Home use. Hair straightening Kits

Back2myroots : A place to share thoughts and grow idea's. B2MR

We just about finish posting warnings and exhausted the discussion on some of the professional keratin based hair relaxing products and how important it is to research that they are safe. formaldehyde free.
We have had ammonia free foaming hair colour. We have had  ammonia free all natural heathy hair colour for home use and application now we have.

I see this advertised
Charles Worthington Salon at Home Straight and Smooth hair straightening kit for non coloured hair.
Charles Worthington Straight & Smooth hair straightening kit, get the ultra-glamorous results of a professional salon straightening treatment from the comfort of your home.


Above is the add  So i thought lets read the instructions lets see what's in this product. below is what i could find

Get gorgeously straight, smooth and more manageable hair with natural bounce for up to 40 days from Charles Worthington Salon at Home Straight and; Smooth hair straightening kit. Completely safe and easy to apply in just 25 minutes, this patent-pending breakthrough treatment uses Cystamine, a gentle and effective straightening active that re-programmes your hair memory and tames frizz. It’s 100% free from formaldehyde and ammonia. Get the ultra-glamorous results of a professional salon straightening treatment, all from the comfort of your home.

The experts at Charles Worthington have developed Straight & Smooth to help keep your hair straighter for longer. Working closely in collaboration with world-renowned hair expert, Professor Wortmann at Manchester University, the product has been over two years in production to ensure the best results for your hair.

This breakthrough straightening treatment uses cystamine, a gentle and effective straightening active. Cystamine works by re-programming your hair memory so your hair will stay straighter and not want to frizz, even in humid conditions. Our patent - pending technology is blended with proteins and argan oil to leave your hair looking smoother and healthier for longer.

Straight & Smooth is 100% ammonia and formaldehyde free meaning the product is safe to use and gentle on your hair.

85% of women who trialled Charles Worthington Salon at Home, Straight & Smooth agreed it effectively straightened their hair for up to 6 weeks.

As you can read from the above although it eludes to no Ammonia no formaldehyde it does not tell us what's in it. How it opens the cuticle how it relaxes the hair my guess either Grain alcohol derived Alkaline mixed as  a cream to weigh the hair down keeping it straight in the 20 minute process time it does require neutralising [just like a perm] it's really a acid perm in reverse not rollers!

I read some reviews not that good sounds rather smelly!
Cystine is what we have in our hair to create curl. We relax the cystine one of the hairs 19 amino acids to make it straight!!! 

It might last 6 to 8 weeks that does not mean re do every 6 to 8 weeks !!!!! 

It sadden's me when well respected professional celebrity stylist have to endorse theses none professional products.So much for years in the industry and being a professional. It's all about the ££££ or $$$$$.

To carry out this procedure one has to put the hair into an alkaline state open the cuticle. We do that with various strengths of Ammonia or with MEA or an alkaline derived from grain fermentation this allows it to be called natural!

Be aware that issues can arise if doing a process like this possible breakage do not do it on pre coloured or bleached hair  any doubts seek professional advise. 

I really have the greatest respect for so many of our celebrity stylist they mentor so many. They are looked up to by young aspiring stylists who look to them as professionals these sort of products cheapen that image. Always research any product read reviews before applying it to your hair!
Mike B2MR    

Hairdressing Health saftey

Welcome to BACK2MYROOTS B2MR: regular postings of fresh new topic's
http://www.back2myroots.co.uk/

Health and safety in the Salon :
Not a topic that i really ever thought worthy of writing about! that is until now this really is so very important for it effects us our clients our daily lives.
We are exposed to so many products chemical processes, we breath fumes, we handle products, we apply them onto our clients.
We expose these chemicals to heat be it from dryers to streamers to very hot ceramic irons, how often do we really take the time to think are they safe do i know what reaction may take place can i explain fully what this process is doing to my client
Do i have all the facts all the knowledge and skill to make this safe?
Going back to past topic's Service is key to success so is safety, as is the consultation for it is through consultation that we get the facts to know if a chemical process might be possible i say might be for we may still have to do skin test and or a strand test.
When i first came across the term COSHH  Control of substances hazardous to health:
I thought here we go health and safety gone wild.
More over legislation by bodies out of touch with the workings of a hairdressing salon.
Having suffered as most stylist have done with skin issues especially when training all day shampooing having breathed in way to many fumes! having coloured hair, highlighted hair, for years without wearing gloves or protection i have to say the regulations make sense.
But so much of it is common sense  I think sometimes we are put off because with all the regulations because they are written and taught to us like we are all idiots.

So we have to take control of our safety our clients safety, be sensible about products application and working environment.                           

Service and safety.
I will attempt to touch on the key issues of safety in the salon but a good guide to own maybe even have in the salon is Hairdressing the foundation NVQ has a great deal of information.

Also great site with so much information on many topic's
http://www.hair-heads.co.uk/salon-health-and-safety/coshh.php
In 1974 health and safety act was born to this day it is continually updated.
For me up dates of health and safety is key especially given the ever changing world of products available to us and how to use them.
With the high heat styling tools and flat irons we have to be aware of the danger from heat damage and also the effects from fumes when Chemistry and heat come together, this can be a danger to stylists and  clients.
Sometimes these effects are not readily noticeable we have to be aware to the danger understand the chemistry the process cause and effect.
Stay current search the internet for products reviews ask questions, be informed for both your sake and your clients: all common sense!!!!!

Heat and chemicals Fumes : breathing, vision,
I have said that service and safety go together so does consultation and safety with out doing a full in depth consultation how do you establish the history of any chemical work done on a clients head? how do you know that it will not cause a heat reaction causing hair to melt maybe even scalp burn.
If this happens you as the professional are responsible question, question, look, touch. if needed strand test. all this come sunder health safety !!!!!

Below a list of topic's all key to salon health safety, the salon and it's staff all work together so taking care of the salon making it and maintaining it as  a safe healthy palace is everyone responsibility.
Key roles such as record keeping, regular checks should be carried out by designated staff members.
As a salon owner having your self or a staff member with basic first aid is a good course of action i think everyone should do a basic first aid and CPR course well worth knowing.


Safe disposal of products chemicals old sharp objects:
Work place safety, [wet floors. fire safety, electrical, or gas]
Safe salon environment. protection, storage,
Being environmentally aware.
First aid. Training, procedures,
Health hygiene, infection, sterilisation,

The above list of subjects out lines different areas that need to be addressed the days of owning running a salon or just doing hair from home do not allow for complacency with regard to health and safety and liability issues not knowing is not an excuse when things go wrong or accidents happen!
Stay informed offer the highest standard of service in the safest setting possible.
Need help or advise contact me via my web site: thanks MikeB2MR
http://www.back2myroots.co.uk/