not among them) are not applied directly to the scalp. There may be some incidental contact but it has ever caused a problem.
VERONICA: It seems you have done some googling. Yes, glutaraldehyde is a chemical cousin of formaldehyde. It is milder; this is why A) it only lasts 3 months as opposed to 6, and B) it causes irritation in fewer people. You cited medical and scientific uses for glutaraldehyde, but there is no detail on the concentrations used for such. Certainly the ingredients used in small amounts in many beauty products are unsavory, or would be dangerous if used differently/in higher concentrations.
All in all, the fact is that everyone reacts differently to things. Simple hair color irritates one client’s scalp but not another’s. John Frieda’s Frizz Ease product worked great for several people I know, but caused tiny bumps to sprout up all over my forehead. What did I do? I found a different product. I once had a friend who was allergic to peanut oil. Yet, she could eat whole peanuts (but not peanut butter). How weird is that? If someone has sensitive eyes and/or has had a bad reaction to a keratin treatment in the past, but still wants smooth hair, I would recommend they try Global Keratin as described in the following link. All in all, I recommend interviewing your stylist, making sure s/he is knowledgeable and confident in the product they use, and make sure they tell you what that product is so you can do some research.
http://amominredhighheels.com/formaldehydefree-global-keratin-treatment/
To confirm — this is the *new* Brazilian Blow-out.
After doing more research I found out the woman used it incorrectly. It is clear she never took the training course and applied it the same way as Coppola and worse.
You can view the training video on Brazilian Blowout’s website:
First, she pour the lotion on my scalp and then combed it through. The training video makes it very clear that you do not put the lotion on the scalp but on the hair to the scalp.
Also they say to use a minimal amount, dust it on with a brush and not saturate the hair — showing an implement that has a small brush on one side and a comb on the other — and then after brushing it on lightly, comb it through.
She definitely put way too much on and not only poured it directly on my scalp but she saturated my hair.
Then according to Brazilian Blowout’s training video, you are to blow dry the hair as straight as possible and then flat iron it. Then you rinse it of in the bowl with warm water and put on the masque.
Instead, after she poured lotion on my head and combed it through, she made me sit for 30 minutes with the chemicals on my hair and scalp — which is when my scalp started burning, which I complained about and she kept saying it was nothing.
After 30 minutes — She blow dried the hair then flat ironed it She NEVER rinsed it out. And she NEVER put the Masque on that is supposed to follow the rinse.
With the solution still on my hair, she sent me home for 3 days.
When I came back 3 days later, she washed out the solution with the same shampoo that the client is supposed to use and then blow dried my hair. It looked horrible — completely flat to my head zero body, etc.
I was in such a state of shock I couldn’t say anything. When I got home I realized I lost a lot of hair off my crown.
I called the owner and complained about it. He called the company to see what to do. He had no idea that the woman was not applying the product properly. Neither did I at the time. This women is considered one of the most meticulous in the salon.
I went back, and they washed my hair with a regular shampoo on the theory that the problem was that she flat-ironed it too flat and if they washed with regular shampoo some would come out and my hair would not be so flat.
My hairdresser then did everything he could to cut it to help. It was only marginally better. He also insisted I had no breakage — but I think that was more because he wanted me to calm down and not be so hysterical — we’ve been working together for 16 years and he knows how upset I get about my hair.
He kept pointing out that whatever happened it is done.. and then all we can do is move forward from here. Which he is right about. I was really very upset. So whether there is breakage or not — nothing will be changed and I have to wait until it grows out. It should however start looking better in a month.
But over the course of the hair cut he did acknowledge as I told him what happened that the process was applied improperly.
My scalp is still burning.
My hair still looks like I am a drowned rat – and I am appalled that this happened. This is a very reputable salon — I know the owner — he always tries to do what’s best — but he got caught up in a mess created by an irresponsible employee of his. And she was viewed as one of the most trustworthy and careful there — which is why they had her do my hair this time.
So of course this is not a proper test of the product — but it is not suppose to have any chemicals that can cause breakage and this clearly caused breakage on the crown of my scalp — it shouldn’t have happened no matter how long it was on there.
Furthermore the company is responsible to make sure that the technicians they sell the product to are certified and not just by confirming they watched the video — which can easily be faked — but by testing them to see if they know how to apply it.
Plus the company is quite misleading about the reformulation — the chemical they use now is a derivative of formaldehyde. This is also true of Coppola but Coppola uses a much more benign derivative. But Brazilian Blowout uses a very toxic derivative and does this in order to keep the formaldehyde in but escape the literal letter of the law . Apparently, Brazil has cracked down on the use of formaldehyde.
Just read the earlier post by Veronica on this as to the dangers of the derivative of formaldehyde Brazilian Blowout uses: Glutaraldehyde
(Coppola uses Aldehyde.)
And after you read Veronica’s report — for what it is worth — I have been suffering from a burning throat and lungs and coughs for a week. The night of the treatment — I woke in the middle of the night in such a coughing fit that I felt I was almost going to choke.
But I do know from reading around the web — a lot of women love it and there are quite a few who have had both Coppola and the new Brazilian Blowout and prefer the latter.
I forgot to respond to the question as to which salon I went to. I am not going to say because I truly believe that this salon does everything to do the right thing and carry the best products at fair prices. I don’t feel it should suffer because of what this one technician did, who betrayed everyone’s trust.
I suggested to my hair-stylist that he encourage the owner to fire the woman. She is untrustworthy and she will get him into more serious trouble.
I also suggested that due to the popularity of the new Brazilian Blowout that there be information sheets and a questionnaire that is taken in person so the customer can make an informed choice between Coppola and Brazilian Blowout (they are still offering both.)
However, they are lucky I am not a suit-happy lawyer :-) though most good lawyers would know that this is not worth the time, money or emotional costs.
However, if my worst suspicions are correct — Brazilian Blowout could be at risk for a class action suit — which means some lawyer will form a class of a large number of clients who have been harmed by the product. If he/she wins the clients will get small amounts of compensation — but the lawyer will collect huge lawyer fees.
And before people think that class action suits of this nature or more for the lawyer than for the clients .. it is one of the most effective ways that manufacturers get “policed.” We have all experienced receiving rotten product or service and it is just not worth our time to bother about it. Manufacturers with less than stellar products or services count on that, so they can get away with their responsibility. But with the advent of class action suits — it becomes worthwhile for a lawyer to take a case — because though the amount he will get if he wins from each client will be very small — if there are a large number of clients, the small amounts add up enough to compensate for his time (and in some notable case –and then some.)
I just have to say I am overwhelmed by how impressive you ladies all are!!!
@ Jordana – the treatment done at Concept Salon in NYC did not require Ali to wait 3 days to wash her hair nor did she need a mask. In all the responses, it seems that something called the *new* Brazilian requires both. I have to believe they are different although both use the milder ingredient. Can you shed any light here??
Ali was able to wash her hair any time after the procedure, did not need to wear a mask and was even offered to do color same day if she chose (she did not need color so did not).
@ Justicia – I agree that a comparison chart detailing ingredients and benefits of each would be incredibly useful for women to make informed decisions!!
@ Tammy – I love your blog!! http://amominredhighheels.com/
@Justitia: it is a shame and sounds as though the product was grossly mis-used. Brazilian Blowout™ only sells its product to Certified stylists who have become so by taking their class, in which they are taught proper application. If you saw the bottle and it said Brazilian Blowout™ on it, that stylist was either trained and disregarded her instruction or she somehow obtained the product illicitly. If she said it was “Brazilian” but you didn’t see the bottle, there is a good chance it was Brazilian Keratin Treatment (a different brand, but an understandable confusion) or some other treatment. I have not taken that company’s class but I do know it contains a stronger chemical and does require a waiting period after the treatment. As for the processing time, I do not know but the pouring of the solution on the scalp could certainly cause irritation (don’t know about breakage) and the use of excessive solution could definitely account for the coughing and other physical symptoms.
Either way I would try not to judge a product by this experience; almost any chemical treatment could cause problems if used inappropriately. I agree with you that the stylist and salon are very lucky you are not suit-happy, especially being an attorney. If I owned this salon, I would discharge this employee immediately for putting a client and me at risk. I realize you do not want to get the salon in trouble, but you might consider reporting the stylist’s name and actions to the manufacturer (first you may want to confirm the brand name to be sure you are contacting the correct company) so that she can be re-instructed and/or dropped from their list of stylists Certified to purchase and use the solution.
When applied properly, the Brazilian Blowout™ is safe for both the client and the stylist, though it may cause irritation in some, in which case that individual should consider if it was mild enough to bear (like bleach tingles your scalp but you just have to be blonde), serious enough to seek another treatment such as the one discussed below, or perhaps learn to embrace her natural texture.
http://amominredhighheels.com/formaldehydefree-global-keratin-treatment/
Though I know the product is supposed to only be sold to certified technicians, I wonder how strong the quality control is.
There is no question that it was the new Brazilian Blowout — I was shown the bottle and I bought the shampoo and conditioner at the time,
But I also saw Brazilian Blowout’s website which basically said “Watch this training video and you can become certified to use Brazilian Blowout.” I would like to know what procedures they take to ensure that the technician actually watched the video and internalized the instructions. One could easily just play the video, go away and then come back and state they watched it.
She was the only one to use this product in the salon, so obviously Brazilian Blowout certified her. They provided the product as well as the retail products for the client to buy. Furthermore the owner called th company to report the problem and get advice as to what to do. They suggested that she flat ironed and blew dry it too flat.
This is where Brazilian Blowout’s liability would come in. They do not enforce strict quality control in certifying their technicians.
