What other hair straightening variations are there, other than Brazilian Blowouts and Organic Keratin treatments to de-frizz strands and minimize curly hair waves? Ever heard of the traditional Japanese straightening, also known as thermal reconditioning? Japanese hair straightening originated from Japan in the 1990s that creates an “irreversible, permanent straight flat hair until the hair grows out” by chemically restructuring hair bonds completely. It became popular in salons around the world.

Japanese hair straightening is an irreversible, permanent process that restructures each hair strand. It lasts 4-6 months or longer, depending on hair growth. Organic Keratin & Brazilian Blowout hair straightening in San Francisco is semi-permanent and will lasts for 2-4 months, depending on hair type and how it is managed post-treatment.

A pre-treatment solution is first applied to the hair to keep it healthy during the whole process. Then the hair is saturated with a cysteine activator solution to break the protein chains that give hair strands shape and structure. This process “softens’ and “relaxes” the hair. Then the hair is washed out, blow-dried and thermally flat ironed in small sections to change the hair’s texture by smoothing the cuticle and eliminating frizz.  At last, a neutralizer solution is applied to “lock” the style and shape in place before the hair is rinsed, conditioned and blow dried. A final pass with a flat iron will smooth out any waves or kinks left behind. The final result is silky, smooth, straight hair.

If you have untamable, unmanageable frizz, or waves, you may probably spend half an hour each morning straightening your hair. Now imagine waking up every morning with sleek, pin-point straight hair every day without the fuss! The Japanese thermal reconditioning in SF will save a lot of your time, as you will no longer need to heat style your hair every day. Your hair will look and feel healthier, as you’re ditching the heat styling tools. Here’s an added bonus…You don’t have to worry about your hair getting wet, as it will air dry straight naturally!

There’s also no formaldehyde in the hair straightening treatment in San Francisco!

The Japanese hair straightening treatment in San Francisco can cause damage to your hair if you have an inexperienced hair stylist. Do not forget to do a strand test before committing to the treatment on your full head of hair.

In addition, the whole treatment is lengthier than Brazilian Blowouts and Organic Keratin treatments, as the entire process is arduous and time consuming. Depending on your hair length, texture, volume, and thickness, expect to sit in the salon for a few hours.

The thermal reconditioning SF treatment  is also more expensive, ranging from $400-$800, depending upon consultation with your hair stylist.

Hair processed with thermal reconditioning is also irreversible, so it will stay straightened until natural hair regrowth. New regrowth hair needs to be touched up, and your hair will not have the same body or shape as the first session. The treatment will not change the texture of new hair growth.

This thermal treatment works wonderfully for those with wavy, loosely curled hair that want to ditch the blow dry and heat tools. However, if your hair has been recently colored, bleached, permed, or chemically relaxed, ensure you first discuss with your salon stylist before making an appointment, as the thermal reconditioning poses a higher risk of damage to your hair. Extra care is necessary to protect the health of your hair before proceeding to straighten with this process.

Once your hair has been treated, it will remain straight until it grows out. Japanese straightening changes the structure of the hair while other smoothing treatments like keratin treatments and Brazilian Blowouts coat it. You may notice a line of demarcation between the thermal straightened hair and the roots growing in. New growth generally needs to be touched up between 4-6 months after.

Like any other treatments, it is very important you take good care of your hair after the thermal reconditioning treatment in SF to ensure you get the fantastic results!

First 72 hours post-treatment:

As your hair is setting during the first 72 hours or 3 days, keep your hair completely dry from rain and showers. Avoid swimming and exercise to prevent sweat. Do not apply any hair products and keep your hair as straight as possible, which means no pulling your hair into a ponytail or even putting it behind your ears! To avoid kinks, avoid accessorizing your hair with barrettes, pins and clips. When sleeping, lie on your back and spread your hair on the pillow beneath your head.

72 hours post-treatment:

After 72 hours, you may return to your normal hair routine, except use sulfate free shampoos and alcohol-free hair products specifically designed for chemically straightened hair.

We do a strand test before every thermal reconditioning.  A strand test is the foundation for every thermal reconditioning treatment in SF. So, it’s the only way to assure that your hair will turn out beautifully, while giving us valuable information about your hair.

This test shows me which strength solution to use, how long your hair takes to process, and the proper iron temperatures to use. It’s a real-time example of how your hair will turn out, and I will only treat your hair if your test comes out beautifully. I will let you see and feel the results before your treatment so you know exactly what to expect.

This strand test is imperative, because not everyone will achieve a great result. There are many extraneous factors that, in combination with thermal reconditioning, can ruin your hair. These can include: hair color, highlights, henna, metallics, medications, hormones. These can serve to weaken your hair, or react adversely with the thermal reconditioning solution, and negatively affect the end result.

The strand test is the only way to know that your hair will avoid these pitfalls and you can walk out with fabulously straight hair.