Does Japanese hair straightening work and is it safe for my hair?

Anon - Thanks for your feedback, especially the tip about colored hair. Pat

Anon,

How old are you? And how long is your hair?

Have you tried using some straightening or curl-managing hair products with a flat iron?

If you are not sure, I would tell you to go for a temporary treatment instead of a permanent one. It's always better to be sure that you're going to like something before it's there for good.

Anon,

At 15, I totally understand how you feel. My hair was also either curly or straight and puffy, always frizzy. Always. And if it was a humid day? Or I had gym glass? Just forget it!!

Japanese hair straightening is very safe when you do it at a professional salon that has done it for a long time. They will have certification from the hair straightening products companies that say they know how to use the products.

Things to be aware of:

1. You'll probably have to leave a depost when you make your appointment. Japanese hair straightening takes 4 to 5 hours depending on how long your hair is, and they won't set aside that much time without a deposit.

2. It can cost anywhere between $350 and $600 for your first time. And touchups for new growth (say, maybe twice a year?) can cost about $300-$450 depending on how long your hair is (and what part of the country you're in, too.)

3. Your hair wouldn't be ruined. In fact, you might love it. But you really have to realize that it's permanent, and that if you ever want to go back to your curly self, you have only one alternative: grow out the straight part and cut it off. This is hard to do for someone who loves their long hair!!

Have you tried some of the products for curly hair that help to straighten it and make it shiny? They can cut the frizz and the puff on a bad-humidity day especially. I like the Bedhead products and I love the Phyto products. Best product I've ever found, hands down? Phyto Phytodefrisant. It costs $20ish for a 3 oz tube or $30ish for a 5.7 oz tube, but the product lasts forever. And it works like a dream.

Anon,

If you get a good salon -- one that is established and that has a track record with Japanese hair straightening -- it won't ruin your hair. HOWEVER, you are right in saying that if you do it permanently and decide you don't like it, the only way to undo it is to let it grow out and then cut it off.

Since you are unsure, the best thing to do would be to try a straightening method that is not permanent. Many salons offer hair straightening that lasts about 4 or 5 months. It slowly wears off, so there is no sudden change between the hair you had straightened and your new growth.

One of the things you should know is that us curly girls (and I am one, too) get really used to having a little bit of shape around our faces. We just don't want too much!! Once we go totally straight, we can sometimes feel like wow, it seems like there's no hair there, because it's SO flat and just lies there. So if you do ok with hair products and a flatiron, that might still be your best bet for now.