I washed my hair again today — 4th time this week that it’s been washed. While I was blow drying it, large chunks of my scalp skin flaked off and stuck to my hair. It was like my hair was covered in huge pieces of dandruff. It took a while to get it out but I am sure there is more to come.
A friend came over and examined my scalp closely with a magnifying glass. If there was breakage , the regrowth would have shown by now. So the drowned rat look was probably from too much of the solution and on my scalp and being flat ironed to much and too flat to my skull.
My hair is beginning to get a little life back and my stylist did a good cut. But of course with the life so is the curl coming back. I spent $400 dollars for nothing.
I am disappointed that the manager did not offer to refund my money for the treatment. But I know salons are being hit hard. I probably can weather the $300 he charged me (the rest was tips for the woman who did the treatment, the wash girl and my hair stylist.) He at least did not charge me for the hair cut.
And again — Veronica’s report on this thread about Glutaraldehyde, the derivative of Formaldehyde in Brazilian Blowout is a rather toxic substance and one can say as often as they want that it is Formaldehyde-free but it is not –it’s just that Formaldehyde is even more toxic than Glutaraldehyde.
But I will say — if she had not done my hair so straight and so close to the scalp — my hair looks quite pretty and shiny. With a month’s growth it would look perfect. But by then, the product will be more than half gone.
Despite this bad experience, I think I would try it again with a more competent technician. It is far easier to deal with if you don;t have to do the 3 day thing with bans on anything that might put a dent. I would want to be more careful however in wearing a mask.
But with proper precautions, my guess this product has very good results.
@IDIVA I responded the other day but it does not seem to have posted, so I shall try again.
There is no product which is actually called “the new Brazilian,” and it can be confusing because many of the products’ names are similar and the process originated in Brazil. There are many products out there containing different chemicals and using different application/treatment processes.
The Brazilian Blowout™ does not require a mask and to my knowledge is the only keratin treatment which does not require a wait before washing the hair. However, many unscrupulous stylists and salons use the term “Brazilian Blowout” to refer to an entire category of treatments, and may use any one of a number of different products when trying to capitalize on the fame and good reputation of Brazilian Blowout™. The best way to confirm what is being used on you is to ask to see the bottle (I always have it present while doing the treatment so people know what they are getting), and/or to ask when booking, “Will I have to wait before washing my hair?”
I hope this helps. I wish more stylists and salons had the professional integrity that I pride myself on.
@JUSTITA
Again I am so sorry to hear about your experience and I am glad to hear that you are on the mend. You said that you would be willing to try the treatment again with a more experienced stylist. If you are in or near Los Angeles, their home salon is here so the stylists there have been doing it since its creation.
I don’t know about the current Certification policies, but I do know for certain that anyone who was Certified one year ago or more (because that’s when I did it), was taught in a class with lecture, printed materials, demonstration and hands-on instruction. After lecture and demonstration, my class of approximately 15 split up and worked on three models, and had the opportunity to rotate between models to try the treatment on different hair types. If you’re not near LA, you could contact BB to ask about their most experienced stylists in your area (the date may also be on the Certificate, which the stylist should be prepared to show you if not displayed)
I wish you the best of luck in finding the right stylist for the job.
I did not get your previous post, Jordana… Thank you for trying again!!
I really appreciate both your integrity and your desire to share information/educate women on the risks and rewards of these processes.
You have greatly added to the discussion here.
Oh my gosh Justitia! What a horrible experience! Best of luck finding a new certified stylist!
Thanks, Idiva!
Thank you, Jordana for your kind comments.
I wish I did live on the west coast but I am in the Baltimore- Washington area, closer to Baltimore.
With regard to the certification, Brazillian Blowout may have once required classes for certification but they don’t any more. This is a direct quote from their website:
“”Become a certified Brazilian Blowout stylist by watching this step-by-step training video on-line. Call 1-877-779-7706 for more information.”"
Below the above statment is a 5 minute video.
Here is the link: http://www.brazilianblowout.com/training-video
I just don’t trust the company to be a reliable source as to who has indeed been properly trained. It is too easy for someone to claim to have watched the video — even play it but go do something else — and then get certified. And how good is the training anyway when it is done through a 5 minute video?
This unfortunately is common in the beauty industry (as with many other service industries — I don’t mean to be singling out one.) It is too bad because it gives a bad name to everyone — even those who are conscientious.
I certainly will not ever do any process at my salon again.
I would welcome any recommendations for a certified Brazillian Blowout technician that has a good reputation in the Baltimore- Washington DC area.
And also thank you everyone else for your supportive comments. It helped weather this a lot.
Justicia – I went to college in DC (years ago!) and still have some friends down there. I will ask around for you!! Maybe we can turn this into a positive :)
Thanks for the post, girls!
I have the WORST curly hair for summer… it’s always frizzy and messy, even when I blow it dry! And since I don’t have AC, you can imagine what a nightmare the summer usually is for me. Anyway I’m always looking for the next big thing in straightening treatments, so I was sooooooo excited when I saw this post.
I went to Concept for the blowout (thanks for the discount!!!!) and LOVE it! My hair takes like 2 seconds to blow-dry (ok, 5 minutes, same diff) and actually stays straight when I blow it dry, which has never happened for me in the summer before! This treatment totally works and I highly recommend it for anyone frustrated with their hair!
Jordana – When I’m back in LA, I want to come by your salon now just to meet!!!
@Justitia That is strange and disappointing about the changes to the Certification process. Although I guess it’s good for me, as I now have an extra edge over more recently Certified stylists :)
I would recommend contacting BB to ask about an experienced stylist in that area (the website will just show you who is Certified, it doesn’t say how long they have been doing it). You could even ask, who orders a lot of the treatment because they are presumably doing the most services.
@Idiva Definitely do contact me when you come to LA, I would love to meet you and show you the salon!
@Jordana — I almost feel like flying out to LA just to have you do my hair :-) When I am ready, I will call BB as you suggest — ask who has been certified the longest and who orders the most product. Those are excellent suggestions.
@Idiva — if you could find someone in the DC- Baltimore- Annapolis area — that would be great! Thanks for offering to check it out.
And anyone else who can come up with a word-of-mouth recommendation — It would surely be appreciated.
And though this is off-topic — I can return the favor to everyone on this list — if, heavens forbid — anyone gets seriously ill…. Baltimore is the home of Johns Hopkins the # 1 ranked hospital in the country. The level of medical care in this city is phenomenal all the way around — not just at Hopkins though it is through its influence that other institutions rise to such a high standard.
I am connected with the some of the leading doctors in the world (as a patient — not a client.) And even if it is not in an area I am familiar with — I can find out who is the absolute best for whatever you need. This also includes physical therapy and other related medical treatments.
Come up to NYC and do it at Concept! We’ll make sure you get the royal treatment ;)
Thank you Justitia!
@ Tabor — I may do that in a couple of months. Seems like a long way to go… but at least I don’t have ot go back in 3 days :-)
Well, this week is my week to post.
I did what Jordana suggested and called Brazilian Blowout.
They have a salon right in the area where my hair salon is and the owner and two of his technicians have done the hands on training and purchase a ton of product from Brazilian Blowout.
New Wave Salon
11828 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
301-231-4844
She said to ask for Danny, the owner. Cesar is also supposed to be very good.
The woman told me that Brazilian Blowout offers both hands-on classes and the on-line training video. If you do the online, you call in and they ask a few questions — they do certify rather easily.
The woman said they were not going to abandon the training classes as Coppola and other Keratin treatments have — but they offer both hands on and online training.
I told her of my experience — she wanted to know what salon it was — of course I wouldn’t say but I did strongly advise her that she needed to tighten up their certification procedures.
So I will call New Wave in a month or so and set up an appointment.
Thank you again, everyone on this thread… you have all helped tremendously.
@Justitia I’m so glad they were able to help you find someone experienced in your area. Please reconsider giving the stylist’s name to Brazilian Blowout; how else can they re-train her? It’s not about getting your friend’s salon in trouble, but about making sure this stylist doesn’t misuse the product on other clients as she did on you.
@Jordana — I am convinced now the stylist was never trained or watched the video. I now strongly suspect she was never certified either based on questions I asked Brazilian Blowout that allowed me to dedeuce that.
I understand how frustrating it must be that something like this happens and impacts to even a small degree the reputation of a good product as well as the reputation of competent technicians. But even the person I spoke to at Brazilian Blowout volunteered on her own that this goes on all the time in the industry– not just with Brazilian Blow-out but in general. I appreciate her honesty.
If the technician was willing to use a product without finding out how to use it, no reporting to Brazilian Blowout will change that. And there is not much Brazilian Blowout can do.
But in truth, we all know that we have to be careful about whom we have addressing our hair as well as other beauty items. Over the years, I have found that most are at best merely competent, many are incompetent and a few are superbly excellent. I suspect you fall into that last category of superbly excellent.
That’s not much different from my own profession or any profession for that matter. The people who are lucky are those that have the skill to find out who is good at what they do. I’ve been pretty lucky for the most part. But I made an error here.
I suspect they will cease their activities. They know what risk they put themselves at and that they are lucky that there were no more serious consequences for them. I am not the only attorney in town — this is the DC area which probably has the highest concentration of attorneys in the country and some of the most powerful to boot. There are numerous high-powered professional women (and men) who go there. The salon owner is not foolish. But if he continues to be so — I suspect my hair stylist and his wife will leave.
Again I appreciate all your consideration– it really helped me through this, definitely!!!
@Justitia Thank you for your kind words. I am disappointed to hear that BB has loosened their certification requirements, because my certificate is now cheapened to some extent. I will write a bio on my website outlining my qualifications and experience, I guess that’s all I can do.
