American Hair relaxing treatment at Kazumi salon:
The summer heat and humidity here can play havoc with your hair. Product build up starta feeling a bit disgusting after a while, and the last thing you want to do is use those Ghds when it’s already so hot out. When we look to permanent hair fixes, we often think of chemical treatments such as perming or straightening. But what if you don’t want corkscrew curly hair? Or straight hair? There is a solution to this. It’s called the American Hair relaxing treatment, and it’s said to relax your hair so curls become bolder, waves hang more heavily, your hair becomes smoother and more shiny and there is no frizz. Sound good? We thought so, so we went down to Kazumi salon to try it out.
The solution that Kazumi uses is essentially a keratin treatment called Rejuvenol and, surprise surprise, it’s actually Brazilian. They call it the American relaxing treatment at Kazumi because it’s marketed as being a gentler alternative to the heavy-duty Brazilian stuff that makes your eyes water when being applied. But the label on the bottle clearly says ‘Rejuvenol Brazilian 24 hour Keratin Treatment.’ We tell you this in case you want to consult Google before you go for it.
The treatment step by step:
At Kazumi salon we met hairdresser, Tisseir (hailing from Jordan), who explained the treatment to us and showed us the products before entrusting us to Mona, the assistant hairdresser, and Ronalyn. Mona gave us a quick wash and then shampooed our hair with the Rejuvenol shampoo. Then Ronalyn (wearing a mask and gloves) blow-dried our hair before starting to spray the solution on. Our hair was blow-dried again and then out came the straightening irons. For those who don’t want straight hair, bear this part with patience. The heat is necessary to activate the formula and seal it all in. When Ronalyn was finished with us, we basically looked like a Japanese schoolgirl, with glossy straight hair that shined like patent leather. The shine and softness we loved, but ‘what’s with the straight?!’ We cried inwardly. Apparently we’d have to put up with it for 24 hours, because that’s the rule. Tissier advised that after the first wash our hair would return to its old self.
He wasn’t telling fibs. We showered the next evening and used our usual shampoo. Note that apparently this is ok for the first time but if you want to make the effects of the treatment last longer you should use the special up-keep shampoos (that contain no sodium chloride) your hairdresser will recommend – prepare to part with lots of dosh. After the shower we towel-dried our hair and left it to its own devices, because wielding hairdryers in the summer is what silly people do. The results: you know that wind-tossed, beach hair look you develop on your holiday in the Mediterranean? That’s what we had, minus the mean tan.
Pros:
This is a treatment you can get done over coloured, chemically treated and highlighted hair. And when your hair starts growing out eventually, you won’t have that very obvious root re-growth line.
Cons:
The reason why you don’t get the root re-growth line is because treatment isn’t completely permanent. Well it is, in that it can last up to six months if you do the up-keep properly, but it does slowly and eventually wear out.
The verdict:
An effective option for people who want to beat frizz without changing their look. We can’t recommend the treatment more.
The cost of the American Hair relaxing treatment at Kazumi varies depending on your hair length, but prices normally start at Dhs1,500. Open Sat-Thu 10am-8pm; Fridays 4pm-8pm. Kazumi Salon, Grand Millennium Al Wahda (02 495 3940).
