Breaking down the Brazilian Blowout

In the salon I offer a service called, Brazilian Blowout, this service is a hair smoothing treatment that can smooth the hair up to three months. This is not a relaxing service where the hair will be completely straight for months, it relaxes the wave, frizz, or curl and smooths it out so the hair is easier to maintain and style.

I was first introduced to this service roughly eight years ago, it blew the market up! Everyone who had textured hair wanted to have this service, the results were instant and remarkable, it was changing hairstyling was we knew it. Brazilian Blowout was on the market for a while before the stories started showing up, they stated that this service was toxic, contained formaldehyde, and was dangerous. It was a, “I knew it was to good to be true” moment.

This week I will go into the Brazilian Blowout, the myths, the facts, and the stories.

Like I said, I was introduced to the Brazilian Blowout in 2010, it increased my clientele and I began making more money by offering this service, but once the rumors came out about the dangers of it people started getting it less and less. The rumors stated that the Brazilian Blowout product contains formaldehyde. The FDA started an investigation on the company and the company worked well with them to investigate all dangers of this product. After a long, grueling investigation they did not find any traces in the product itself, however they did find traces once it was applied to the hair and blown into the hair. If too much product was applied into the hair and once the stylist started blow drying the product into the hair it would create a ‘smoke’ effect, that smoke was a form of formaldehyde gas. If breathed in it could cause irritation in the lungs.

Since the Brazilian Blowout company began they have been very transparent that the hairstylist should only us a little of their product onto the hair, you do not want to create this ‘smoke’ effect. However, it is sad and unfortunate that there are hairstylists in the world who would get a hold of this product and use it without any formal training, this is where and how the rumors began. Hairstylist not using the product in the proper way. The FDA has not issued a statement saying that this product is safe, but they have issued warnings to the company stating that they need to properly label and take action to educate the salon market of the effect that this product can have if misused. Since the FDA stepped in, Brazilian Blowout has been more than transparent about the danger this product can have if misused, they have also taken action that a stylist can only purchase the system if they have taken their class on how to use the product.

I offer this service to my clients because I’m educated and aware on how to use this product, but I also inform my clients and educate them on the company’s history, this way the client can make an informed decision if they feel like this is the best service for them.

It’s unfortunate to say but there are so many more dangerous beauty services that can be done besides the Brazilian Blowout. Chemical relaxers that are used on people with extremely curly hair are incredibly harsh and can cause chemical burns on the scalp, I’ve seen bleach burns on the scalp where a person has burned their scalp and face when trying to lighten their hair. I’ve seen hair extensions that have been in the hair to long or put in improperly and create permanent hair loose and bald patches on the head. Not to mention all the things that people inject into their face to make them appear more young or youthful, Botox, fillers, and so on. The point is, most beauty products out there can cause harm if misused.

When trying to change something about our appearance it comes at a price, not just financially, but a price of our health, our body, our time, or our emotions. In the movie, Death Becomes Her, Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn give up their own mortality to remain young forever, that’s an extreme case of what we sacrifice to remain youthful looking, but is the cost of these dangerous chemicals and our safety really worth it? Wouldn’t it be easier, safer, and cheaper to accept what we have, to accept that we age, and to embrace who we are and love the skin and hair we are in? To understand that impermanence is the only constant in this world.

I am so bad for my own business, because I encourage everyone to love the hair and body they have and to accept and love the person they are, because in the end our body is just a body, the person in that body is what should be focused on, loved, and taken care of.

To bring this in full circle, if a person really wants a Brazilian Blowout, make sure they see a hairstylist certified and educated on the products. You can visit Brazlianblowout.com and find a salon near you that is certified, but I encourage you to love your curly or wavy hair and to love who you are, because there is no one in this world quite like you!
 
DJH