I hope your scalp is on the mend?
@Jordana — yeah, my scalp is on the mend, thanks:-)
I think it is a great idea that you list your credentials — also the training you have had and to say something like Trained at the (blank expo) with hands on training — beyond the available on-line video certification. It would probably be a good idea for Brazilian Blowout to make a distinction between those ho have gone to an expo for training and those who got their certification from watching the 5 minute video — maybe a “Master Certification”.
I would also scan a copy of your certificate and post it on line, with the warning to viewers to be sure that to whomever they go to — that they check that the stylist is in fact certified to use the product. You might want to post a picture of the new Brazilian Blowout bottle and tell people to look out for this version and be sure not to have an older version used on them.
And keep posting before and after pictures of your clients with a 3rd one of you and the client together — with dates so it is an on-going display.
If you start doing this, other technicians who are skilled as you are will do the same and the word will get out for clients to check for that and that will squeeze out the bad technicians and actually improve your and Brazilian Blowout’s reputation.
Great thing the internet — it surely gets info out rather fast.
Thanks, Justitia, I have done some updates to my site with your suggestions in mind. Please post again after your next experience? And/or find me on Facebook or twitter? You can search me on either site using my name, jordanalorraine, at gmail dot com. Idiva please find me too?
@Idiva & Jordanna — you guys should go into business together and promote yourselves as the premier Brazilian Blowout Salon in LA :-)
Sorry, Idiva, that I hijacked your thread so much but hopefully this thread will serve to promote your salon — as now people will learn what can happen in the hands of ill-trained, incompetent stylists.
BTW — it has been just over 2 weeks and some of my natural hair is growing out giving more lift and my hair is actually starting to look good. I am still getting compliments — one woman wants to know what I did _- which I told her of course and offered to go with her to the salon in Rockville, MD (outskirts of DC) that I found out about.
I wash my hair 3 times a week because I work out 6 days and 3 of them are cardio and I get pretty sweaty. I just hope the treatment lasts long enough that I will actually get to enjoy it to its fullest.
I understand with the Coppola, the more often you do it, the better it takes and the longer it lasts. Is it your experience that that is true with the Brazilian Blowout as well?
Hahah thanks Justitia! Yes, Brazilian Blowout is also cumulative in that the more you do it, it builds up and lasts longer. A few other tips to help prolong your treatment:
Make sure you are using the BB shampoo and conditioner (or masque). They both contain the hydrolized keratin and botanical extracts which are in the treatment, and therefor each use does replenish the shine and smoothness.
If for any reason you cannot use the BB products, make sure your shampoo is at least sulfate-free and sodium chloride-free, as those ingredients will strip the treatment off faster.
You may not actually need to shampoo after each workout; sweat is water-soluble, so a rinse and scrub with conditioner will remove it. Especially once you get a few more weeks out, you may be able to stretch it that way. You only need to shampoo when your hair is oily.
If you swim, you should get your hair wet first with tap water so that it absorbs less of the chlorine/saline/ocean salt, as those will slowly remove the treatment as well. Then wash it (with shampoo) ASAP afterwards. If you’re just playing in a pool and not going under, wet it and apply a little conditioner to protect it from sun and accidental splashing, then clip it up so that while you’re above water your ends aren’t soaking in it and wearing off :)
@Justitia – Hijack all you want! I’m so happy for the honest discussion and great shared information it resulted in. There is never anything wrong with women helping other women to look, feel and be their best. (And also warn them of any dangers so they can weigh risk.)
I’m a makeup artist and writer and beauty executive/guinea pig of sorts (both here and at my ‘dayjob’ at a women’s magazine) so while I wear a lot of hats, a hair professional I am not — which is why it’s so great to have Jordana’s imput!
Thank you both!
@ldiva — My apologies — I assumed that you were a Brazilian Blowout technician. Lol. (Though I could use your make-up skills for sure as my make-up is no longer made and after no wearing it for a couple of years I want to start again.) Which one are you in the photos?
@ jordana — thanks for the advice. I do have the Brazilian Blowout Shampoo and conditioner (but not the masque) but I have been using Sudzz FX shampoo and conditioner — which is what I got for my Coppola treatment which I believe is free of ail the chemicals you list.
I wanted to ask: Does the Brazilian Blowout a relaxant that changes the structure of your hair in addition to putting Keratin on it?
The Coppola is just a surface treatment of Keratin. I know of Pravana, which is both a chemical relaxer combined with a Keratin treatment — and I do not want to go that way anymore. Before I try the Brazilian Blowout treatment again this time in more competent hands, I want to make sure that it is not like Pravana — combination of hair relaxer and keratin like Pravana is. My hair can’t take hair relaxers more than once a year.
My hair is so straight it reminds me of the chemical relaxers. The Coppola — when I washed it after r the first few times, a little bit of wave started coming back and gave my hair even fuller body without a blow-dry but it was still essentially straight — at least for the 1st 6 weeks or so.
Any feedback on the nature of Brazilian Blowout with regard to this would be helpful.
Also, how could I get the masque? The salon I had the treatment from didn’t even carry it. I assume that is a better preservative of the treatment.
@Justitia Brazilian Blowout is only a surface treatment, however its misuse in this case may have caused it to behave differently. Demi-permanent colors, for example, are supposed to wash out in 6 weeks. But, the don’t cover grey. Some stylists process them under heat to achieve grey coverage (or “blending”), but then are surprised when they get a permanent result (i.e., the client gets roots). When you don’t follow manufacturer’s instructions, things like that can happen.
You may be able to buy the masque online at http://www.brazilianblowout.com, or you can check with other BB salons such as the one you were referred to. It is wonderfully rich and creamy, and smells like acai and grapefruit. Enjoy!
@jordana — Thanks for such a succinct cogent answer to my questions. I’ve looked at you site — it is really terrific. It is interesting that you show the effects of different forms of Keratin treatment. I wasn’t sure if one of them was Keratin Complex by Coppola — which you do talk about on your website.
As my hair is growing out and it being washed 3 times a week — it is just starting to look pretty again. I still can just blow dry my hair without styling in a few minutes and it looks quite acceptable. And it is still quite shiny.
I will communicate with you further more privately — but I just wanted people to know that despite the most disastrous mis-handled form of application and enduring a couple of weeks of completely lifeless, flat hair — my hair is starting to look really nice and shiny as the volume starts to come back — and it is SO EASY to take care of it.
Thanks too, ldiva, for letting us hog this thread.
Well, here it is, October 18th and I just had to report back.
My hair is still incredibly and beautifully straight, it shows much more body now that there is almost 3 months of growth — and it is just about as shiny as it was from the start. My hair looks so beautiful!! — and so healthy. And there is only minimal indication of a wave in the hair.
Blow-drying just involves turning the head upside down and rubbing fingers through the scalp to give the hair some lift.
Lucky my hair grows in straight for at least an inch and a half before starting to curl. Even with 3 months of growth, no curl showing yet, just body and lift , just wonderfully straight and healthy hair — the kind I’ve always died for but never had.
Like Phoenix rising up out of the ashes. Lol.
5 minutes is all it takes when a more coiffed look is needed and not the half hour or more as in the past, even with chemical straightening.
And something else, totally delightful, has started happening — totally due to the hair — as nothing else has changed– A lot more men are flirting and more overtly so with more spontaneous comments . (And I am **well** past the age to get such comments. The norm is at best an occasional a glance.)
Even my partner (significant other or whatever — we are just too old to be called “boyfriend and girlfriend” lol) has suddenly started spontaneously commenting and not just when I ask, e.g, when finished dressing for some event, “how do I look” We’ve been together for 4 years — and this is totally new behavior on his part (and I can’t say I mind at all… lol.)
I’ve always heard men were attracted by women’s hair — but I had no idea how much. Now I think men don’t even know by how much.
So I am getting great joy out of this. Every few days it hits me — I can have straight shiny hair like this for the rest of my life….. I just shake my head in disbelief.
And it is lasting so well — there no plans to go for another treatment for at least another month.
:-)
Justicia!!! YOU HOT TAMALE!!!!!!!!!
I absolutely lovvvvvvve it!!!!
Go for yours!!!
xo
@Justitia So glad you’ve been happy in the long run! As for men, I am not at all surprised you’ve been getting more attention. There was an experiment done recently using online dating sites to determine men’s preferences (identical profiles with different pictures), and smoother hair came out on top by a good margin. Shiny hair that swings and bounces is a sign of youth and health, not to mention men love to run their fingers through soft hair.
But what matters most is what you think…and I’m glad you love it!
Thanks for all the great info ladies.
Hi Justina,
I live in the DC area and am contemplating the Brazilian Blowout. Would you mind letting me know the salon you went to and had a bad experience? I’m having a hard time finding many reviews in this area, and would greatly appreciate it. If so, I can send you my email so that you don’t have to disclose it on the thread.
Thank you!!
@ashcurly Of course if you do learn which salon Justicia went to, I wouldn’t recommend going there. As for how to find a salon in your city (or any city):
Brazilian Blowout has a stylist locator on their homepage at http://www.brazilianblowout.com, to make sure you are getting someone who uses their product. You can then check up on the salons/stylists via Google, Citysearch and/or Yelp. You could even call BB (their number is on the site) and ask them who in your area has been doing it the longest, orders the most product (indicating experience), etc.
Best of luck!
Well… it is time for another update as well as to respond to a couple of queries posted here.
As to the person in the DC area — definitely Cesar — who works out of two salons owned by the same person, Danny. You can book with Danny and he and Cesar will work together on you. Now that I know how good Cesar is — I will just go ahead and book Cesar in the future. But maybe for the first time I would book with Danny to get the benefit of both.
