Our adorable contributor puts the straightening system Global Keratin to the test, taunting it with her uber curly and unruly locks. Read on to find out who prevails
I was born with curly hair. Not the pretty, soft ringlets you see in the movies—no, I was born with a different breed entirely. My au naturale locks do not resemble the beachy, loose waves stick-straight girls envy. My hair rather, combines a fine blend of curl and frizz. Walking around with what I like to refer to as ‘The Chia Pet’ atop head for the first 13 years of my life, I terrified any would-be suitors with my Medusa-esque mop (the pop-bottle glasses didn’t help either). Needless to say, the day I discovered a hair straightener was one of the best days of my life. Or the worst.
With a new-found capability for “normal” hair, I began waking up at the crack of dawn each day to smooth out my unruly locks. I quickly found that the tool alone was not enough to tame the beast. I developed a time-intensive routine of blow-drying the hair, mini-section by mini-section, following immediately behind this was my new heated friend. When I was all said and done, the process took close to an hour and a half. On days with no humidity or rain, I could almost forget about the grueling morning routine, locked in the bathroom, sweating from the efforts of my labor. But one step outside in the wrong barometric pressure and my pin straight hair would rebel into a snarled nest of curlicues and fuzz.
For years I lived like this, terrified at the sight of a rain cloud or storm. Then, one fateful day last month, I came across a breakthrough: The Global Keratin Hair Taming system with JUVEXIN. “An active compound proven to protect and restore hair back to its youthful state,” the system boasted a straighter look, free of frizz. While my stylist at Salon 1800, Rachel Miller warned me this was not a relaxer and would not make hair (especially mine), stick straight, she did think it would be a big help. Desperate for any improvement whatsoever (and secretly convinced that this was a miracle drug that would cure all my hair woes), I instructed her to apply the highest level of treatment.
As I sat with the strawberry scented paste on my hair, I envisioned a new life, free of hair worry. Rachel warned me not to wash or even touch my hair for the next 48 hours, except to re-straighten it. I stepped out of the salon and into a wall of solid humidity. In a familiar panic, I felt my completely straightly styled hair bend to the will of the weather. My ends were flipping out! How could this be? I raced home as fast as the el would allow, expecting to see the normal bird’s nest of tangles taunting me from my hallway mirror. While I did see a slight curve to my ends, the havoc the humidity had wreaked was minimal. It was nothing a few strokes with the good ‘old straightener couldn’t handle.
The next 48 hours were tough, with 90 degree weather, and when it came time for the first wash, I was excited. After using the specially formulated Global Keratin shampoo and conditioner, I held my breath as I began to blow-dry.
The difference was definitely notable—the battle was already won. No longer did I have to manhandle each individual strand into place before placing the nozzle of the blow-dryer at the base of my roots with vengeance. My hair had surrendered and lay flatly and compliantly now, each awaiting their fate.
It was, however, not enough to achieve perfection. The straightener of my past was still called into duty. I couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed. Rachel had been right. My hair wasn’t perfectly straight (the JUVEXIN does not change the chemical makeup of the strands, after all). It was, however, exactly what she said it would be: more manageable. My hour and a half of straightening duty was shortened significantly. As I looked in the mirror, I realized the truth: I was never going to have stick-straight hair. But with the help of my old standbys (the flatiron and blowdryer), it could even pass for (gasp!) dare I say, sleek?! And I was also given a new option: curly—having eliminated the frizz, the keratin brought my curls much closer to those envious beach waves than an unkempt nest.
It’s been exactly two weeks since my keratin treatment. With at least 9-18 more to go, depending on care, I can’t wait to get it done again (the treatment provides best results the second or third time around, especially on uncolored or “virgin hair). While a curly girl I may always be, my days as a walking birds nest are no more.
