Ionic Hair Straightening Review

Here is a review of the treatment by The Mirror correspondent Sally Janes.

WHEN I was asked to try a brand new straightening treatment, I jumped at the chance. No more serum, blow dryers or straightening irons for me.

The new Japanese treatment offers permanent straight, well-conditioned hair which doesn't fizz up every time it rains.
It seems strange that the Japanese would need to straighten their hair, but Ionic Hair
Retexturising has caught on because it tames their thick coarse hair, leaving it fine and glossy.

The treatment has just been introduced in the West and celebs - including Jennifer Aniston and Samantha Mumba - are big fans.

It's been so popular, staff at a hair salon in London do up to 40 treatments a week. It's suitable for European naturally wavy, curly, frizzy or dehydrated hair, and even permed looks. It can be done on Afro-Caribbean hair although it tends to grow out faster.
What separates this straightening treatment from others is that the process actually locks moisture in rather than leaving hair dry and brittle. It does this by breaking down clusters of water molecules to allow individual molecules to penetrate the hair shaft. This means it will be in better condition than before, helping make it smooth and sleek.
The hair remains straight, until it grows out four to six months later.
But you have to suffer to be beautiful - the treatment costs £300 and takes four hours.

After the treatment, my hair looked smooth and salon-styled. But it itched and smelt of chemicals. I wasn't allowed to wash it for two days and it was only then that I was finally convinced that this treatment is fabulous.

I felt wary the first time I washed it. Not bothering with my usual serums and styling products, I simply gave it a quick blast with the hair dryer. I was convinced it would go back to the usual
wavy mop. So when it dried looking as though I'd just stepped out of the salon I could hardly believe it. It had only taken 10 minutes.
Over the next two weeks, my hair looked better and better as it got more body and felt softer and glossier.

I haven't had a bad hair day for weeks. When I wake up it looks exactly the same as when I went to bed, not a hair out of place.

Gone are the straightening irons, paddle brush, clips and serum. Now I can just wash and go.

Why the treatment takes four hours..

5 minutes
Technician Jake Fugler began my treatment by applying a protection spray. This helps preserve my hair colour as I've had it dyed. The treatment can be used on semi-permanent coloured hair. Although it can lift the colour slightly.

15 minutes
He then covered my hair with a nasty smelling chemical paste, Ionic Formula number one which allows water to penetrate into the core of the hair. It also opens the cuticles ready for the straightening irons to do their work.

30 minutes
The formula is left to work. My head was covered in a big plastic bag which puffs up to keep the warm air in.

25 minutes
Jake rinses and blow dries my hair.

100 minutes
Next he divided my hair into tiny half a centimetre thick sections. Each one is painstakingly straightened five times with ceramic straightening tongs. It takes an hour and a half. The combination of the chemicals and the tongs re-educates the hair strands from wavy to straight. I had to hold my ears back and I'm a bit worried he'll slip up as these tongs are 180 degrees hot. The straightening takes ages, over an hour and a half.

5 minutes
Afterwards Jake applies a neutralising gel. This formula is what makes the process permanent and without it my hair would be wavy again.

30 minutes
It's left in for a further half an hour.

15 minutes
Next my hair is rinsed once again and a conditioning treatment is applied.

10 minutes
Jake then lightly finger dries my hair without using any products. It does look perfectly straight and very stylish but I'm a bit alarmed as it feels flat against my face. But within a few days it looked fab -natural and glossy..

Total minutes: 240 - that's four hours.

By now, I'm sure you've heard of the hair straightening process
invented in Japan that has swept America and made countless women forever grateful to it's hair-transforming powers. It goes by several different names - Japanese Straightening, Thermal Reconditioning, Straight Perm, and Japanese Straight Perm. So, what exactly can you expect after a thermal
reconditioning service? Well, it's actually nothing short of
miraculous, if you choose the right product and stylist.

I had my treatment done at a Japanese salon in Ohio that specializes in this service. After about six hours of sitting in the salon, being alternately shampooed, heated under intense heat lamps, blown out, flat ironed, and then going through the entire process again, I emerged from the salon with a completely retexturized, smooth and sleek head of hair.
All together, the straightening process cost about $750, including a VERY generous tip and a large bottle of shampoo and conditioner specially formulated for my new tresses. The hourly rate for the service was $80, which is actually below most others that charge about $100 an hour. I was under strict instuctions to guard my hair from water or any type of moisture for the next 72 hours.

I was completely thrilled with my new hair. The light reflected off of it like crazy, and it blew naturally in the breeze, not at all dried out or artificial, like you might expect after a chemical treatment. It actually was in the best condition ever, which seemed counterintuitive since it
had esentially just been through six hours of chemical and heat treatment. Nevertheless, it was absolutely and undeniably true.

I was told I would need to come back for a touch up on the new growth anywhere from 6 months to a year, depending on how straight I wanted it to stay and the rate of hair growth. It is now six months later, and even though it has more body, it is still shiny and smooth. I actually like it a little more with some body at the roots. It gives it a little extra lift, and the remaining hair is still straight and manageable.

There are some things you want to look out for when searching for a salon that offers thermal reconditioning. First, find out which straightening product they use. The best Japanese Straightening System is Liscio, and the second is Yuko. Both are made in Japan. Any others are to be cautiously researched. Liscio has produced the best results on clients,
and if you've read about it anywhere, there is nothing negative to be reported. This is the system the salon I went to used, and my results were healthy and beautiful. Second, make sure the technician performing the service has plenty of experience in the process. Any good salon will provide you with before and after pictures of their work.

Third, be sure to be open and honest with the stylist about any prior haircoloring or processing, so they can adjust the treatment accordingly for the best results. Don't fall in to the trap of buying expensive shampoos and conditioners like I did (I spent about $85 on shampoo and conditioner).

You can actually use several quality, gentle shampoos and intensive conditioners and get the same, if not better, results
( http://www.cosmeticsgalore.com/best-haircare-products-reviews.html ).

After Japanese Straightening, you do want to be sure to keep hair protected from the sun and moisturized, so frequent deep conditioning and an SPF spray or other UV protective hair product is highly recommended. You must wait at least one to two months before coloring your hair after the treatment, depending on your stylist's recommendations. If you can, go
to a stylist who was actually trained by a top technician at the corporate headquarters for the system they use. This assures they have been trained correctly and specifically on how to get the best results possible.

What this means for you is a lower risk of getting a "botched" straightening job or damaged hair. Do your research. Get online and find the salons in your area that offer the service along with their credentials. After all, you don't want to waste your hard-earned money on something that is less than a superior result. The cost of the treatment can be very high, especially if your hair is particularly long or hard to "de-curl". Typically, the longer and curlier the hair, the longer the process takes, and the more you will spend.

Bottom line, if your hair is unruly, frizzy, or overly curly and you would like to have low maintenance, hassle free hair that is shiny and straight, the "Japanese Straight Perm" is just the thing for you. I know I will be going back for a second round!

To see more information on Ionic Hair Treatment please visit our Ionic Hair Treatment page.

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