Coppola Keratin Treatment

As one of the first clients to benefit from the Coppola Keratin Treatment, I wanted to share my experience, as this product is truly a breakthrough. My hair is now manageable and glossy, 24-7, and requires only 5 minutes of blow dry time each morning – a complete turn around for me.

As a 40+ woman with 75% gray, color-treated hair, my “do” looked a bit like cotton candy. It would just kind of float there, rather than hang or swing with the weight of healthy, youthful hair. I also noticed a kinky frizz developing around my temples, as gray hair tends to have a course texture. After using a heavy conditioner in the shower + combing out my hair with a leave-in conditioner + 45 minutes of blow drying with high heat, I had a nice, smooth, semi wavy look. Then, within hours, my hair would turn into a pumpkin and I would spend the rest of the day feeling unkempt. I was particularly frustrated because I had done everything possible to condition my hair, from buying extremely expensive vitamins, shampoos and leave-in conditioners, to using organic hair colors and shampoos. My hair was starting to become an issue for me and I was spending way too much time talking and thinking about it.

Damien suggested I try a new treatment called the Coppola Keratin Treatment. Coppola is the brand name of the product and Keratin is a protein found in your hair, nails and skin. When keratin is infused into the hair, it promotes your hair’s strength, flexibility and manageability. Unlike a permanent straightening product, Coppola reconditions your hair and eliminates frizz, while allowing some “bend” to the hair (as opposed to hair that is stick-straight). The treatment is also semi-permanent, and therefore allows the client to avoid an awkward outgrowth period. Their hair simply returns to its original state gradually in approximately 3-5 months.

As a teen in the eighties, I had my share of home permanents and that’s what I pictured: the horrible chemical smell, a burning scalp, color-coded curlers, and the desperate anticipation of “the new me.”  The Coppola treatment is none of that. Damien will wash your hair (and beforehand, apply color if you like), dry it completely with a blow dryer and then gently apply the treatment onto sections of your hair with a brush.  Then, he will use a flat iron to infuse your hair with the keratin in the product. The whole experience is quite pleasant and lasts a couple of hours. The only nod to the Home Perm Experience was a faint peppery smell that makes your eyes water here and there, but other than that, the treatment is completely painless.

Once he is finished, you will leave the salon with very, very straight hair – it will feel a bit flat and heavy – as Damien advised me: “It won’t be your best hair day, but it certainly won’t be your worst!” Now… you can’t shampoo your hair for 72 hours… below is the survival guide (it’s not as bad as you think – your hair stays pleasant for about 36 hours – but it’s the second half that gets you).

Here are some tips during the 72 hour stretch

AVOID PERSPIRING: Keep your scalp cool and prevent any perspiring, as you have to live in that scalp for 72 hours! Beyond activities that typically make you perspire, like vigorous exercise, avoid anything that will make your head sweat like a very hot shower or bath, scrubbing the kitchen floor or being in the sun too long.

AVOID ANY MOISTURE: Keep your hair dry at all times. When you shower, use a detachable shower head (if you have one) to control the flow of the water or take a dip in a lukewarm bath with your hair up in a plastic cap. It is best to wash your face separately, at the sink, to avoid getting your temples wet. I used medicated wipes to clean off my forehead. If you accidentally get water on your hair, quickly blow it dry or use a flat iron. Avoid steam and areas where water may splash on your face (especially in places where you can’t get to a blow dryer). This isn’t the time for visiting Sea World!

INVEST IN A HAT, CAP OR HEAD BAND: As you are not allowed to pin or pull up your hair during the 72 hour stretch, you may want to invest in a loosely fitted cap, hat or a wide, cloth head band – this allowed me to go about my day, without worrying about whether or not people could tell I hadn’t washed my hair. The smell is not bad at all, but your hair may start to look greasy after the first 36 hours.

WEAR DARK COLORS AND PUT A CLOTH ON YOUR PILLOW CASE: this product may flake. I did not experience any flakes, except for the last day – and only a few at that. But as a precaution, since the flakes are dark, I would wear dark colors and protect my pillow case with a towel or cloth.

PLAN FOR GREASY HAIR BY THE 36^TH HOUR: Count 36 hours from the time your treatment will be applied in the salon and consider what you may have planned, i.e., an important work event or social engagement. I would avoid anything fancy or corporate/professional during the last 36 hours – or, the second half – of the 72 hour stretch. I scheduled my treatment the Friday before Memorial Day and I went out on Friday night and Saturday afternoon, but by Saturday night, my hair took a turn for the greasy! However, everyone has different hair - my hair tends to get greasy in 24 hours. If you work Monday through Friday, I’d suggest scheduling your treatment on a Thursday evening, as the first 36 hours (Thursday evening – Saturday afternoon) your hair will look and smell decent enough to go out – on Sunday, you can be a hermit or a hat head, and by Monday morning, you’ll be a pretty princess back at work!

HOUR 0 – 24

During the first 24 hours, my hair looked exactly like it did when I left the salon, even overnight. My hair was not greasy at the roots, as it normally would be after 24 hours. You may experience a very faint permanent solution smell – it’s very subtle – in fact, you don’t smell it if you smell your hair directly, but my husband and I could smell it around my head.

HOUR 24 – 36

My hair was still in the same style; however at the scalp, it looked like I rolled out of bed without a shower. Still, it wasn’t as offensive as it normally would be after not washing it for over 24 hours.  The permanent smell was still faint and had not gotten any worse.

HOUR 36 – 72

By the 36^th hour – forgive the expression – my hair jumped the shark. It looked greasy and plastered to my head, so I wore a loosely fitted cap that day – no worries – I did errands, went to a casual breakfast with some friends and organized my closet at home.

HOUR 72 – THE REVEAL!

On the third day, I rinsed out the product eagerly with a sodium free shampoo provided by Damien. I used minimal conditioner and dried my hair with a blow dryer. Within five minutes it looked incredible. Put simply: I didn’t recognize myself. My hair was silky, looked a couple inches longer, had swing and weight, and required 40 minutes LESS time to blow dry! It is hard to describe how happy I am with my hair without sounding Infomercial Crazy – but the claims of this product are absolutely true: the frizz in your hair will be completely eliminated; your hair will be silky and straight, but with some bend and flexibility; and the blow dry time is minimal. Although this treatment is a significant commitment money and time wise, the amount of frustration and time I have saved on a daily basis is worth the investment to me – I will definitely be doing this again.

Some tips after the treatment:

ALWAYS STICK WITH SODIUM FREE SHAMPOO: Damien will provide you with a sodium free shampoo to use, such as Euphora. Whether you use the shampoo Damien provides you, or you use an organic shampoo, you will want to use a product that does not contain sodium, as that will destroy the treatment. Ask Damien for more details.

AVOID USING TOO MUCH CONIDITIONER: If you used a leave-in conditioner or heavy conditioner before the treatment to eliminate frizz, you may find that using them now will leave your hair too flat. Essentially, after this treatment, your hair will feel like it has built-in conditioner, and most likely you will not need to use a lot of the products you were using before.

KEEP UP REGULAR HAIR CUTS: Straight hair cannot camouflage split ends or hair that has not been cut for a long time. Jagged ends will show up more prominently with this treatment, so you will want to keep up with your hair cuts!