Just to let you know — I drive over an hour to get there — it is well worth it.
Below I give the names addresses and phone numbers. Below that, I describe in detail my experience. You can absolutely
Danny owns and both he and Cesar works out of both of the salons below:
New Wave Salon
11828 Rockville Pike
Rockville, Md. 20852
301-231-4844
http://www.newwavesalon.com/
and
Rainbow Salon
White Flint Mall
11301 Rockville Pike
Kensington, MD. 20895
301.881.9225
How I found them: I got the name of a major purchaser of the new Brazilian Blow-out products in the DC from Brazilian Blow-out itself after I called to complain about my experience. The manager of Brazilian Blow-out suggested this route on the theory that a major purchaser must be doing a lot of successful repeat business.
I made an appointment at Rainbow in early November when the previous blowout treatment (in August) had all but worn-off.
My experience: Danny met with me first and then jointly with his employee, Cesar, to go over my hair and the negative experience I had previously. And then he and Cesar consulted together as to how to approach my hair and then Cesar took over.
Initially, my reaction was not positive about being turned over to Cesar — I was paying a premium for Danny though I was told by the appointment desk that he often works with Cesar.
But then as I watched how Cesar worked — it was obvious that he was truly talented and knew exactly what he was doing. The salon charges the same premium whether you ask for Danny or Cesar. But I was so thoroughly thrilled with Cesar, I even discussed with him some other inquiries and he had solutions for them all.
They also did not do the routine as prescribed on Brazilian Blow-out’s website — but it was clear they developed their routine after plenty of experience and knew how to handle any particular type of hair and how many of the steps they developed that my particular hair warranted.
The upshot is that my hair came out beautifully — perfectly straight with lots of shine and moreover, with plenty of bounce and body!!!…something I did not expect. No drowned rat look at all.
That was in the 2nd week of November. It is now the 3rd week of March — 4 months — and my hair is *still* perfectly straight. I am lucky in that my hair grows in straight and doesn’t start to curl until it is about 1 1/2 inches long. So the new growth is still as straight as the treated hair.
What this means is — that *properly* applied and using the right shampoo — Brazilian Blow-out is very slow to wash off. So repeat visits are few and far between.
With the previous treatment at my original salon with the incompetent technician, the Brazilian Blow-out started to wear-off in 6 weeks. It wore off even earlier with the Coppola treatment — though that was done at the same salon with the incompetent technician — however,the Coppola technician seemed even less competent — which is why I switched technicians at that salon to begin with. So it might not have been a fair test of the Coppola product.
So even though seeing Cesar was more expensive ($350 instead of $300), in the long run it was well worth it. I doubt I will have my hair done more than 3 times a year and it will look gorgeous throughout the year. With the previous technician — it started wear off in 6 weeks and 2 months was almost back to its curly self — that means a minimum of 4 times a year if not 6 times a year.
I did not however use Brazilian Blow-out’s shampoo. It has a number of various sulfates, etc in it even though it is free of the most notorious ones.
The shampoo and conditioner I use is by Sudzz and I believe it is much better at not washing off the Blowout product.
So 4 months later, some women and I were chatting about hair — when I told them I had naturally curly hair — they said they would have never guessed it in a million years.
I am often in a rush and I will shower and wash my hair and blow-dry it “blind” (with just turning my head over and running my fingers through it — not even looking in the mirror) while I am reading notes in preparation for a presentation or something. Frequently I will get suited up and leave hurriedly without even once looking in the mirror to see how it turned out.
Some time later in the day, when I have a moment to breathe I will finally check out the mirror — and my hair ALWAYS looks beautiful — without any brushing combing or anything. And I can absolutely trust this. Of course I can give it some more style with running a big brush with the blow-dryer — but usually I don;t have the time and I really don’t need to.
I don’t ever worry if it starts to drizzle outside — or if the weather gets humid — nothing. I almost cannot even recall what my hair looked like when it was curly.
What a relief!!!
I am even thinking of seeing how long I can grow my hair now that it is straight. When I was young and long hair was so in — I could never get it passed a few inches past my shoulder. I presume, being natural curly the ends became week and broke off. Now that it is perfectly straight — that doesn’t seem to happen. And though I am a little old for really long hair — I might try it anyway. :-)
Good Luck to everyone and happy straight hair!!!
(Just to note: When I called Brazilian Blow-out back to report how pleased I was, I was connected to a different customer rep, who couldn’t find the salons’ names as a purchaser. It took us a while to figure out the the name of the company doing the actual purchasing from Brazilian Blow-out was not the name of the salons — but still a company with the same owner. The actual purchaser was (if I recall correctly) a beauty supply outfit. Danny is clearly quite the entrepreneur and quite successfully so. The first rep I spoke with was actually much higher level management and probably knew that the salons and the purchasing company were essentially one and the same.)
@Brazilian Blowout Specialist, Los Angeles – thank you for your response. I definitely wouldn’t go to the salon that gave Justina a bad experience – it would help me know where “not” to go.
Thanks for the tips on searching salons, I appreciate it!
@ Ashcurly — as I indicated in earlier posts — I will not discuss what salon I had the bad experience in.
What is more useful for you — if you are in DC and are really looking for a good place to go is to consider the ones I mentioned that I had an extremely positive experience.
I wrote a long post yesterday describing my extremely positive experience at New Wave Salon. You just need to be patient and wait for it to post.
However in an earlier post I do give its address and phone number as well as the technicians to contact.
@ashcurly, yes that would be helpful but for some reason Justitia is very protective of a place that damaged her hair and scalp…?
Anyway, she has done her research and found a great place, so it’s good that she is sharing it with you and all Divaliciousblog readers!
@Justitia, I’m glad you’ve found someone great and are happy
Ashcurly has no need for info where not to go — she’s not going to go there anyway; she just needs the info as to where to go. If she goes there she will do completely fine.
Hello. I’ve decided against it all together. I won’t be checking this post anymore.
Thanks anyway.
@Ashcurly I’m sorry to see you’ve decided against the treatment altogether; it has worked wonders for my hair and for hundreds of my clients’ hair as well. Please feel free to contact me directly if I may answer any questions or if you consider it in the future. JordanaLorraine at gmail. Cheers!
@Jordana — frankly, though I hope I am wrong, I suspect that ashcurly was not a serious potential client but someone from Brazilian Blowout trying to figure out what salon I went to that had an untrained technician use the product improperly.
There is absolutely no reason in the world she needed that information if she was looking for a place to go — since I offered two locations with two people who were excellent and in the same general area as the one I went to.
And it is rather suspicious that suddenly a Brazilian Blowout Specialist, Los Angeles appears on the scene at exactly the same time also trying to nudge me to reveal the name – their second post almost a guilt-trip for not doing so.
And then Ashcurly announces she has decided against it — and then both she and Brazilian Blowout Specialist, Los Angeles disappear.
Those posts seemed like a fishing expedition to me — not legit — but that may be just the lawyer in me.
UPDATE:
I have schedule my next appointment with Cesar (see posts below for address & #) for the end of May. That’s about 6 months from his first treatment with me.
(I had one very bad treatment from someone else at another salon in August and a Coppola treatment in April that barely lasted — but it was at the same salon, different tech — but fairly careless.)
It is getting rainy and humid here in the mid-Atlantic — and along with 6 months of new hair growth — my hair is getting a little wavy and a bit frizzy. To make it look nice the way I want it to frame my face (the hair is a little longer than shoulder length) I have to spend about 10 minutes to style it with a blow dryer. But that’s nothing like the 40 minutes I used to have to do and back then it would frizz and curl up completely in humid weather.
Even after I blow dry it — it is not quite as silky and shiny as it was a month or so ago. I only put a light mousse on it. I have a product that Cesar suggested made by Cadiveu, another Brazilian company. It is a leave-in anti-frizz. I haven’t tried it yet but I will now to see how it does.
Ideally, I should have done a new treatment a month ago. But work was too hectic. Given my hair grows in straight at first and doesn’t start to even wave until about an inch and a half in length — 1 time every 4 months seems optimal — which is pretty good in my book.
So I will see how it goes for this summer. If I only
@Justitia, sorry to have alarmed you. I am ‘Brazilian Blowout Specialist’ (you can see by hovering over or clicking on the title, that it links to my website). Sometimes I sign in that way to show I am not just a lay-person who thinks they know it all, but a professional specialist. Yes I still think it is strange that after someone did such awful things to your hair and scalp, you would be so protective of their identity; clients use blogs such as this to find the good and the bad, so they can avoid it. I stopped posting because @ashcurly said she wouldn’t be checking, but am now replying because you addressed me directly.
No way to know if that poster was an undercover agent, but I will say two things:
If I worked for BB (which I do not), I would sure as you-know-what want to know who was out there bastardizing my process and hurting clients’ hair and scalp as well as my product’s reputation, so I could put an end to it by re-training or pulling their credential. That’s just good business.
And if someone had damaged my hair and scalp the way they did yours, I would want to make sure they didn’t do it to anyone else.
@Jordana — lol — I would never have guessed that Brazilian Blow-out specialist would be you. My humblest apologies. I am quite confident you are not a “spy” for BB.
As I said in one of my earliest posts, the reason I do not want to reveal the name of the salon is that it was this one technician who was using the product after claiming they knew how to.. As far as I can tell, since this incident — that person is no longer working at that salon.
I have been going to this salon for over a decade; their staff by-and-large are truly excellent — but most significantly the hair stylist I go to there is quite extraordinary — people come from as far away as 100 miles for this person to do their hair. I myself drive 65 miles each way. Their colonist is equally as good.
