Hair Shine Formaldehyde Free Brazilian Blow dry Keratin Treatment

Like many, the one thing stopping me from ever taking the plunge with a Brazilian Blow dry has always been the constant horror stories regarding the use of formaldehyde. From tales of people experiencing severe nose bleeds, to sore and sensitive eyes, it personally never felt like a risk worth taking - especially considering the high cost of the process. Thankfully that's all changed thanks to a Brazilian company called Hair Shine, who've now made it possible to experience the benefits of this restoring treatment using a mixture that's completely free of the 'F' word.

Top of hair - unbrushed, unwashed - before treatment

I was lucky enough to be invited down to top London salon Percy and Reed. Having worked on the locks of celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Sophie Dahl to name but a few, this award winning team are exclusively offering the Hair Shine treatment before it goes nationwide this summer. Upon arrival I was quickly whisked upstairs to have my hair rinsed twice using a restoring, protecting and cleansing shampoo. This gentle PH5 formula not only preps your barnet for stage 2 of the process but also increases general fibre resistance. How multi tasking!

Once my hair was rough dried to around 80% the second step of the treatment could begin. Using the formaldehyde free Perfect Restore Volume Reducer, my stylist combed the product into sections of my hair, leaving it to settle in and work its magic for around 20 minutes. Then, my hair was rough dried again before being sectioned and styled with straighteners. This was then left for a further 10 minutes before the treatment could be washed out.

Finally, a nourishing conditioner packed with Keratin particles is applied to the hair for 10 minutes. All that's left then is a quick rinse, blow dry and voila! You're done! Skipping out of the salon with hair that promises to stay sleek, smooth and shiny for up to 10 to 12 weeks...

After Treatment

As someone who has been repeatedly dying their tresses for over 10 years, I cannot say enough about how much this process has restored both the overall texture and quality of my hair. It's softer, bouncier, lighter and a whole heap easier to style - not to mention ultra fast drying! Whilst Brazilian Blow dries are often advertised to women with thicker, curlier hair as a way of providing straighter locks, I generally think this process would work wonders on all hair types, simply due to it's restoring properties. To add longevity to the treatment I've been religiously using the Hair Shine salt free shampoo and conditioner - a gentle formula that helps prevents the process from being 'stripped' out of the hair. Having had mine done around 5 weeks ago I'm still finding the results going strong, although it's sadly not as glossy. If you're looking into having a Keratin treatment then this formaldehyde free route is definitely the way to go!

At present you can book a Hair Shine treatment at Percy and Reed, London - contact details here. Alternatively, the treatment will become available nationwide in selected salons this summer, so keep your eyes peeled!

*this treatment was a free appointment arranged by the Beauty Bite*