Update April 3, 2019:
According to Pravana the Perfection SmoothOut for hair has been discontinued. In a statement Pravana reps say “We have been unable to obtain the raw materials for Perfection Smoothout so rather than replace them with materials that may not provide the same great results we have chosen to discontinue the product while we research new technology.”
Your hair looks amazing,” I told my friend Sara during a bump-in at the farmers’ market last summer. She and I share the same, annoying, not-curly, not-straight hair type—lucky us—but on that humid day, while my hair was frizzed up like a French poodle’s, hers lay perfectly smooth and glossy. Her secret? She’d just had a salon service similar to a Brazilian keratin treatment, only without the permanence and possible health risks.
About the Service
The treatment is called the Pravana Perfection SmoothOut and can range in price from $150 to $300, depending on the salon. Though not a keratin-based treatment, the product promises to safely transform course, frizzy hair to smooth and shiny hair with semi-permanent results lasting eight to 12 weeks. It can be used on any hair type and texture. But is the cost of the treatment worth the results? I decided to find out.
I went to Williamsburg-based stylist Sabrina Lewandowski, who is certified in the SmoothOut technique. She says many clients have expressed interest in Brazilian keratin treatments, which can produce similar results that last up to six months, but have had reservations due to reports of unsafe levels of formaldehyde, a ‘suspected’ carcinogen, in some popular brands.
All Pravana Naturceuticals products are free of formaldehyde, cocamide DEA or MEA, phthalates and other hazardous chemicals. According to the company’s Web site, SmoothOut contains a “proprietary nano-amino acid complex” that alters the hair’s “textural memory” for smooth, straight locks.
Lewandowski says her customers so far have been “very pleased” with the results.
“A person’s hair is their pride and joy,” she notes. “This treatment adds a lot of shine, which is important because everyday things can really rob hair of its shine.”
How It Works
Lewandowski began by separating my clean hair into 1/4-inch sections. Wearing gloves, she applied the SmoothOut solution to each section, from scalp to ends, frequently combing my hair. The solution had a pleasant smell. The mixture was allowed to set for 15 minutes, then she carefully blow-dried it while using a brush to keep it straight. Once 95 percent dry she flat ironed each section using high heat (360 degrees is typical, she says). The heat caused the product to steam, a normal effect, says Lewandowski. The process created a strong odor, but the room was well ventilated.
The entire process took two hours and 20 minutes—less than the three hours Lewandowski had estimated. For best results she recommended that I forgo washing my hair for up to 48 hours, and to not wear any headbands, clips or rubber bands of any sort during that time because they could form imprints on my hair. I was also told not to tuck my hair behind my ears, a hard habit to break.
Lewandowski advised using a sulfate-free shampoo (I recommend WEN: It’s free of all detergents and is a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner) to maintain the best results and explained that while there are expensive “keratin” shampoos and conditioners on the market, they are not essential with this service.
When I finally did wash my hair, I was impressed with the results. As promised, my hair was straight, shiny and looked as if I’d straightened it with a flat iron. My one-hour routine of wash, comb, apply product, blow dry, apply product, straighten was suddenly whittled down to wash, towel-dry, comb—for a total of about five minutes from start to finish.
Considering a Smoothing Service or Keratin Treatment?
Ask around for recommendations either from friends or your stylist even if he or she doesn’t offer the service they may be able to recommend a reputable salon. Ask if you can come in for a consultation first. As you “interview” stylists, ask these important questions:
• Which brand does the salon use?
• What are the expected results, and do they match up with my expectations?
• Does the formula contain formaldehyde or derivatives? If so, is it in levels deemed safe by the FDA or other agency?
• What will it cost? Will there be extra charges for long or thick hair? What will it cost to maintain the results?
• Will it damage my hair in any way?
• If my hair is color-treated, is the product safe?
• Will my results be “wash and go” or will I still have to blow dry it?
• How long will I have to go without washing or styling? (Make sure this is feasible with your work or activity schedule.)
Six to eight weeks after the treatment I could see the curl returning and the smoothness waning. However, it remained straighter than it was before the treatment. So, in the end, are the results worth the investment? When you compare the cost of this treatment to the amount of time it saves—at least an hour a day—it is a resounding ‘yes.’ Will I do it again? Absolutely.