With info taken out of context, this salon’s overall rep could be ruined because of one unreliable technician who is not even working there any more.
BB itself acknowledged that it was impossible to exert quality control — that scenarios like I describe happen all over the place.\
So in the aesthetics industry one seeks referrals as to who is good — same as in the legal profession or the medical profession. Most in both of those professions — and I am a member of the legal profession — are barely competent. The really good ones are the exception — not the rule.
And whether we are conscious of it or not — we all know this.
Justitia – I’m happy to hear the person is no longer working at the salon. I hope s/he is no longer working in the business at all!
I’m with LDiva, glad to hear the person is no longer employed at your favorite salon. I don’t recall if you did as I suggested and reported the stylist to BB, but I still hope so for the sake of other clients. What they did was beyond the scope of a bad haircut (grows out), or a funky color (can be changed.) I agree that better training and quality control would be advisable to Brazilian Blowout in order to maintain their good reputation and avoid liability. I think most people (including me) would have sued in your situation.
Unfortunately, it is up to the client to research not just the type of treatment they want but the stylist they are considering to do it.
Readers can see here a guide to choosing a keratin treatment stylist: http://amominredhighheels.com/keratin-treatment-choose-stylist/
So I went to Cesar to have my first Brazillian Blowout since November from him.
I really needed it about a month ago but I got too busy.
But still, all through this past month, though my hair was not as shiny as it had been all winter — it still looked quite good, particularly after a fresh shampoo. I could still just blow it out loose, without any brush or anything, for about 10 minutes and it looked great and full though it had a light wave — it looked attractive. Also after 6 months my hair had grown in enough that the first “kink” or bend in my hair showed and that gave it a nice fullness after a fresh shampoo.
Also, using another Brazilian product by Cadiveu, a hydrating masque and applying some Moroccan Oil restored some of the shine.
However by the next day, the hair looked limp as it was losing its volume and curl stated to show in an unattractive way. I had to do my old 1/2 hour blow-dry to get it to look attractive — though still a bit frizzy. And with the humid weather upon us — even that didn’t last much more than 3 hours.
So I finally went to Cesar — this time at the New Wave Saloon nearby. It is a more pleasant, calmer environment. He reduced the price for me because I was a returning customer, there was an excellent manicurist/pedicurist — something I have not been able to find in Baltimore where I live in the 8 years since my old one retired. So I stayed for that too.
And my hair looks beautiful and shiny all over again.
So realistically — the Blowout treatment lasted a full 5 months — though it was through winter which tends to be dry. I could let it go 6 months though barely.
We’ll see how the summer fares.
Brazilian smoothing treatments are so amazing.
http://braziliante.com
No Down time
90 mins in the salon
No formaldehyde
Shiny. Soft. Frizz-free hair!
I recently had the Brazilian Blowout done to my hair and have been losing an insanely alarming amount of hair every time I wash it. I noticed flaking on my scalp today as well, but the product had no contact with my scalp. It leaves me to wonder what is in the shampoo, conditioner, masque and smoothing creme. I have never lost this much hair before and am very worried. It’s been about a month since my original treatment. It burned my eyes and I have had a horrible dry cough since then as well. I had originally thought the cough was maybe a weird summer cold but after having read these posts I think it might have something to do with the product. Any news on whether hair loss with this treatment has something to do with the hair follicle thinning as a result of the product, thus falling out??
That is alarming. Did you have it done by a trained stylist at a reputable salon??
On my blog alone, I’ve heard such dramatically different feedback. So many women love it and say it has changed their lives, and others like you have had troubling experiences.
It’s like chemical peels and other procedures – you really have to do your research. I would suggest always looking into the salon, the person who perfoms the treatment, that person’s experience level, their training and success rate, what other people are saying about the treatment and the technician, etc.
Because no one should have to go through what you are experiencing from a beauty treatment.
@Cookie You make a good point about the aftercare products being the potential cause, since they are applied to your scalp but the treatment was not. The full list of ingredients is shown on each of these products (shampoo, conditioner, masque and serum.) Many of these ingredients are natural oils and extracts, which you could be allergic to (like any nut, flower, plants, etc.) Have you stopped using them? Have you seen a dermatologist or allergist? If you do visit s doctor, I would recommend you bring the products with you so they can examine the ingredients. And please Do report back!
Hi guys thanks for writing back. I have called the company and spoke to two different reps. Both of which sounded like they were reading off the same exact script. I have thought about seeing a doctor. This would be a great option if I had the medical insurance to do it, however I do not. I am a hairdresser and had it done at work during a demonstration for the salon. The person doing it was competent and did it exactly by the book. I have stopped using the products and the only big difference is that my hair’s returning to its frizzy state. My hair has continued to shed. I’m hoping that it’ll stop soon. It looks like I’m going to have to sit and wait it out =/
@ Cookie — it is possible that you are allergic to some ingredients. Try using the Sudzz shampoo & conditioner — it is pretty pure –better than the Brazilian Blow-outs own products (which have -ates in them) and you could be allergic to that and I suspect they actually make the keratin treatment wash out faster anyway.
Best of luck — I hope the hair loss stops soon.
Hey Justitia!
How did the treatment work out for you?!
Justitia-
Mind if I ask you a few questions?…
(1) What’s your hair type — Fine, medium, coarse? Low, average, or high density (as in how many strands you have)? Wavy or curly? I’m just curious after reading how fabulous and low-maintenance your hair has been since your past two Brazilian Blowouts.
(2) Where do you get your Sudzz products? I’ve never seen that brand before, but it sounds like they’ve extended the life of your Brazilian Blowout, so I think I’d like to give them a try (I’m about to get my first Brazilian Blowout in the next couple of weeks).
Thanks for giving such a detailed account of all your keratin treatment-related experiences… the info is really helpful. :)
Cookie I have been losing handfuls of hair since I had it done On June 5th 2010. I contacted the company and said they have never had any such complaint. They told me if I was to sue them they had very good lawyers. As soon as I got off the phone with them I filed a claim with my small claims court. Its not the money its the principal. They do not care about there clients. I have started saving the hair that comes out and will be showing the judge. Very bad company, I will never deal with them again.
My hair was slightly less curly than Amy Irving’s when she was younger. I think that it would be considered “fine.” Though my hair was always quite fulsome after the Brazilian blowout it was quite flat to my head with almost no volume. I did not like that that much — it does not look that good on me.
But over time as the product slowly washes out, my hair gets fuller and fuller as I blow dry it. (No styling, just flip my head over blow dry it while rubbing my fingers on my scalp to fluff my hair and then as it is close to being dry flip back up and just blow dry the hair form the front of my face — no comb or brush.)
It is now 4 months exactly since my last treatment and my hair looks perfect. I get so many compliments after I wash it- – which still makes it quite shiny.
As my hair grows in straight and doesn’t start curling until it is about 1 1/2 inches form my scalp and then it is just a slight wave until longer — I don’t think I will be getting another treatment for a while. I can see this going for at least another month.
But my hair looks healthy and shiny.
I first bought Sudzz because it has no sulfates or anything else related — before the Brazilian Blow-out — the Brazilian Blow-out’s shampoos etc do have sulfates or sulfides or something like that — which are not only unhealthy but they cause the Brazilian Blow-out treatment to wash out faster and therefore not last as long. The product was in my salon but I know buy it online. Just Google it. I have regular size bottles from earlier purchases of Sudzz and I just buy the large bottles.
I use the Sudzz Creme & Honey shampoo and the Enhance daily conditioner and that works fine.
Sudzz also make a travel size kit with a sample form several of their products. My salon sold it but I am sure you could find it on line.
Sleek hair is where I bought it.
I had my hair done 2 weeks ago and LOVE it. My only complaint is that I feel like the ends of my hair are getting dry now. I have been using the Brazilian Blowut products but can you use other products such as the Matrix Sleek Serum?
Also, what other prodcuts do the professionals recommend that you can use with the Brazilian Blowout?
Hi Danielle – I just had it done too…can’t believe I was so worried about it and wish I had done it sooner!
My salon gave me some info on products – I didn’t want to buy the Brazilian Blowout stuff because it was so $$. She said – sulfate free (that’s obvious) but she also said sodium chloride free (salt) and that was hard to find!
I finally did – John Masters Organics. At least in the dry hair formulation it’s free of both of those things. As for styling products – she thinks Moroccan Oil is ok (thank goodness because I’m obsessed with it thanks to someone named Ldiva!)
So check the ingredients on your Matrix product and check any new shampoo/conditioners too for those 2 ingredients – and stay out of oceans and swimming pools! I’m sure the experts will have more to say… Take care.
I have read several comments from various blogs about using Moroccan Oil…where do you find it?
I’ve seen it at Ricky’s and I checked Sephora but they don’t carry it. Ricky’s or maybe other beauty supply places? And some salons carry it. It’s great – I use the oil (tiny amount) on my ends before I blow dry. And I LOVE the fragrance. :-)
I found a couple of places in my area that have it so I will have to go see if they have some small bottles to try out. DId you experience dry ends too?
I bought the BB shampoo, conditioner and serum. I havent bought the masque cause I ran out of money!!
I am going to continue to get this treatment done so I want to figure out the best products that I can use going forward that arent as $$ as the BB stuff. My hairdresser (who is a good friend) really recommended the BB prodcut line over top of other stuff and since this was the first time I had done it, I listened to the recomendation.
Great string here…a few comments, if I may:
All BB products contain their Super-Nutrient Complex which is also in the solution, so every time you use them you are refreshing your results. So while avoiding sulfates and sodium chloride is good, no other line will protect and extend like the BB Acai Aftercare. I have tested this theory myself!
