Salon Xavier in downtown Sag Harbor has the perfect balance of urban sophistication and local charm. Tucked into an historic building next to a marina, this salon offers a wide array of services, from haircut and color to extensions and nails. With a focus on organic products, they also have an on-site spa, which offers facials and body treatments.
I stopped in recently to try a customized hair treatment called Noiraudepro. This is a protein treatment that restores and repairs pretty much any type of damage, including the damage caused by coloring and daily heat styling, of which I am guilty.
As you may know, hair is made of keratin and cell membrane complex (CMC), which serves as a pathway that delivers moisture into the hair fiber. All-natural Noiraudepro restores those elements and brings life and luster back to your hair.
Dividing my hair into sections, Sheryl applied Low Keratin to the hair closest to the scalp to boost elasticity. Middle Keratin was applied to the center portion of each section to help create additional bounce. The ends, which had sustained the greatest amount of damage, were treated with High Keratin. This sealed in nutrients to strengthen the hair.
After my hair was “painted” with these products, I sat under the hair dryer for a short time and then everything was rinsed out. When Sheryl blew my hair out, the fresh body was instantly visible. I must say the results of this treatment—body, soft texture, and shine—lasted for weeks.
I was unable to find anything online or in the literature for Noiraudepro that indicated it included formaldehyde, but while Sheryl worked, she assured me this was a great, safe alternative to the very popular Brazilian Blowout.
The Brazilian Blowout, which can be found in many salons across the Island, is a treatment that has been the center of controversy during the last year or so due to the ingredient formaldehyde, which is classified as a carcinogen. Formaldehyde fumes released during the process have caused health problems, mostly, it seems, for the hair technicians.
While the Brazilian Blowout recently removed formaldehyde from its ingredients, there is still some discussion as to what occurs during the heating process.
A salon owner whose shop offers Brazilian Blowouts confirmed to me that the Brazilian Blowout now offers a formaldehyde-free product, but there are still studies claiming that formaldehyde is produced from the keratin during the flat-iron process. She did go on to say we should keep an eye out for some big changes in this process in the very near future.
If you aren’t sure about whether or not a keratin straightener is for you, you may want to try the Miracle Blowout at Leonardo Hair Design in Rockville Centre.
“It’s not as intense a process as standard keratin treatments,” said owner James. “If you are concerned you may not like the results of the longer-lasting treatments, the Miracle Blowout is the way to go without the full commitment.”
The formaldehyde-free process is also an option if you want to change up your look for a special event or a vacation, as James assured me that the hair does revert to its former consistency in about six weeks. And in addition to taking less time in the salon—about an hour—it is less than half the price.
In the end, the one thing everyone agrees on is the reason these treatments are so popular—they work. Frizzy, damaged hair is transformed into shiny hair, full of body and very healthy-looking.