The Brilliant Brazilian Blowout

With the arrival Spring, I was due for a hair makeover.  So, I chopped my ‘do’ into an edgy bob and got my second keratin treatment.  It’s amazing how a new look has the power to reinvigorate and renew the spirit.

This time around I went with the celebrity recommended Brazilian Blowout instead of the Keratin Complex by Coppola, and I’m amazed at how different the two products are from each other.  So, to add to my previous article on keratin, here’s a more specific look at the Brazilian Blowout process and results.

To begin, I needed to find someone nearby who was well versed in all things keratin and I landed on the fabulous Jordana Lorraine.  Being that she is one of the rare stylists who works with several different keratin products, she fist interviewed me about my hair’s natural texture and the results I wanted.  We spoke about the effect the Coppola treatment had on my hair and we determined that this time around, my fine, wavy, frizzy hair would be best suited for the Brazilian Blowout.

Jordana worked her magic and the treatment made great improvements to my rad new cut – making it effortless to keep the geometric style in place.  My fine hair is free of frizz but still has the natural body and movement that I want.  In comparison, the Coppola product seemed to be a bit more aggressive in that it made each strand of my hair thicker and more course thereby leaving it stick straight and a little stiff.  It goes to follow that the stronger treatments like the Coppola complex are better suited for people with very curly or naturally course hair.

In addition to delivering different final effects, the Brazilian Blowout salon process is quite different too:

1. Shampoo 1 to 3 times with a clarifying shampoo.
2. Towel dry and apply a small amount of the product to damp hair.  There’s no need to dry the hair first and there is no processing time.
3. Blow dry with the product in the hair.
4. Seal in the product with a 450 degree iron.
5. Rinse the treatment out and apply Brazilian Blowout deep conditioning masque.  Rinse, dry and style as desired.

Brazilian Blowout is the only keratin treatment that is rinsed out during your appointment therefore allowing you to see the results immediately.  And, most importantly to me, allowing you to avoid the 24-96 hour waiting period before sweating in your hair, washing it, styling it or being terrified that a ponytail or clip will result in a semi-permanent crimping effect.

As with all other keratin products, sulfate and sodium-chloride free shampoos are recommended to prevent the treatment from fading out, but Brazilian Blowout takes it a bit further.  The company recommends their own Brazilian Blowout Acai Aftercare system of shampoos and conditioners.

The skeptic that I am, my inclination is to believe that this recommendation is just another way for the company to squeeze more cash out of their customers, but they claim that the ’system’ contains many of the active ingredients of the treatment itself so that every time you wash your hair you are actually enhancing the effects.  I don’t know if I really believe all of that but I figure, you have to buy shampoo and conditioner anyway and their product smells delicious, so why not buy into their claims.

Overall, I have been very happy with both the Keratin Complex by Coppola and the Brazilian Blowout, but since I have the luxury of choice given my natural hair texture, I will stick with the later and take my shiny frizz-free coif right to dance class, forgetting all about the after-care ‘rules’.

A big thank you to Jordana Lorraine for sharing her professional expertise, and for helping me look fabulous with little effort .  It goes without saying that if you’re looking for a keratin pro in the LA area, tweet or call for an appointment and, as Jordana likes to say – ‘Kiss Your Frizz Goodbye’.