The masque is amazing, and much richer than the daily conditioner. It can be used with each shampoo if your hair is coarse or dry; it may be too heavy for regular use on finer hair, and should be used more as a deep treatment.
The BB products may seem pricey at first, but ounce for ounce they are pretty close to other upscale salon brands; most shampoos are $23-25 for 8-10 oz bottles, BB is $34 for 12 oz.
You are free to use any styling products you like, I have never seen one with any offensive/stripping ingredients. Moroccan Oil is a great line and you can buy it online if you know which product you need, or find a local salon to help you choose by checking here:
http://www.moroccanoil.com/index.php?view=article&id=31&option=com_content&Itemid=31
I hope this helps! Enjoy your BBs!
Danielle – my hair was dry before the BB and is still dry, but now it looks so much better since it’s not dry AND frizzy!
Jordana – thanks for the ingredient info! The prices that you quote are for your salon though, correct? Because depending on mark-up policy those prices can vary? At my salon (NY) the shampoo was well over $40 – around $45. Enough to make me think twice.
I was able to find the Moroccan Oil at a local salon. I bought the normal one versus the Light even thought the light said it was for blaonde hair which I have. The hairstylist said she thought it was still fine though.
Jordainne-i have seen your posts on various blogs and appreciate the valuable information. In my month long reserach prior to getting the service done, your information was the most helpful.
I have another question (or maybe a few):
I got the service 2 weeks ago. 1 week prior to that, I cut and dyed my hair. I will need to do my roots in about 2-3 more weeks. I do them at home so I wanted to ask this…the instructions tell me to apply to roots and then the rest of the product to my whole head for 5 minutes before i was it out. Should I not put the prodcut on all of my hair?
THanks for the info on the styling products. I always use the Sleek iron spray if I do use a flat iron and felt funny not doing it because i felt as if I wasnt protecting my hair from the heat. =)
@Kelly You make a good point. $40+ is unnecessarily steep! The average retail price is $34. You can probably buy them online (though BB does not sell directly to consumers), just make sure you buy from a reputable source to insure it is the real deal! Or, call around and see if someone in your area sells them at a normal rate.
@Danielle Thank you for the compliment! I haven’t tried the Moroccan Oil Light, but I have heard good things about it. Color is absolutely safe with Brazilian Blowout; you can color (including that refresher) 2 weeks after your BB treatment. Please note that your hair is coated now, and your previously colored hair may need more careful saturation to penetrate, so don’t rush through it. Good luck!
I used the Moroccan Oil and really liked it. I just used a tear drop soze in my roots and voila, my hair did not feel dry anymore! I liked the smell too!
Instead of using my fingers to dry my hair, I used my round brush this time and it gave me so much more body. I can’t tell you how much I love the Brazilian Blowout!
My daughter is mixed.. I decided to get the Brazilian blowout rather than doing a relaxer.. The results were amazing.. Her hair texture was transformed.. It’s more manageable and is very smooth. We are now on the second week and she has HORRIBLE dandruff. She has never had dandruff before the Brazilian Blowout. We are using the sulfate free shampoo and conditioner. We are following all the after care instructions. She has never had this with a relaxer. I no that the stylist was putting it on her scalp due to her hair texture. Is that the reason. Is she having a reaction to the product. I’m having a hard time paying for this process again if this is going to be the results I’m left with. If anyone has any suggestions or info I would appreciate it..
@Brandee I am sorry to hear about your daughter’s dandruff, but glad she likes the results on her hair. The product is NOT meant to be applied to the scalp! Tougher textures do require careful application to get it as close to the scalp as possibly, but it should never be brushed onto the scalp like color is. Consider this: this product is meant to seek out crevasses in the hair (such as cracked cuticles) and fill them in smooth. If it is layered onto the skin, it makes sense to could clog pores or follicles, which could result in flaking fro the scalp not breathing properly. I would suggest seeing a dermatologist to examine her scalp and recommend a course of action, then reporting the problem and the diagnosis/resolution to the salon, and choosing a stylist very carefully if you choose to do it again (explain what happened last time.) Good luck!
I had the Brazilian Blowout done at a high end salon in Victoria Birtish Columbia Canada on August 19, 2010. After about two weeks I noticed I was losing hair like crazy and have been researching every where to see if anyone else has had this issue. What I have found is alarming to say the least. i have found too many posts from women stating hair loss of 50% or more for this to be an islolated thing.
This site has a few posts from women experiencing the same thing as does http://www.oprah.com and http://www.short-hair-styles.com but wait it gets worse.
The Oregon Health and Science University just released an Emerging Issues and Alerts notice on the web site here is the link- http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/research/centers-institutes/croet/emerging-issues-and-alerts.cfm
A salon in Oregon sent the lab the Brazilian Blowout product to be tested for formeldahyde September 1, 2010 and they conducted 4 seperate tests each resulting in finding foreldahyde levels ranging from 6.4% to 10.6%. When I contacted the company I was told this report was false and was done by an angry company who did not get the distribution rights for the #1 hair product in North America!
But wait, there is more! The guidelines for formaldehyde in products sold in Canada as a cosmetic item cannot exceed 0.2%. Health Canada is now testing the product due to complaints and they have been in contact with me.
Please, please email me if you are experiencing hair loss that you can trace back to have the “Brazilian Blowout” as I am trying to find as many people as I can. Go the link above and read the notice, ask questions and for Gods sake if you around this product do your research and call the University and ask questions.
Is not fun losing your hair but levels of formaldehyde that high will do much worse damage to yu than just hair loss. I have done hours of research and this is just a sample of what I have foud so far. email me if you are having problems please! susanne.harvey@shaw.ca
Just created a blog of my experience/problems with Brazilian Blowout so far. If you want to follow, have had any issues with the product please visit http://www.brazilianblowout.blogspot.com
Brazilian Blowout’s response to the above allegations:
http://amominredhighheels.com/brazilian-blowout-formaldehyde-brand-responds-accusations/
http://amominredhighheels.com/brazilian-blowout-breaks-silence/
Well…Hello Diva & all! I’m going to tell you my story & how I stumbled (although greatfully) upon your site! It will be long, but I will try to keep it as short as possible!
My husband & I moved across the US – (from North to South) in June 2010 & upon high recommendations from the girls in the reality office I had my hair highlighted & came out miserable in mid-June 2010…. I have long dark brown naturally curly hair… went in for SUBTLE BROWN highlights & came out with uneven yellow-blonde streaks & a horrible chop cut! Needless to say I was very unhappy, but the beautician & owner of the shop was out for surgery & could not fix my hair…. & I wasn’t comfortable to have someone else in the shop attempt…so…. I wait awhile for my hair to calm down a bit… & get another referral to a different beautician & shop in July 2010 & explain what I want, what I’m not happy with & come out BLONDER!! White Blonde!!! Do we see a pattern here??? LOL My hair at this point was so damaged I could barely comb thru with TONS of conditioner in it…. not even washed out yet!
Ok, so I’m searching online to find out how to fix my damaged hair so hopefully I won’t have to cut it all off or worse – have it break off…. in my search is how I found Brazilian Blowout & eventually your site…. I researched for months….. & finally decided to take the plung… how much worse could it get right??? So I research, research & research some more… & there really are a lot of Salons out there that ARE performing the Brazilian Blowout uncertified &/or with just the 5 minute video for training…. there are a lot of exclusive salons doing this as well… so I finally decided on a salon…. I went today…(I almost wrote to you last nite to tell you I was taking the plunge today- I drove 2+ hours to go to this salon & am staying in a hotel)…. OMG…. Diva it is the most amazing thing!!!! My color is corrected – Thank God! And my damage is NO MORE!!! My hair is beautiful & shiney & smooth & silky…. GORGEOUS! I scheduled my next color/cut in 6 weeks & my next Brazilian Blow Out in 12 weeks…. Yes, I bought the products! Absolutely! I can not stop touching my hair!!! It is truly AMAZING!!! If you only knew how badly damaged my hair was… I can’t even think how to adequately explain it to you…. you would not believe my hair today!!!!
This…is important.. I feel.
Yes, my eyes DID burn a bit & tear… ONLY at times when the Brazilian blowout product was being blow dryed & flat ironed…ONLY when the product fumes actually hit my eyes from the dryer, etc. …. but not too bad…. certainly, it did not affect my breathing… & I bring this up ONLY because I have allergies & my eyes & sinus are always the most affected… so after reading & researching I knew that was a possibility & still opted to go for it!! I live in the South…. I have allergies & sinus problems here… it’s just a fact of life! (we lived in the south for 15 years prior to moving up north before moving back down south & here to Texas)….. was it worth it???? YES!!!! Would I do it again??? YES!!!
p.s.
with my allergies I can only use certain skin care products & even have had problems with brands such as…. Clarins… Estee Lauder…. etc….. so my eyes are VERY sensitive!
So, I wanted to let you know Diva… thank you so much for your article & this board….. I also want to let you know who I ultimately went to for my Brazilian Blow out…..
R Salon
Raymond Haley
Uptown Salons
3099 College Park Drive, Suite #100
The Woodlands, Texas
77384
1-936-581-0923
RaymondHaley2002@yahoo.com
Raymond & Robert (assistant)… literally spent 5 1/2 hours with my desperately needed color correction & horribly damaged hair… which came out FABULOUS….. then my Amazing Brazilian Blowout…. & a Gorgeous & much needed cut!!!! Words are not enough to express the talent & expertise that I was treated to today!!!
I’ve read that Beauticians are not magicians… Well I can honestly say that Raymond at R Saon is a GENIUS!!!!
