I've had a keratin treatment before. In fact, I've had just about anything one's hair can have before. I liked how the keratin smoothed out my hair's texture, but felt it was a little too much smoothing for my already-thin hair. I wished there was a way to only have it done on my ends to reinforce them with a little something extra.
Well, the new Brazilian Blowout Split End Repairing Treatment may not be exactly that (it doesn't contain any keratin) but it's a step in the right direction. Instead of a full keratin treatment like the Brazilian Blowout, this service consists of a regular salon blowout with a quick conditioning booster applied just to your ends—kind of like the breezy "blowout" concept that the original "Brazilian Blowout" name implied.
Since it doesn't contain keratin (view the ingredients here) you can shower, swim, or workout right away. It's just a leave-in conditioner with a heat-activated formula that "binds broken hair fibers together, instantly mending split ends," (according to the company rep). Some ingredient highlights: acai extract, algae extracts, wild camu camu fruit extracts, and annatto seed extract.
So, does it work? My hair is pretty long, so I know a thing or two or ten about split ends; my hair is constantly getting snagged on my jewelry, caught under my tote bag shoulder strap, and more everyday tortures, so I'm a prime candidate to find out. I took the service for a test-drive at Salon Ziba in NYC. Here's what went down:
I booked a blowout + Brazilian Blowout Split End Repairing Treatment with stylist John Ong. I was in and out in just over an hour. Ong shampooed my hair with a clarifying formula to get rid of any buildup, combed the solution through the bottom half of my wet hair in sections, and then dried it onto my hair with a round brush and blow-dryer. He then went over it with a flat iron, but not the meticulous type of flat-ironing you get during a keratin treatment—just a quick, single pass to seal in the formula and make my ends nice and shiny.
First Impression: My hair looked very shiny, and my split ends were less noticeable.
The Next Day... Back under the fluorescent lights at the office, I could see a lot of splits again, so they weren't all magically removed. Sigh.
Can You Keep a Secret? Since I'm a) obsessive-compulsive and b) an editor who owns a pair of professional haircutting scissors, I went home and carefully snipped an inch off of my ends that really needed it. After that, my hair really looked good. I should have done this before the treatment, but since the solution was applied a good 5-6 inches up, I'm still covered. The solution will stay in my hair over the next few weeks to help cushion my ends against damage.
My Recommendation: Get a trim first, then book the split end repairing treatment after to seal your ends until your next trim appointment. Also, never ever cut your own hair.
The Cost: Varies. At Salon Ziba, it cost an extra $40 on top of the blow-dry.
How Long It Lasts: Anywhere from 4-8 weeks, depending on aftercare
Where to Get It: Check out the salon locator at brazilianblowout.com to find a certified salon. When you call, make sure to specify that you'd like the Brazilian Split End Repairing Treatment, not the original Brazilian Blowout (not all salons have both).
What do you think? Would you try it? I think for $40 (or less) it's definitely worth adding onto a blow-dry to see how you like it.