I’ve done some scary things in the name of work: I’ve been catapulted high in the air in a tin can off the deck of an aircraft carrier, I’ve taken a helicopter ride far too close to the waters edge for comfort and I’ve taken the wheel to drive across gaping voids, up and down 80 degree slopes in rough terrain, onto a giant see-saw through water and across parallel bars in a baby tank — but nothing has set my legs-a-trembling as much as my latest challenge. A trip to the hairdressers.

“What’s the big deal?” you might ask. We all have to go to the hairdressers every six months or so right? Wrong! You see although I curse it everyday of my life, I was lucky enough to be blessed with an insane amount of viciously curly hair. It’s in no way unique but it has had its show-stopping moments and despite having had to live with the problems that come with trying to take care of a mane like mine, the thought of no longer having it sends shiver shooting up and down my spine.
Cutting it two years ago was a seriously traumatic experience for me and if I’m being honest I’ve never felt truly feminine since. Couple that with the fact that I have NEVER walked out of a hairdressers without looking like a poodle as never once in my 32 years have I been able to find a hairdresser who understands the complexities of not brushing curly hair through with a fine tooth comb. Put it all together and you have yourself a bonafide metathesiophobe or to put it in English we can all understand — a person who has a phobia of hairdressers. My mission this week?... An extreme hair makeover. Oh joy!
After what felt like a lifetime of panic and hypertension but was in reality only a couple of days, the moment had come. I was losing my luscious locks and having it straightened and when it came to deciding my salon of choice there was only one place I was going to entrust the job to — Stephen Grant’s Hair Studio at the Delmon Hotel.
I have to admit that I had my doubts that this was going to work. I couldn’t believe there was a product that could actually turn my hair straight, but as the pictures will attest, I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was convinced that even if it worked I was going to hate my new look. Wrong again. I’m impressed.
It’s a completely different look and it’s taking me a little while to get used to but so far everyone loves it and I’m in no hurry for the usual frizz to return!

The process
Trying to straighten hair like mine is no easy process but here’s how it’s done...
● Hair is washed with L’Oreal Optimiser shapoo
● L’Oreal Cera-Thermic Relaxer is then applied and combed through the hair continuously for up to 20 minutes.
● The hair is then rinsed
● The hair is then rough dried and straightening irons are used to smooth the hair shaft. The hair is still in the straightening stage.
● The final stage is the re-bonding process in which the Oxidiser or Neutraliser is applied. This is the most important stage of the process as the hydrogen bonds of the hair are fixed and re-bonded in the straightened position
● The L’Oreal Cera-Thermic Re-bonding technique on the market today and is the gentlest straightening process for ultra smooth results. Just one look at the end picture can attest to that.