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from glamour.com
New Celeb Hair Obsession: The Brazilian Blowout
So, I'm friends with celebrity hairstylist Andy LeCompte on Facebook, and I noticed the other day that he posted a link to Nicole Richie's blog, where she was raving about a new hair treatment she gets at Andy's salon. I had to message him right away and get the scoop for you!
Andy with Nicole at his salon opening party.
I did a little (okay, huge, by blog standards) Q&A with Andy and Liz, the stylist at his salon who gives Nicole her Brazilian treatments. Here ya go, girlfriends:
Can you explain to our readers what exactly a Brazilian blowout is, and how it's different from Japanese straightening?
Liz: The Brazilian Blowout is different from Japanese straightening and other Brazilian straighteners because it doesn't completely straighten the hair. The hair still has plenty of volume and body and can still be worn curly or wavy. The Brazilian just softens whatever curl or wave you have. If the hair is air dried without a blow dryer, it will still have wave or curl but no frizz. On the flip side, if you want to blow dry your hair straight, you can do that, without a brush, in a fraction of the amount of time it would have taken without the Brazilian. Also, with other methods, there is a line of demarcation, meaning that when new hair grows in, it is curly/ wavy while the rest of the hair is straight. This blowout method washes away with time and is diffused, so there is no noticeable difference between new hair and treated hair. Other methods also have harsh chemicals in them like formaldehyde. The Brazilian Blowout does NOT have formaldehyde in it. And none of the chemicals in it are carcinogenic.
Other than Nicole, which of your other celebrity clients are doing this?
Andy: I know Ashley Tisdale has come in for it, and also Lindsay Lohan. I'm sure many more are doing it, and even more will be soon. It's still rather new and is suddenly catching on, primarily because of the new formaldehyde-free formulation. I have only recently started recommending to my clients because of that, and because I know what results they can expect.
What's the process of getting this done like?
It's relatively simple compared to other Brazilian straighteners and Japanese straightening methods. The hair is washed with a clarifying shampoo, solution is applied, the hair is dried, I flat iron the hair to seal in the solution, rinse the solution out, apply a conditioning mask and blow dry. The entire treatment takes 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on how much hair the client has.
Can you describe the results a little more for us?
Liz: It literally gives everyone "wash and wear" hair. It allows clients to have freedom to enjoy activities they may have in the past because they didn't want to get their hair wet and have to spend an hour redoing it. You're no longer a slave to your hair. You can do whatever you want--work out, swim--without having to think about not getting your hair wet, because you know you will be able to make it look great in 15 minutes with just a simple blow dry. The treatment simply washes away over time and your hair returns to its normal state, so if you don't like it, you don't have to worry about having to cut all your hair off to get rid of it. The Brazilian Blowout lasts for up to 3 months.
Nicole's blog was quite an endorsement!
Andy: Despite being a new mom with a very busy schedule, for the first time in her life she can come out of the shower and do nothing to her hair. For Nicole in the past, washing her hair was always a process that took at least an hour. So being able to get out of the shower and do nothing and just let her hair air dry is a real privilege.
So...what's it cost? And is it safe for delicate or damaged hair?
Liz: The treatment starts at $350. It's safe for all hair types, even fine, brittle, damaged. In fact, the more damaged hair will often have the most dramatic results.
To find a salon near you that offers the Brazilian Blowout, click here. Oh, and here's a great New York Times story on Brazilian straightening treatments, including this one.
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