Binkies and Briefcases

Update in 2021: I now prefer to get Keratin treatments done on my hair a few times each year, which are cheaper and safer than the Brazilian Blowout. I know of two different salons that stopped using the Brazilian technique after it made their staff members very sick, so proceed with caution. 

Here is the original post: 

Yesterday I had a Brazilian Blowout treatment done on my hair. I learned about the treatment when Kristin mentioned it on her blog. I was really nervous and excited to get it done. So far, I think it’s AWESOME, but it was pretty expensive. There was only one salon in our county that did the treatment, apparently, the beautician needs a special certification. I had it done at Rumors in York, PA and Christine was really wonderful. She patiently talked to me on the phone four times before I had the treatment and told me to go ahead and do my color at home to save myself some money.

The total came to $320, which included the treatment, a hair cut, an eyebrow wax, and the special shampoo and conditioner. She gave me 2 other products for free. It took 3 and a half hours. Plus, of course, I tipped her. That’s a little more than twice what I would usually pay for highlights and a haircut.

Christine explained that the difference between this treatment and others (which can be even more expensive) is that the Brazilian basically just coats your hair with protein and doesn’t use formaldehyde or other really nasty chemicals. Unlike the Keratin treatment, with this one, you can wash your hair, work out, put your hair up, or go swimming immediately. No waiting for three days. I can also still wear my hair curly if I want to. It’s supposed to last for around three months. She also told me that she has been doing the treatment on her own hair ever since last summer.

The negatives (besides being mad expensive) were that during the treatment my eyes got pretty watery and breathing in the fumes actually singed the hairs in my nose so there were little black hairs falling out of my nose-gross! Plus I got a wicked headache later in the day.

The positives were that it seals in your hair color and makes it look pretty vibrant in person, I like still having options as far as my curl is concerned, and it blow dries completely straight.

I used to have to blow dry my hair first, which would make it SUPER frizzy and a total mess, and then have to spend another 20-30 minutes going at it with a flat iron and it still would be sort of frizzy. OK, picture time…

This is my naturally curly hair. I always feel like I look chubby when my hair is curly because I have such a round face, to begin with. Plus in order to do this, I have to shower and do my hair in the mornings, which is next to impossible when Eddie leaves so early for work and we have two toddlers.

So when I have an extra hour to devote to my hair (like never) I would blow-dry and straighten it at night and get this result

See? Still kind of frizzy and sticking out funny in the back. But usually, I just pulled it back straight out of the shower like this

which made me feel like I wasn’t putting any effort into myself. Drum-roll, please…

This is the Brazilian after ten minutes of blow-drying and no flat iron (also me with no make-up, just focus on the hair).

It also feels really different. It feels a lot like the hair on American Girl dolls. Eddie and Nicholas keep touching it. Abby couldn’t care less. I love anything that makes my life easier.