Weddingbee Blog

My hair has a mind of its own. It’s not straight. Not curvy. Not really wavy, either. Somewhere between all those things + poufy.

It’s Hermione Granger hair. NOT the Hermione from the movie. Let’s get real. MovieHermione merely hinted at the reckless frizzy sometimes-disaster of BookHermione. MovieHermione was coiffed-bedhead-chic. My hair was BookHermione, frizzy and poufy, the end.

Source

I heard about Keratin straightening in the fall, when a fellow Hermione-Haired friend gave it a shot. Starting at $250, it doesn’t run cheap but after seeing her shiny straight locks, I had to try it. I was getting antsy about growing out my hair and I consider blow drying the most colossally frustrating use of time.

Is it too dramatic to say Keratin changed my life?

Pardon the goofy photo, I mistook myself for Cher for a second there.

It was like wearing a really shiny, awesome wig. For once I could let my hair air dry straight. Even blowing it dry took less time, and I’ve only recently starting using my flat iron again. Keratin treatment is meant to last about 4-5 months, which means it’s starting to fade. I’m dying to do it again but my hair dresser and bank account have advised me to wait until after the wedding.

If you’re considering Keratin treatment, here are some PChipz-Tipz:

• Do it on a Friday, or over a long weekend if you can swing it. You cannot wash your hair for 72 hours following treatment and—the hardest part—you cannot use any clips, pins, elastics in your hair. You can’t even tuck it behind your ears. The 72-hour period was okay for me because I’m a recluse who spends her weekends in her office or a bookstore studying, but for you social types it might be trickier.
• Make sure you use sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners afterwards. My salon threw some in for free, but there are plenty of drugstore versions available, like this or this.
• Call around for prices. Some salons offer free shampoos and conditioners and/or a complimentary trim. Some don’t. Some charge for the product by the ounce, others start at a certain price point (ranging, in my area alone, from $250-$400!).
• Get it done the morning of a big event or fun night out so you can swing it around all night
• If you don’t feel comfortable putting chemical-type-things near your head, call and talk to the stylist. After some quick online research, I was concerned the product contained formaldehyde (it does not). I had a long convo with the stylist about it. (It has some other chemicals that, in twenty years time, will probably prove to be equally harmful but hey—have you seen my swingy shiny hair??)
• If you have a cowlick like I do, run a flat-iron through it during the 72-hour waiting period to ensure that it lies flat

Having straight, manageable hair has made a WORLD of difference in growing it out. But I can see how this would be a great idea for wedding day hair, if you want a sleek look, or in lieu of a post-wedding chop.

Has anyone gotten or considering getting this treatment as a pre- or post-wedding treat?