Diva, you are part of the process that saved my horribly damaged hair & I sincerely thank you for that & I want you to know I thoroughly enjoy your articles! Keep up the great work!!!
Sincerely,
Rochelle
Rochelle – your comment honestly made me so happy!! I love when a woman feels as beautiful and transformed and confident as you sound. Absolutely love it!
Now let’s hope they determine the product is truly safe for most when used properly by a trained technician (as has been the claim from the beginning) and can stay in salons. Because more than being upset about its risks, the women who I’ve spoken to and who have emailed and commented are far more concerned they won’t be able to get their Brazilian Blowouts. Some are devastated at the thought of pre-Brazilian hair. So it clearly is a life-changing process with amazing benefits.
Please stay in touch here and provide us with updates over time! xo
Ditto @LDiva! I am so glad you love your hair, Rochelle, thanks for sharing the story!
Diva & Jordana….
I’m still loving the hair! :) It came at the perfect time! My husband’s taking me to Cozumel for my birthday Saturday!!! We leave in the morning for a week!
I definitely hope everything is settled concerning all this soon… hopefully before my 12 weeks for my next brazilian blowout appointment!… hahahaha
My husband said… “OMG… look at your hair??? You slept & it’s still perfect”!!!
I’m still in total amazement of it all!!!
Thanks,
Rochelle
Glad to hear it, Happy Birthday and have a beautiful trip!!
If there are still questions circulating when you are ready for another treatment, look for a salon that takes special precautions to protect you and their staff, as seen here: http://www.saferbrazilian.com
The manufacturer of my air filtration system is working on a directory so that people can find one near them!
Thanks Jordana… I will definitely do that! I’ve noticed your air filtration system in pictures & NOW realize that it definitely is a plus & a must!!!
Do you feel there is any preference on a hair spray type product that won’t conflict with the acai products or blow out itself???? The weather predictions for Cozumel are not the greatest for our week & I want to be prepared if need be.
Thanks
Rochelle
@Rochelle Good question! Nothing in hairspray itself should harm our treatment, except that wearing a lot of hairspray could lead to shampooing more often, which slowly fades the results.
I assume you were given instructions for swimming?
The filtration system is seriously awesome!!! I hope more salons start implementing precautions like this. or maybe I don’t…more business for me :)
Have a great trip!
Thanks Jordana – yeah, I just want a little hold on my crown…
So you sound definitely confident that the controversy will work it’s self out…. I sure hope so cuz I’m loving my new hair!
Thank you… we are determined to have a blast… bad weather & all… cuz my hair looks so darn good! hahahaha
My husband says we’ll be the only fools out there for the weather channel to interview & I should bring curlers… I said absolutely NOT!!! My locks will be blowing in the breeze!!! LOL
For swimming I wet it before going into the pool or ocean right so the hair doesn’t absorb as much of the chemicals &/or sea right???
Thanks again
Rochelle
@Rochelle that’s pretty much it! If your going to swim for exercise, underwater etc., it would be best to out on conditioner and a cap. But if you’re just playing, wetting it is sufficient, and if you’re just lounging, you could even just to put it up so it doesn’t get wet. Be surer to bring your BB shampoo+conditioner with you!
Most importantly, have fun :)
Biolage has a new Acai Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner. Has anyone tried it with teh BB yet?
Hi Ladies! Just thought I’d give you an update AFTER my vaca to Cozumel!!! Well, the first time going to the pool I pre-wet my hair…. didn’t bother with it at all through out the rest of the trip though… LOL My husband said “Enjoy your vacation, if you get your hair done earlier than 12 weeks – big deal – just enjoy your time here now”…. so that’s exactly what I did…..;) I did take all my Acai brazilian blowout supplies, i.e. shampoo, conditioner, mask & serum…. (oops, I’ve yet to use the mask cuz I just remembered about it – hahaha)…. anyway… we had fabulous weather the entire time & I had NO FRIZZ at all….. even getting ready in a hurry I could just dry & style my crown/bangs/fringe – whatever you want to call it ;) & the rest of my long hair dried on it’s own beautifully!!! Shiney & soft… My husband even said “in the 26 years I’ve known you this is the best your hair has ever looked”…. um yeah, I’m sold, he’s sold…. he’s still telling me how shiney my hair is & how great it looks!
I haven’t tossed my hair so much in years!!! ;)
Shoot… sorry Ladies, I forgot to add that I met 2 other ladies that SAID they had just gotten a Brazilian Blowout before arriving in Cozumel like us, but when they talked about the wait time, etc before they could wash it I slipped out… “Oh that’s not a Brazilian Blowout then, you must of gotten one of the other Keratin treatments”… which I felt bad about cuz it’s sounds so snobby… LOL And one of the ladies STILL had frizzy hair… so I told her… “you need to go back & have them redo your treatment”… she said, “no, I think it’s just that the texture of my hair is different than hers”… I was like, Ok then….. LOL I’m happy with mine… THRILLED!!!
They said theirs couldn’t be washed out for 24 hours & smelled like chocolate????? Do you know what kind of treatment they had????
Hmm, hard to know what they had, bu we all know what they DIDN’T have! So glad you love your Brazilian Blowout!
True Jordana…we’re visiting them when we go to Vegas for New Years…. I’ll find out then if I don’t before ;)
I am set to get my 2nd BB next week. Do you recommend cutting your hair in the same appointment or is it ok to get it cut a few weeks later?
@Danielle I think it looks best with a fresh cut, but there is no damage caused by waiting. There may be a special price to add your cut to the same appointment as the BB, so that’s worth asking about!
I went last night to get my second treatment done. When I got home, my husband said it didnt look anywhere as perfect as it did the first time. the last inch or so of my hair looks very dry and somewhat frizzy. (I did have my hair cut after the procedure). When I woke up this morning, one side of my hair is dry and frizzy in the last 4 inches. The top of my hair loooks normal though. What do you think went wrong? I have a call into my stylist now and waiting for him to call me back.
The only thing I noticed different during the procedure is my eyes didnt tear anywhere near the same amount that they did the first time around.
@Danielle I am very curious to hear what your stylist says! First, you’ll want to confirm that the same product was used. Other than that, my best guess would be amount of product used. Using too much would cause more irritating fumes in the air, while using too little could leave parts of the hair untreated and/or scalded by an iron too hot for hair that isn’t protected by product.
Please do report back!!
I washed and dried my hair today and I have broken ends all over the place…specifically on the top of my hair and part line. I look like someone rubbed a ballon on the top of my head. =(
I spoke to my stylist, who is a long time friend, and he said he could redo the treatment but i am really worried that my hair wont be able to take it in 2 weeks.
@Danielle The Brazilian Blowout site recommends waiting at least 10 days between treatments, so you’re good there. However, if your hair has been burned it might not be a good idea to do it again. It sinus like you rally trust your stylist, which is good, so be honest with him about your concerns and I’m sure he’ll look out for your best interest.
So it has been almost 2 months since I had my “bad” treatment and I am going back this week to have it redone and cut. Do you think 8 weeks is long enough to wait? My broken ends have grown about 1.5 inches so they dont stick up as much and I have been good about doing the hair masque once a week.
@Danielle Unfortunately this is something I cannot determine via blog. Your hair’s readiness to accept heat can only be analyzed in person, so you might consider booking a consult prior to your appointment, just to be sure. (If you just go in for the appointment, you run the risk of him dong it because the time is booked, even if your hair isn’t really ready for it.) Good luck and let us know what happens!
Just reporting back as I have not posted in a while. I had another treatment in November. i told my stylist that I found my hair too flat immediately after treatments. He decided not to do the second stage which had something to to do with either putting less conditioner on or not leave it on as long. They do more than the standard treatment — so he was cutting back on the “additional” stuff. At first I was a bit concerned because I wanted my hair to look just as shiny.Cesar (my BB stylist) said not to worry.
In fact, it was not as shiny.
However, when I washed my hair I used the BB mousse (I used to use another brand but I finally used it up.) My hair was just as shiny as previously — and it had more body and not as flat to my head.
so Cesar was right. I’ve learned to trust him. he really knows what he is doing.
So I have almost forgotten what it is like to have curly (frizzy) hair. :-) I love the fact that it takes no time to get my hair ready when I wash it. And that it stays straight and shiny no matter how humid it is out or how many days its been since I washed it. (I’ve gotten lazy about that since my hair stays looking so good.)
I keep up with all the comments here and it is interesting to read about other people’s experiences.
Happy New Year Everyone!
@Justitia Thanks for reporting back! I am glad to hear that you love your hair (and Cesar–good to know someone to send referrals to!) I do have two questions if you don’t mind.
~~What do they do that is “more than the standard treatment?”
~~Brazilian Blowout does not make a mousse to my knowledge, or that is shown on their site. I am familiar with their leave-in serum, shine spray and pomade, but not any mousse. Please tell us more?
Thanks, and Happy New Year to you, too!
I also meant to mention, it seems like I need a BB treatment once every 5 months. That is slightly more than twice a year.
I am able to do that in part because my hair does not grow in curly, it has to grow about an inch before it has its first kink and then it stays like that for a while. It seems to take about 5 months for that to happen.
But the real reason I can wait that long is that the Brazilian treatment for the most part last for 5 months on my hair. During the 5th month my hair starts to lose its shine and some of the curl starts to come back — but it is really not noticeable until the 5th month is finished.
So it turns out not to be that expensive. It averages for me about $60/month (factoring in the tips.)And the amount of time it saves in my life — probably at least 20 hours a month — it is well worth it — apart form how much more attractive my hair is.
