Hey everyone!

I have curly hair (I'm 1/2 black & native american) that has been mildlly relaxed I think my stylist uses Rusk.  I don't want to use a relaxer any stronger than the one I already use but I'm looking for some products that I could use to keep the frizz out when I'm in the humidity.  Has anyone used Halo or Phyto products??  I want something that will seal the cuticle & give me that shine & bounce that people with straight hair already have.

P.S. any suggestions on a really good flat iron?

Hey everyone!

I have curly hair (I'm 1/2 black & native american) that has been mildlly relaxed I think my stylist uses Rusk.  I don't want to use a relaxer any stronger than the one I already use but I'm looking for some products that I could use to keep the frizz out when I'm in the humidity.  Has anyone used Halo or Phyto products??  I want something that will seal the cuticle & give me that shine & bounce that people with straight hair already have.

P.S. any suggestions on a really good flat iron?

Thank you so much for your great advice!!!  I tried your straightening regimen and my hair stays silky smooth even in the Louisiana heat!! I can't say enough about the Sedu iron, it has changed my life!!!  Thanks Again!!

Glad it worked. If you want to try other great products, Redken all soft hair addictive used as a leave in conditioner works great. Also Tigi has a product called Catwalk fashionista smooth and shine. Sometimes I alternate this with the Sebastian potion 9. When you blow dry the hair, you really don't see much difference for frizz. But once you run the iron throught it... it is great. And another little secret Matrix smoothing iron spray works great too. After applying the Redken heat glide I divide my hair into sections and spray each individual section right before I flat iron. You must hold the bottle several inches away and only mist the hair. You will get even straighter results. And my last secret; Biolage shine renewal spray. The stuff is a miracle in a bottle. Again, hold the bottle several inches away and slightly mist the hair. You will be amazed at how shiny and soft your hair will get.

If you can afford it, invest in a good hair dryer. I bought a Hai ceramic turmaline dryer, and WoW! Not only does my hair come out soft, shiny, and beautifull, but it does it in half the time. It is expensive (around $120) but I got mine on ebay for $79.

Also do remember to do protein treatments, and deep conditioning your hair after the protein treatments. Otherwise your hair will feel like straw. And last but not least, with all the product going in your hair, you will need a clarifying shampoo at least once a week. I love Paul Mitchell Shampoo Two. It really cleans the hair without drying it. It smells great. It is affordable (around $5) and it doesn't have any Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (so no premature wrinkles). The cheap brands all have Sodium Lauryl Sulfate as well as Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate which is even worst.

Well, There are all my secrets. Hope they work as well for you as they do for me.

P.S- good protein treatements are:Redken deep fuel, Joico Reconstructor or Sebastian 2+1. You can find them all on Ebay or at your local trade secret store. They are a must if you flat iron your hair. It will keep it from getting damaged and breaking off.

O.M.G.!!! this is the BEST advice i've ever gotten on one of these hair forums!!!  Nobody ever told me to deep condition after protein treatments (you are so right about the straw feeling).  My hair hasn't ever looked this good.  I printed out your advice so I can remember everything!!! I advise everyone who reads this to do the same. Your hair will NEVER be the same....especially if you have battled with unruly curly hair in high humidity!!! I can't thank you enough Sharyg11. I owe you my life LOL!

O.M.G  You are goint to make me cry LOL!. Believe me I know the pain of curly frezzie hair. It has not been easy or cheap to come up with the right regimen, but it feels so good to have saved a fellow victim of the frizzie curly curse lol. 

About the protein treatments... Most people don't know that protein treatments are not conditioners, and are not meant to make hair soft, but to buffer the damage from all the turture we put our hair through. That's why many people try protein treatments and give them bad reviews, and won't ever use them again. I am so happy my info has been so usefull to you, and that it worked as well for you as it has for me. I'll keep you posted if I find any more good hair products. Enjoy your new beautifull, shiny, frizz free, humidity resistant hair. I know I never tought I would be able to use all those terms in the same sentence when talking about my hair. But the miracle happened, and I couldn't be happier to have been able to share it with someone else. Enjoy it girl!

Thank you so much!  You really are a life saver. My hair went for night to day. I also purchase the Redken Smooth Down products and I loved them. I had no trouble with the Rusk anticurl I have very long hair, but it is thin so it was easy to work with. The whole thing took me a little under 2 hours. I do plan on having a trim on Wednesday, I am sure I will be even happier then. I will post some pics then.

Christy

I'm so happy to hear that. Where you able to find that store on Miller, or did you have to order on the internet?.

Once you get a trim your hair will look even better. I will be waiting for those pics.

