I hate my hair. Correction: I used to hate my hair. But not anymore!

I keep my hair long, which I like, but it takes forever to blow dry. I get frustrated with the process quickly and end early-leaving the back to air dry. Thirty minutes later, I'm dealing with a mat of dried-out frizz on the back of my head. Frizzy is not pretty, you know. And so, most of the time, I just pull it back in a ponytail rather than invest more time with the flat iron.

But just a few weeks ago, Tracey Leahy, owner of Earth Tones Hair Salon in Duxbury, convinced me to sit in her chair and undergo the Keratin Complex smoothing therapy. This treatment is a new technique in hair care created by New York stylist, Peter Coppola, and is best described as a "protein infusion".

As we age, we start to lose the keratin (protein) in our hair, and on top of that, most of us are torturing our tresses by coloring and exposing our heads to the heat of the hair dryer or flat iron. Keratin is what keeps hair healthy and smooth. Asian and Native American women naturally have more keratin in their hair, which is how they maintain those luxurious locks. But there I was, an aging American in desperate need of hair help.

I didn't agree to the treatment at first. I had heard about the Brazilian keratin hair treatments that use formaldehyde-a chemical known to cause cancer-as an ingredient. Coppola claims its treatment does not use formaldehyde, but rather, a technology-enabled imitation.

"We don't have raw formaldehyde," said Biage Bucario, executive vice president and director of education for Coppola, in an article that appeared on the SunSentinal.com website in August of last year. "We have a derivative called aldehydes, which is safer and more natural.."

After a little more research on the Web, I found out that aldehydes are used for the manufacturing of synthetic resins, and for making flavorings, perfumes, and other chemicals. Hmm. well, I put perfume on my body, why not a dose of aldehyde on my head? I decided to do it.

The process itself is long. It took three and a half hours in the chair going through multiple steps of washing, drying, applying the treatment, flat ironing, and then walking out the door with a straight-edge style that could not be touched for three days. Yup, 72 hours of not washing my hair, and even more agonizing was not being able to pull my hair back or even put a pair of sunglasses on my head to get those greasy bangs out of my eyes. By the third day, I did feel a bit like "Cousin It", but ultimately it was worth it! Truly it was.

Tracey has transformed so many women's lives with this procedure, I can attest, as I'm one of them. Not only does it take me less time to fully dry my hair, but even if I leave the back a little damp, there is no frizz. All I have is smooth, soft, manageable hair. A lot of people have recognized there is something different about me. "Have you lost weight? Whitened your teeth?" Nope, just got a new 'do' that feels like a completely different head of hair.

"I not only change [my client's] hair, but if they've always hated their hair, this changes their life," Tracey says. "The hard part for me as a stylist is not tackling people and sitting them in my chair to have this done!"

If you feel like a good Keratin Therapy candidate, let me give you a quick recap of what my morning entailed so that you can be prepared:

8:15 a.m., my hair was washed with detoxifying/clarifying shampoo, three times in a row. Yup, triple dose to erase any residue that might be clinging to a hair follicle. Followed by a brush out-with no conditioner (tangled mess) and total blow try which concluded the prep work at 8:45 a.m.

9:00, the Keratin Complex treatment was applied which took 30 minutes.

9:30, another blow dry.

9:55, the straightening process begins which entails a 450-degree flat iron that infuses the keratin into the hair. This is where it gets tricky, as Tracey had to take tiny sections of hair and use a special technique so as not to leave a crease in the hair.

11:40, I finally got out of the chair and was sent home with strict instructions not to touch my hair for 72 hours (other than a light brush when needed).

Three days later, at exactly 11:40 a.m., I washed my hair. I was so happy to have clean hair that I didn't pay much attention to the overall effect. It took a few days to really appreciate what happened, but it is phenomenal.

Of course, beauty always comes with a price tag. In this case, the Keratin Complex treatment costs $400, but it lasts between three-to-six months.

Cost does not seem to deter the diehard smooth-hair fans. "I already have women rebooking their next appointment for a follow-up treatment," Tracey says.

And you know what? I'm one of them.

By Stephanie Neil

Stephanie Neil is a journalist. Her business, technology, and human interest stories have appeared in a variety of print and online newspapers and magazines including eWeek, Managing Automation, The Harvard Alumni Bulletin, Huggies Baby Network, South Shore Woman, and The Boston Globe.  She lives on the South Shore with her two kids, two cats, and a dog. Contact info: stephanieneil@comcast.net  or 781-378-1652. Follow her on Twitter @StephanieNeil

More Featured Articles