I spoke to my stylist today and he said he was going to evaluate my hair first. I think it is fine now so hopefully it all works out. We have pretty much determined that something was wrong with the product that he used. Not only were there initial problems but it definitely did not hold up as well this time around. Hopefully it all works this time because I loved the results the first time around!!
@Danielle Glad you’ve spoken to him and have a plan. Please keep us posted!
I can no longer remember what they do in addition. I believe that they take you through the treatment twice. I think the second time is after a wait of a half hour or so. And the second time consists of another round of flat ironing and conditioner. They also say to not wash it for 72 hours. And if you want you can come back after 3 days for an additional treatment, no extra charge — but what that is I don’t know. It is primarily for people whose hair is more resistant. I did not need it.
The Mousse is not a BB product. My mistake. It is Brocato. It works very well and seems to cause my hair to shine.
@Justitia Thank you for that. It’s very good to know–unfortunately I will NOT being recommending a salon that strays so far from the manufacturer’s instructions. BB says you can repeat it after 10 days for a stronger/longer-lasting process, not half an hour…and they never recommend leaving it in for 3 days. How is it that you always seem to find salons who tweak the treatment instead of just doing it the right way? At least you like it this time, which is good, but I am curious if the salon has you sign a waiver that you’re not getting the treatment as recommended?
I think, as I remember it– the extra times is only repeats of the conditioner, not the straightening part of the treatment.I presume that the more conditioner — the more keratin is deposited on the hair and the shinier and straighter it becomes.
But I will check and ask next time I go.
Thank you, I’ll be curious to hear. Cheers!
So I went and had my hair redone. My stylist told me that I was not the only one that had problems with the solution so they think it was a bad bottle. Anyways, hair is back to being fabulous…still have some broken ends but they are finally growing out.
Hello! Hello! Getting ready for my 2nd Brazilian Blowout… was scheduled at the end of January, but life happened… URI x 3 weeks… one of our dogs died… not a good time… anyway…. I’m scheduled next week & was reading about the Brazilian Blowout Zero…. but if I understand this correctly, Zero is suppose to leave more body.. but of course it just came out Feb 11, 2011 so they think the results are coming out the same, but can’t say on the duration of it lasting yet. Zero is said to have zero hyde… which it’s been back & forth on the BB & hyde…. any clarifications? I just get confused reading the different sides…. they are both stating they are right… lol Anyway… has anyone tried the Zero & if so did you notice any difference? Pros? Cons? Jordana? What’s your expert opinion on this please… TIA
Rochelle
@Danielle, thank you for the update, glad to hear it’s going well!
@Rochelle/TIA Sorry to hear your year got off to a tough start! What you are saying is accurate; Brazilian Blowout Zero just came out on Feb 11 so while you can find people who have had/used it, you will not really find anyone who has seen how long it lasts, for themselves. The company has been testing it for months, and they state that it should have the same lasting power (up to 12 weeks.) See my results/comparison here:
http://amominredhighheels.com/brazilian-blowout-compare-original-solution/
Thanks Jordana ~ I went ahead & went with the regular BB this time…. thrilled AGAIN with the results…. zero eye watering or any type of discomfort/irritation this time. I have nothing negative to say…. I love the product & what it does for my hair!!! ;)
@Rochelle thank you for checking in. SO glad to hear you love it!
i just had the brazilian blowout today. untreated, my hair is very, very, very tight ringlet-type curls, around the sides and back, more frizz in the front. anyway, while i wanted smooth hair, my hair is so limp and lifeless, i think it looks so much worse than before the treatment. if i shampoo repeatedly day after day, or even several times a day, will that take some of the treatment out and give my hair any lift or bounce? i look like a wreck!! help!!
@Melinda I am sorry (and surprised) to hear this. It is very unusual, especially on such curly hair! Did you discuss in the consultation that you wanted it smoother, but not too straight or flat?
The treatment does fade with each shampoo, so washing more often will help. You may also want to start using a volumizing shampoo and a moisturizing conditioner, but not the BB ones as they enhance the results. Save those for later in the cycle or even once it fades out, when you may want them just for their drefrizzing properties. Good luck!
@Melinda — I had a similar experience the first but that was b/c of a bad tech I did not go back to — scroll up to my first posts. But not only does the treatment wash out over time (as Jordana says) but your hair starts to grow as well and the very earliest stages of incoming curl will give your hair a lift and a sense of body you will start to love. My hair doesn’t start to curl until it is about an inch long but the lift started within 4 weeks — yours will probably be sooner.
For that reason, I would not go the route of washing your hair as frequently as possible — it will take about the same length of time to get enough of it out as your curl to start to grow in and then you will lose out on the benefit of having both body and lift along with smooth sleek hair that is not too flat because of the lift. (The lift comes all around your head not just on the top.)
Check the video about how BB says to apply and then go over the steps with your hairdresser that he/she uses. They may be doing something not proper or they may need to do a little less in the case of your particular hair. If the person doesn’t sound “knowledgeable” as to how to deal with this, get another technician, someone who is thoughtful about things like this. Every client is different and a good tech will have thought about remedying these kinds of situations.
Follow Jordana’ suggestion about volumizing shampoos but be sure to stay away from those with unhealthy chemicals as they will strip out the treatment as well. I use Sudzz, which I buy online and has no unhealthy chemicals in it.
justitia–
how did you go about ascertaining how “experienced” your new stylist/techwas with the process? when i questioned the stylist/tech about her experience, she of course reported that she had vast experience with this. will the brazilian blowout corporate staff help find an experienced technician? i do feel that this process, in a less intense form, would be great — but i hate looking like a i only have three hairs on my head!!
melinda
@ Melinda — as to determining how experienced your stylist is, I made one suggestion in my previous post which was to watch BB;s training video which is accessible online (at least it was a year ago.) With that knowledge, ask your stylist what steps he or she take. If there are a lot of inconsistencies, start asking them why they do what they do.
The person I go to does additional steps (I am going back next week for a treatment and I will ask exactly what they are — they vary with each client’s hair) and I am quite confident that with their experience they have found ways to tailor the treatment to individual needs.
However, you have to have a good technical BS detector to discern whether your tech person knows what they are doing or just BSing their way through. If detecting BS is not one of your strengths (and there is not shame in that .. ) then do what I originally did after my first horrific experience — call BB, try to speak to a higher up and find out who orders a lot of product from them in your area. A place that orders a lot of product has a lot of repeat customers , which means they have a lot of happy customers.
Those salons will be the ones with the most experienced and successful technicians.
Also, the salon I go to charges more for my guy than the others techs in the salon. It is probably because he is the most skilled. Frankly, as one is investing a fair bit of money already — it would seem foolish to me not to pay extra for the best.
That’s my advice.
I went back for my next Brazilian Blow-out. Cesar has stopped using it. The salion is too concerned about the formaldahyde issues. They tried the Brazillian Blow-out Formaldehyde free verion and they said people complained it just didn’t last long enough.
So now they have gone back to Coppola Keratin treatment. Cesar did the usual treatment, flat ironed it and told me not to wash for 72 hours.
It is straight, but not as shiney. Though the Brocato Mousse helped put back shine in — the hair seems to have less body. It looks great after a shampoo when I blow dry my hair by turning my head upside down and rubbing my scalp while blow drying. But by the next day the hair is already starting to flatten out. Byt the 3rd day there is no body at all. I usually wash my hair after 3 days but now I will have to shift to every other day.
I am not willing to spend time looking for a new technician. Cesar is really good and he will probably figure out how to modify the treatment somehowso I am happier.
But I still love my hair being straight.
I finally got it trimmed yesterday and as usual, my hair-dresser gave a fabulous cut to keep it long.
We decided to play with the hair a bit and use a curling rod to create waves. (It’s been a month since the Keratin treatment.) So I got to see me in curly hair again.
We both agreed, it looked better straight. I am hoping the curling iron did not damage the straight hair effect — but maybe if there is anything permanent it will give some body.
So I won’t have any new comments to make about the Brazilian Blow-out, I am sorry to say. But this has been a fascinating thread.
I accidently deleted notification of more posts.
@Justitia Thank you for all of your input and updates. I am happy to hear that you feel comfortable with Cesar and will stay onbaord as he becomes more familiar with Keratin Complex. It is a great product, but as you mentioned it does give a flatter/stiffer result. Some people prefer this, while others struggle with it. It will likely last longer than your Brazilian Blowout did (though maybe not since you have to shampoo more often.) You may also find that your new growth is more visible because of the longevity. After the initials 72 hours, curling your hair from time to time to style it has no bearing on your results.
Since you have such a good relationship with Cesar and his salon, I thought you might want to share with them what I have learned about air filtration options making all such treatments safer and more comfortable for clients and staff. There is a company called Aerovex Systems, which has created filtration units specifically for these treatments. You can see my setup at http://www.SaferBrazilian.com, where there is also a link to learn more about the system and contact the company. Many clients are attracted to my studio because I have gone the extra mile to protect them as well as myself, and an assistant who worked with me using it, said that it made a world of difference after using BB at her old salon! Cesar and/or the salon owner are welcome to contact me directly with questions about the system.
@ Jordana — well as I have said many times on this thread — I wish you were in the DC area — I owuld come to your salon in heartbeat. :-)
Justitia – thank you SO much for all your updates and info! And Jordana – you are truly the Brazilian Bible personified!!!
Good hair days for all!
XOXX
@LDiva thank you for the compliment!
@Justitia you are kind to say so! I wanted to post that information because this filtration equipment is available to all salons, but so new that many do know yet know of it. Stylists who may be reading, tell your salon owners about it, ANC clients, tell your stylists! It’s a no-brainer once you read how great it is!
Please excuse typos…iPad!