If you’ve got curly hair and you’re just sick and tired of straightening it every single day, you may be considering a new permanent straightening process invented in Japan. You may have heard of it – it’s called a few different names, including Japanese Straightening, Thermal Reconditioning, Thermal Restructuring, Ionic Retexturization, Straight Perm and Japanese Straight Perm. No matter how you say it, it’s a trend that’s quickly making its way through salons across North America.
What Is It?
Japanese hair straightening is a new technique that makes frizzy, curly or wavy hair pin-straight without causing much damage to your hair. Unlike using a flat iron to temporarily straighten your hair, Japanese hair straightening actually makes your hair stay straight – permanently. However, when your roots grow out, they’ll grow out curly, not straight. Only hair whose surface has actually undergone the treatment will be permanently straight. When your roots start to grow in, you can go in to your salon for a touch up, which will make the roots straight, too.
Japanese Hair Straightening 101
How Long Does It Last?
The hair that’s actually treated with the Japanese hair straightening process will stay straight forever (i.e., until you cut it off!), but your roots are going to grow in curly. Depending on how fast your hair grows, that means you may have to go in to your salon to get your roots touched up every six months or so, or maybe even longer.
What Kind Of Hair Is Good For Treatment?
Almost any type of hair works well for the Japanese hair straightening treatment, including curly, frizzy and wavy hair. But you will have to go in to your salon for a consultation to figure out whether or not it will work for your hair type.
In terms of hair that’s been colored or permed, it depends on what kind of chemicals were used and how many relaxing, coloring or highlighting treatments you’re hair’s been through.
What will my hair look like after?
Your hair will be pin-straight and you’ll be able to easily style your hair in many ways that you can't with curly or wavy hair.
Before and after Japanese Hair Straightening
Will I Still Need To Blow Dry My Hair?
You will not need to blow-dry your hair at all unless you just want to get the moisture out quickly. This usually takes about 4 to 5 minutes instead of 45 minutes for curly or wavy hair.
What Does It Cost?
Be warned! Japanese hair straightening isn’t cheap and can cost between $300 and $1,000. It all depends on how much your salon charges to do the treatment. So shop around first and ask several salons that offer the treatment how much they would charge you to do your hair. Japanese hair straightening is an extremely difficult treatment to perform, and the process usually takes from 3 to 6 hours straight to perform. Sometimes, it may even take longer. If your stylist claims otherwise, you are most likely dealing with inferior product or service. The result could be a disaster.
Will I Get Any Breakage Or Bad results?
It's very possible when your stylist does not know what she/he is doing, you could get breakage from the treatment or other bad results you don't want. It almost never happens with a trained and competent stylist with experience in Japanese hair straightening. Be sure to find out how many treatments your stylist has performed and how long she/he has been doing it. You certainly don't want to be part of a "learning experience."
Why Is It Better Than Other Relaxing Treatments?
Most relaxing techniques require many corrosive chemicals. These chemicals corrode your hair to a point where it is possible to create a straight look. These products do little and damage your hair. They always leave your hair feeling like straw and the curl comes back after a very short period of time.
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