c h e m i c a l h a i r s t r a i g h t e n i n g.

I recently returned from 3 weeks in Vietnam with a close friend - another entire post would be required to cover that - and on the final day of our trip we made our way to a beauty salon where I opted for a chemical straightening treatment that cost me 720,000 VND (approximately $30 AU). 


In short - chemical straightening breaks the chemical bonds in the hair allowing them to be altered and give the hair a new "memory" - so it always falls straight upon drying once the process is complete. It's not natural, it causes some hair damage and it's a time consuming process, however I have no regrets.


My hair is naturally golden brown, very thick and with a natural wave to it. I have dyed it in the past as well as bleached it, and the bleach has now grown out to the tips of my hair.


I have always envied those with straight hair - it took me a solid 40 minutes to straighten it, 50 or more for pin straight and the next day the waves would be back in some form. I was resigned to the fact that this was my fate and tried to embrace my hair as best I could, however I still pined for straight, smooth hair.


The friend I travelled with was in China earlier in the year and returned with her hair chemically straightened. Her hair, much like mine, was thick and wavy before, and it looked amazing. At that point our trip wasn't in the works, and unfortunately in Australia the prices for the process are about $350 for long hair and I wasn't willing to pay so much.


Then, once in Vietnam, I mentioned chemical straightening and she encouraged me to go for it, which was really all the push I needed.


Now onto the treatment itself:


1. My hair was examined by my stylist who informed me that I should have about an inch and 1/2 off my hair, which was fine by me as my hair is about bust level now and the ends were dry. So my hair was washed, combed and cut then blow dried.


2. After the trim, the straightening chemical cream/lotion (the active chemical is sodium hydroxide) was applied to different sections by two stylists - first to the mid lengths, then the ends and finally the roots (I should note they don't hit the very top of your scalp, perhaps to reduce irritation). I give props to the stylists, they were meticulous about the whole process.


3. Then I waited - for about 40 minutes to an hour with the chemicals soaking in. Every so often a stylist would come over, lift a single strand of hair and stretch it gently, I suppose to see how weakened the hair was and to ensure the chemical wasn't on for too long. I felt no burning or pain in any way - the most unpleasant part was the smell of the cream, it smells exactly like Nair products if you are familiar, and having the unmistakable smell of hair REMOVAL products soaking my head was quite bizarre. 


4. Then the chemical was washed out, my hair shampooed and conditioned and blow dried once more. Then my hair was straightened by the two stylists in a way it's never been straightened before - each strip of hair was gone over about 10 times if not from root to tip, 
this was giving the hair the blueprint of what it should return to after each wash. 


5. Then I was ushered back over to the basins where a minty smelling water based product was sprayed all over my head and sat there for about 15 minutes - then I had it washed out and a nourishing oil conditioner was applied (it smelled exactly like Werther's Originals) and massaged in skilfully, then finally shampooed and conditioned away.


6. I was then given a blow dry and no straightening and my hair dried straight and smooth, and then I was instructed not to shower for 2 days and that my hair would now dry like this every time until the chemicals grew out. Throughout that evening (on 2 flights home to Sydney) my hair looked better and better, and I was truly impressed as it had not been touched by a straightener. If my friend was exhausted by my constant "I can't believe how straight it looks!" she did a good job of hiding it.


7. The real test, however, came after the 48 hours were up - and I stepped into the shower and shampooed my hair, nervous that perhaps it would be a short romance with my new hair, however after towel drying and combing, my hair was straight. Not pin straight yet, but no waves, like straight hair would naturally be. I then left it out to air dry and it continued to look straighter and smoother throughout the day, truly amazing. Chemical straightening means no frizz when wet/drying, and hair that feels silky all the time.


I could not be happier with my result - it's truly what I'd dreamed of for my hair. If I want to curl the ends under it takes 2 minutes with a straightening, and the hair can still be curled and styled as normal (however curls may not hold as well). 


As far as damage goes, my ends were always dry and perhaps there are a few dozen more split ends than before, but this is a price I'm more than willing to pay for such easy hair.


Now from what I had heard from others, often the process entails a repeat of the process about 3-4 times (I mean chemical in, washed, straightened and repeat), whereas I had only one application of the cream and only one round of straightening. Perhaps my chemical was on for longer, I'm not sure, however my hair is better than I had hoped for so I can't complain. I was in the chair for about 4 hours.


So, who would I recommend this treatment for?


+ Those with unruly, wavy/curly hair that long for straight hair.
+ Those with thick hair (thinner haired individuals may find their hair too flat, as it takes away much of the original volume)


I should add, my hair is resilient and plentiful, which would have impacted the results of my treatment, very dry, currently lightened or very thin hair may find the treatment more harsh. 


So if you're in Vietnam I recommend Van Nyugen Hair Salon in Hanoi, where the straightening prices range from 300,000 VND - 800,000 VND depending on length.