Hair S.O.S – The Results

By Milly Nolan

The results are in from my Kerastase trial and the verdict is softer, smoother and stronger hair, Milly Nolan blog on MiNDFOOD.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog on the desperate state of my hair and how the team at Kerastase Paris had kindly come to the rescue with a deluxe in-salon treatment and an array of at-home products that promised to have my fine, frizzy and unruly locks looking luscious in no time. Here’s how the trial went:

Kerastase Paris Kerathermie Treatment

Just as you may go to a spa for a facial, treatments for your hair are becoming increasingly popular in salons. Exclusive to select salons in New Zealand, the Kerathermie treatment is designed for those with dry, damaged and rebellious hair.

The procedure involves a combination of layered treatments in which the active ingredients are sealed by heat (blow dryer and straightener) for a deeper, long lasting effect.

The six step treatment that I had done at Servilles in Auckland took a total of two hours and while it was lengthy, being able to read magazines, chat to the hairdresser and have my head massaged numerous times, made up for it.

And the real icing on the cake was that I left the salon with gloriously soft hair that was blow-dried to perfection. The deep restructuring effect the treatment has on the hair shaft is designed to enhance softness, suppleness and shine. While I didn’t notice the shine so much (which is a curse of being blonde) my hair certainly was the former and felt this way for up to two weeks, making it worth the hefty price of $195!

Kerastase Resistance products

To strengthen my weak, damaged hair, I was given shampoo (bain), conditioner, reconstructing milk and a take-home treatment programme from the Kerastase Resistance range (see images). By week two I started to see a real difference in my hair – while it felt soft it also seemed to have much more structure and strength and wasn’t nearly as frizzy or fly away. By week six, I was totally hooked. My hair was less brittle and felt and looked healthy.

Kerastase Bain de Force (RRP $33)

I didn’t love this shampoo at first as it left my hair feeling very knotty and I needed a lot of conditioner to de-tangle it. However, its job is to fortify and strengthen the hair, so I guess it was doing its job well!

Kerastase Ciment Anti-Usure (RRP $40)

I needed to use quite a generous amount of this conditioner but on application it easily de-tangled my hair and smoothed out my lengths. My hair was left shiny and soft.

Kerastase Ciment Thermique (RRP $40)

This heat-activated reconstructor milk works by strengthening the hair fibre internally while protecting the surface from any heat. I applied a walnut-size amount of this product to my clean, towel-dried hair spreading through the lengths and ends before blow-drying and using straightening irons.

It made my hair instantly feel much smoother and it definitely made styling much, much easier. This is my favourite product out of the range. As I have such fine hair, it is a relief to know that this product is both protecting and correcting my hair while I torture it with my styling tools.

Kerastase Forcintense (RRP $56)

You need both time and patience on your side for this treatment masque as there are a few steps involved which includes three showers in 20 minutes! I learnt my lesson the second time round though and just used the sink to wet my hair each time – much easier.

The result, however, was well worth the hassle as my hair felt stronger, silkier and much shinier. This treatment should be done once a week consecutively for three weeks.

Kerastase Soleil products

As I was trialling these products in the height of summer, Nigel Lutty, technical manager from Kerastase, said it was vital that I protected the condition and colour of my hair from the damaging effects of the sun, sea and chlorine. All of the products from this range are the perfect summer holiday companion to protect your hair from summer’s insults.

Kerastase Soleil Bain Après Soleil (RRP$33)

I used this shampoo after long days spent at the beach. It eliminates build-up of protection products, sand and salt from the scalp and hair, leaving it feeling clean as well as soft. It also provides protection against both UVA and UVB rays so your colour lasts longer.

Kerastase Soleil Masque UV Défense (RRP $58)

Applied to towel-dried hair, this rich, gel-like mask, once rinsed out, left my hair feeling extra soft and shiny. It also revitalised my blonde highlights which had been left looking brassy from the sun.

Kerastase Soleil Voile Protecteur (RRP$36)

Perfect in a beach bag, I used this non-greasy spray all day long while sunbathing and swimming in the sea. As well as protecting the hair from UV rays, it also provides anti-humidity protection so I found my hair didn’t frizz as much as it normally does when at the beach and it felt much silkier too.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

While a good chef can’t blame his tools, I wanted to make sure I gave this trial justice by doing things that helped lessen frizz, fly-away strands and unruly hair. To do so, I did everything by the book – I towel-dried my hair with QVS’s Microfibre Hair Turban (RRP $24) to lessen frizzing, combed it while wet with QVS’s Antistatic Wetcare Wide-toothed Comb (RRP $4) to avoid snagging and breaking the hair and used VIA Professional Ionic Hair Dryer (RRP $140) to inhibit frizz and fluff.

THE CONCLUSION

While the Kerastase products did have an instant effect on what my hair looked like immediately after use, what impressed me the most, is that throughout this trial my hair gradually improved in both texture, weight and condition.

It was nice to see that the products really were working to repair and reconstruct the hair shaft, rather than just working on the surface. At the beginning of the trial my hair was unruly, frizzy and hard to manage. Now, it has more structure while also feeling soft and looking smoother. It’s as if it has been injected with vitality. Hooray!

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