Thermafuse fahrenheit 450° Straightening treatment

In the past couple of years or so, lots of new products have surfaced on the market that claim to make your hair more manageable. Some are straighteners, others add shine and remove most of the frizz, etc. Having struggled with my thick, wavy hair all my life, i was certainly intrigued. Initially, the Brazilian blow out seemed like a hair miracle, until i learned about the high levels of formaldehyde in this product. That was definitely a deal breaker for me. So i began looking into the Keratin treatment options as well as a few others. I read as many reviews as i could and asked everyone i knew who'd done similar treatments for their input. The secretary at my school, whose hair always looks fabulous alerted me of the 'Thermafuse Fahrenheit 450°' treatment, as this is what she uses. She told me her hair was "kinky curly" (her words) and if you look at her you would never know it. She has a bob style hair cut and her hair is always super sleek and shiny. I was baffled! I then read some reviews and watched some YouTube tutorials and my decision was made. She gave me the contact information for her hairdresser who specialized in this treatment. I was beyond excited to try this as I'd dreamt of the day where it would take me less then a half hour to blow dry my hair! Hey, I'm sure my mommy friends would agree, anything that saves you time is a gem in my book!

So the big day came, and my wonderful assistant and friend suggested i take a before/after picture. So as i was leaving work, she quickly picked up her phone and snapped a picture of what the back of my hair looked like. Yikes, i was horrified! But yes, that's what it looked like though not for long! Basically, Patty (the hairdresser) began by washing my hair thoroughly with a special shampoo that was suppose to strip all hair products from my hair. She could not use a conditioner so i can assure you that it was not fun when she had to comb my hair through after washing. She then blow dried it completely and applied the product on each strand of my hair. That took quite a bit of time. The next step was to seal the product by using a flat iron on every strand of the hair... literally EVERY strand! She sectioned it off in tiny portions of hair and flat ironed it. When the hair was completely straight, she then gulp, washed it again! She did this to remove the product that was initially sealed in. She then blow dried it and voila... FOUR hours later, i was done! Phew! Yes it took four very long hours, and anyone that knows me knows that i HATE sitting in the hair salon! But it was so worth it!

So here are the pros and cons:

Pros: The first time i washed my hair after the treatment, it took me literally THREE minutes to blow dry the entire hair. I could not believe it! Never in my life had that been possible! That was a major plus for me! My hair felt so much softer. And the best part was my hair no longer swelled the second i stepped outside! By swelling i mean, there was no frizz, no puffiness, nothing... just straight, soft, manageable hair. It's suppose to last 4-6 months.

Cons: It's expensive... upwards of $200 ($260) to be precise. Also, my hair had a lot of damage prior to this treatment and as a result of all the heat from the flat iron, my ends were an awful mess. I needed a haircut almost immediately. Also, for the first couple of weeks, my hair was a little limp and flat but that does go away quickly. Lastly, it does lighten the hair a bit so if you're planning to have your color done, save it for after the treatment.

It's been three and a half months and my hair is still very manageable and straight for the most part. When i wake up, it's wavy... but the second i blow dry it, it's straight again without much effort. I have to say, this was the BEST thing i could have ever done for myself. I feel it was worth every penny, essentially because it's saved me a tremendous amount of time and time is very precious to me.

***It's important to note that you MUST use 'sulfate free' products in order to prolong the effects of this treatment!***