Welcome to the world of frizz free, humidity resistant hair-LOL.

Remember to take good care of your hair, and to do protein treatments at least once a month.

Talk to you later.

I can't wait to see the pictures!. I am so happy for you. Let me know  how your hair looks after the trim.

P.S Don't do the protein treatment yet. Wait at least tree weeks. It will give your hair more time to re-harden and hold the straight shape.

Hey Miami, I am still waiting for those pics. What happened? how is your hair? Let me know.

Bye!

Hi Perula05, Welcome!!!

Unfortunately yes!. I had it done almost 3 years ago. It was a very bad experience. However I can not say that the treatment is bad. I just didn't do enough research about it. It is all about the stylist performing the procedure. In the hands of the right stylist you should have no problems. The thing is, there are very few stylist that are actually experts in the field. When I got mine done, the treatment was fearly new. At the begining I couln't be happier. I had super straight hair, that would stay that way no matter what (as long as I didn't get it completely wet). However, after the first 3 or 4 weeks, I noticed my scalp was getting dry. I could see my hairline had a white film. But I figured it would go away. Wrong! my hair started breaking off and falling out by the clumps. Every time I brushed my hair, my bathroom floor looked like a rug. I couldn't understand why. I was using the products I was told to use. I ended up with a bald spot on my frontal hair line. It took my hair 2 years and a big hair cut to finally recover.

All that  being said, done by an expert, that should never happen. I have since then learned alot about the procedure. First of all, stick to japanese brands ie: Liscio, Yuko etc. Stay away from american brands: Bio-ionic and Chi. I had the Bio-ionic done. It wasn't till much later that I found out that not all of them are the same. If you are going to have it done make sure you do your homework. Interview the stilyst. Make sure he is an expert in chemicall treatments, and specifically thermal reconditioning. Ask where did they get their training done. If they tell you that the company who sells them the product sent a team to train them, don't get it done there. The companies who sell the product in the US do not know the correct technique and the training they offer is incorrect. I tought that just because my stilyst had a certificate hanging on her wall  stating that she was trained to do Bio-ionic, she knew what she was doing. Don't get me wrong, my stylist is great, I still go to her for hair cuts and styling just not for chemicall treatments (unless is hair color). Their training should be received from an expert in the field. If they tell you that 2 people will be working on your hair, do not get it done there. That means they don't have enough experience or speed of hands to do the treatment. You will end up with two different textures on your hair. I had one side more damaged that the other.

Consider if it is worth it. This is very expensive, and you are kind of stuck with wearing your hair down all the time. If your hair is super curly, the difference on the new growth will be way too noticesable. And you will have to have your roots re-done every 3 to 4 months instead of every 6 to 8 months, like people who just have wavy or very loose curled hair. And they charge you almost the same just to do your roots.

Also the treatment is not designed to impart much shine to the hair. And the curlier your hair, the least shine it will have.

Personally I would never have the process done again. Even if it was done by an expert. I can get the same results with Rusk anti-curl and my Sedu flat iron. And I still have the option of styling my hair curly or straight. My hair comes out super straigth, but it has body. And I do it for $585 less. And I don't have to subject my hair to such a harsh treatment.

Go to verticalsinhair.com. The site is hosted by whom is considered to be the best thermal reconditioning expert in North America. You can find all the information you need, from what questions to ask, to which treatment to choose, and even what hair regimen to follow. Also tips on how the treatment should be done. That way when you interview your stilyst(s) you know which answers to look for. You can  read alot of horror stories, and get very helpfull tips.

Well I hope I didn't bore you. Overall, if your hair is not super curly, but more wavy, it is worth it to have the treatment done. If not then go with Rusk anticurl, Redken vertical or L'oreal X-tenso. You will get better results and save a bunch of money.

Good luck and beautiful hair.

Glad I could help! Hope the regimen works for you, and that your hair comes out as shiny and beautiful as mine. I will keep you posted if I find any other great hair products.

Welcome to the board girl!

I wish you beautifull healthy hair.

