I've always HATED my hair.

I thought my experience with permanent hair straightening may be helpful to others out there who are trying to decide about this process. It's hard to try and make sense of all the different systems and products, and all the horror stories you read online. My subsequent experience working in the salon industry has also offered me an inside view on these processes.

I have coarse wavy hair. For years I spent ages at the mirror with a pair of straightening irons after each time I washed my hair. I dreaded rain and humidity as all my hard work would dissolve into a ball of frizz. I tried all the products and even had a relaxing treatment done. Nothing changed my hair, I was frizzy, puffy and my hair felt like a brillo pad, not soft like other peoples'. 

I first had a straightening called the Yuko system. It wasn't strong enough for my hair and it was still wavy. I was devastated, so I went back to the salon and talked to them. The stylist agreed, but I didn't have an initial consultation (the salon was very far away) so she said she'd do another straightening if I paid for the product - about $120. OK.

This time I had the BIO-Ionic treatment done. My hair is resistant and very strong so the stylist used heat on it while it was processing. This you are not supposed to do, she told me about it and said that she thought it was OK on my hair as it was not processing well. She said it was possibly the only way my hair would become straight.  The results were amazing! I didn't have to style my hair, It would dry straight with no pulling, brushing or even blow drying.  

After about 5 months I needed a re-touch, but I'd moved to the USA from England. I found a salon on the BIO-Ionic website, went for a consultation, chatted to the stylist. The results were awful. The stylist ruined my hair, as she didn't protect the already straight hair with conditioner. The roots were still curly and the ends were now frizzy. She offered nothing and refused to admit she'd messed up.

I should have asked to speak to the manager and asked for my money back. I probably woudn't have got it but at least maybe she'd have returned my tip ($100).

Anyway, this is the tricky part. Finding a stylist who really knows what they're doing. The best way is to talk to them and ask HUNDREDS of questions. Ask them to do a strand test on your hair to see how it reacts. Do your homework and learn as much as possible about the treatment before you see a stylist. If you know more that they do RUN. But don't be afraid of a stylist who says they're not sure of something. To me this signals professionalism, as long as they're experienced and they can tell you what they'll do if things go wrong.

From my experience working with hairdressers I've learned that some are wonderful and others think they're wonderful. These are the ones who usually profess to have the answers to everything and ensure you that nothing can possibly go wrong. Find someone who gives you both sides of the story and knows how to fix a problem.

I do recommend using good hair products. Cheaper shampoos strip moisture from hair and treated hair really needs it. E-bay seems to be a good place to get them as salon prices are sky high. I like biosilk from Farouk, it's a good source of oil and not too heavy. Deep conditioning treatments in the salon are a waste of money but at home they are worth it. Leave them on for as long as possible 30 mins is good, apply a little heat if possible too. Wrap seran wrap over it and put a warm towel over the top, periodically re-heat the towl gently with a blow dryer.

BIO-ionic is just one of loads of products out there. Eg Farouk has CHI and Matrix has Opti-Smooth. Test them out and talk to your stylist about what their preferred product is.

Good Luck.