For as long as I can remember, I’ve been trying to find a solution to my wavy hair, that becomes frizzy in humid Manila weather.

I’ve tried it all—rebonding, which ruined my hair so I had to cut it short; bathing my hair in treatments and solutions daily to control it; and ironing my hair within an inch of its life with professional straightening irons.

I always wanted to achieve the look you get after having your hair blow-dried in the salon. I have finally found the ultimate solution: the Brazilian Blowout.

Hollywood celebs

Brought to Manila by hair experts (and my personal hair gurus) Jude Hipolito and Rose Velasco of Kaizen Salon, the Brazilian Blowout is loved by Hollywood celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman, Nicole Richie, and even Tom Cruise, and was mentioned in a recent episode of “Gossip Girl.”
This treatment has truly reached celebrity cult status.

To do the Brazilian Blowout, Jude and Rose went to the epicenter of celebrity hair, Hollywood, where the Brazilian Blowout center is, to get trained and certified.

Unlike similar treatments, the Brazilian Blowout takes only 90 minutes. No need to wear protective gear or sit in the salon for four hours, as the application is straightforward. Hair is washed in the Brazilian Blowout shampoo, then blow-dried.

The Brazilian Blowout is a professional smoothing treatment, in the same family as keratin treatments, but fortified with a Brazilian super nutrient complex full of açai berry, native camucamu berry, and annatto seed. After the solution is applied on the hair, it is ironed with an iron to 450 degrees and sealed in, as the complex is heat activated.

For those concerned about formaldehyde, Brazilian Blowout doesn’t contain the chemical. You can tell the difference when the hair is ironed and there is no sting in the eyes.

The treatment’s aim is to coat the hair cuticles and fill in the gaps and breakages caused by chemical treatments, without changing the bonds of the hair. It is not a straightening treatment. Since the hair cuticles smoothen out, the hair appears silkier. Very curly hair does not become straight, but wavy. Wavy hair becomes smooth and manageable.

The treatment lasts as long as 12 weeks and has a cumulative effect—the more you use it, the smoother the hair will be in the long run. The one-time treatment saves you time and money from getting blowouts three times a week (as I used to).

Wash-and-wear

It’s literally the wash-and-wear solution for hair that I have been looking for. Step out of the shower with wet hair and let it air dry, and a few minutes later it looks as if you stepped out of the salon. Unlike other treatments, you can wash your hair as soon as you want, no downtime and no restrictions. You can tie your hair in an updo, and there will be no demarcation lines or kinks in the hair.

The treatment coats the hair so it’s still pliable; in fact it’s a protective barrier. When the treatment has washed out, the hair will lose some of the smoothness and go back to what it more or less looked like before the treatment—no re-growth or any strange hair shapes.

A fantastic product with beautiful results, the Brazilian Blowout has a line of after-care products to ensure the longevity of the treatment; they can also be used even after the treatment has faded to ensure smooth, silky hair.

The Brazilian Blowout is available exclusively at Univers Phyto Salon by Kaizen, 5/F, Rustan’s Makati. Treatment starts at P6,000.