Hey Sharyg11, I was reading about your experience with the thermal reconditiong procedure and I'm going through the same thing myself.  The first time I had it done was 2 years ago, the result was not super straight hair (I had to blow dry it to get it really straight), but still my hair did not fall off.  Then I went to get a touch up one year later with a different hairdresser.  This time my hair was completely straight, but now I'm practically shedding!  This is almost one year later after the last treatment (I had it done again on December of last year).  I was wondering what you did about the whole hair falling off thing.  Did you do anything special or did it just stop falling off?  Did your hair grow back (where you had the bald spots)?  I want to touch up my roots and I've found a hairdresser which is supposed to be really good.  She uses the Schwarzkopf's Strait Therapy line and I believe she was trained in Germany (where the brand is from).  Not only that but she's part of the Schwarzkopf team and teaches hair dressers the technique, in other words, she seems to be really good.  I really like the straight effect that the procedure gave my hair, at least I no longer have split ends, I'm just a little skeptical because I'm afraid my hair will keep falling off.  I haven't gone to the hair salon yet for an evaluation, but I plan to some time soon, what questions should I ask?  Any advice will help a lot!  Thanks. ^^

Here's the link to the product (it's the Strait Therapy line):

http://www.schwarzkopf-professional.com/int_henkel/schwarzko pf_com/index.cfm?pageid=464

From what I've read (doing a LOT of research) this line uses the Japanese technology but it's supposed to be milder, giving more natural looking results, but just as long lasting as the normal thermal reconditioning products.

I am so sorry I took so long to answer. I live in Miami and just went through a major hurricane. My internet was down for 2 weeks and I just got it back.

Before you get it done, I would go to verticalsinhair.com and ask Steve if that is a good product. He is the number one expert on the matter and can guide you a little better.

To answer your question, yes, the hair on my bald spot grew back, It took forever but thank God it did. Use Nexxus Emergencee to stop the hair from falling. Also Go to Ebay, or Metrobeauty.com or justbeautyproducts.com and buy Alfaparf Semi di lino hair repair ampules (the blue ones). They are expensive, but totally worth it. One ampule gives me 2 treatments. Put it in your hair, and put on a shower cap. Go under a dryer or heat cap for 10 min. The results are amazing. They also have a line that is specifically designed to stop hair from falling, but I have never tried it. However these are Italian products and the quality is excellent. Use the Emergence Every other week and the ampules once a week. That will take care of the shedding, and it will equalize the porosity in your hair. I will make it look healthy again, and prevent further breakage or damage.

Well, let me know if you have any other questions.

Good luck and great hair.

Thanks for your reply.  Sorry about the hurricane, I used to live in Deerfield Beach and have friends there, I'm just glad everyone's okay.  Alfaparf is a really good hair care brand, I think one of the best.  I'm definetely going to follow your advice.  I also saw the line for thinning hair and I think I'm going to purchase a couple of the Hair Power Energy Booster Serum to try them out.  Since it delivers vitamins directly to the scalp I think it might help out as well.  I've been deep conditioning now for three weeks (with the Absolut Repair line from L'Or

Anytime girl!

Do keep me posted.

Bye!, Shary

Any time. I am so happy to hear that. OH, and about the Solia, I tried my friends and it is great. I like as much, (or may be even more than my Sedu). If my Sedu breaks down, I'm getting a Solia. It is much cheaper and it works great. Don't forget to treat your hair with a protein reconstructor at least once a month. Nexus Emergencee works wonders. Deep condition after it, and you will always have great hair.

Much Love

Hi Perula. Yeah, I'm still using the Rusk. I love the stuff. However I recently found a seller on ebay that sells Loreal's x-tenso and I'm thinking about giving it a try. I heard it is really good, but it is still not sold in the US. This seller sends it from the UK. It is the same type of relaxer as the Rusk, however my understanding is, that they way it is formulated makes less likely to damage hair. You still have to follow directions of course, and if you are not use to doing this type of procedure to your own hair, I would probably go to a professional. I went through alot of hair breakage before getting it right.

That being said, if you are going to have it done by a professional, make sure it is an expert on chemical services, and that they have performed the procedure many many times. I found out after much reasearch that most stilysts know as much as you do about the product, and don't really have the right training. So your chances of getting damaged hair, are the same as if you did it yourself. So, if the stylist is not an expert, why pay to have someone else to damage your hair for you. Get done with the right person.

Some things you should know, weather doing it yourself or having someone else do it for you: The product should never touch your scalp. It should never be comed against your scalp either. If you ever had your hair relaxed with regular sodium hydroxide relaxer, you can not use the Rusk or any other thioglycolate relaxer, until you have grown out and cut off the previously relax hair.

Why? you ask. Because the mixture of the chemicals produce something similar to Nair. So you will end up with what stilysts call a chemical hair cut.

So keep all that in mind when making a decision. By the way, sorry I took so long to answer, I never got a notice for this last post. Hope I'm not too late.

Anyway, is so good to hear so many girls have been delivered from the curse of unruly hair, thanks to my advice. It makes me feel so good. I will keep you girls posted about any new products I discover.

Talk to you guys later

Shary