This Keratin Treatment Tamed My Otherwise Frizzy, Kinky Hair

I don’t understand those people who say they just wash their hair and go. What does that even mean? My haircare routine has always been one of the following: Towel-dry my strands and then blow it out, or towel-dry my strands, apply loads of products, and pray to the beauty gods that my curls coil and the frizz stays at a minimum (which is what I did below, to little success).

The thought of a straightening treatment has always been somewhat appealing to me — except then I wouldn’t have the option of wearing my hair curly, which I do a lot. Also there’s the whole chemical situation (too permanent for my fickle, fickle heart) — and not being able to wear a ponytail for a week or wash it immediately after you leave the salon (who can survive under such conditions?).

After visiting the Butterfly Studio for my usual single process, my stylist, Joanna Gonzalez, asked me if I had ever considered a Cezanne treatment (starting at $360). “I don’t want to straighten my hair,” I immediately replied. She looked at me as if I had just told her that I used shampoo to wash my face and matter-of-factly explained that Cezanne isn’t a straightening treatment, it’s a smoothing treatment. Big difference. Huge.

Cezanne first burst onto the scene in 2014 as a formaldehyde-free option for women who want to wear their locks straight, curly, or in-between without having to worry about frizz. The keratin in the solution gives the hair strength while the Sericin silk proteins lend shine. “We’re busy women and we don’t have the time to tend to our hair every single day,” says Kathy Combs, director of global education for Cezanne Professional Products. “It can change a person’s life.”

I thought about it, considered my weekday commute in the hot, humid summer, and then wondered what my routine would be like if I actually became one of those wash-and-go women. So I said yes.

I visited Gonzalez in May for the treatment, which she said would last anywhere from three to five months depending on how often I shampoo my hair. It took about 30 minutes for her to apply the formula, which she did without gloves and without needing to open the window (a huge plus for my sensitive nose). Then it processed for 30 minutes. She washed my hair, blew it dry, and flat-ironed it to seal it.

Here’s how it looked immediately after:

I got a few days out of the blowout so when I finally washed my hair for the first time, I let my strands air dry to see just how transformative my new look would be.

And this is what happened:

The results were stunning for me. I didn’t have any frizz, despite the day being in the 80s with humidity. My kinky curls on the underside of my head were relaxed to beach waves, while the top of my hair had loose curves. In the weeks since, I tend to air dry more. With the help of my go-to Alterna Haircare Bamboo Beach Breeze Dry Balm ($22), I consistently get textured waves. But when I decide to blow it out, it takes less time (around 5 to 7 minutes versus the 10 to 15 from pre-Cezanne) and lasts longer, even on sticky days.

“I swear it’s a life-changer,” Gonzalez had told me while I was sitting in her chair. One month in, and I wholeheartedly agree. Turns out, I’m a wash-and-go woman after all.

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(Featured image via Getty)