fighting the frizzies with a brazil blowout

Brazil's best-known beauty exports are the barely there bikini, the completely bare bikini wax and supermodel Giselle Bündchen.

The latest trend to come out of the South American country involves no nudity and will appeal to victims of the most common fashion dilemma: The bad hair day.

Better yet, it's already available in Victoria -- not always the first stop for the cutting-edge.

The Brazilian Blowout is a hair-smoothing treatment developed by Mauricio Ribeiro, a stylist from Sao Paolo who works and teaches in West Hollywood. The results are frizz-free, relaxed waves or straight hair that requires minimal styling for up to 12 weeks.

Sasha Hair Studio on Quadra Street is the first salon in Victoria, and one of a few in B.C., to offer the treatment.

Owner Kim Strong and stylist Miranda Scott decided to try it out after reading about the treatment in magazines and on gossip blogs.

"Nicole Richie blogged about it on her site and raved about the results," said Strong, as Scott began to demonstrate the Brazilian Blowout treatment on Strong's hair. Stars such as Lindsay Lohan and Rachel Griffiths are also devotees.

"It's kind of the buzz hair trend right now."

Strong is trying out a new formula of the blowout, one that takes less time and hassle to set and is formaldehyde-free. "We tried a different kind but it had a pungent smell that never really went away," Strong said. It also took 48 hours to set. "This one is odourless, easy and works even better."

Scott painted the Brazilian Blowout paste into Strong's hair -- naturally wavy and "over-processed."

"After a clarifying shampoo we apply the product, basically a protein formula that fills in the porous surface of the hair," Scott said. A blow dry and flat-iron straightening seals the treatment.

"We've been doing it for a few months entirely by word-of-mouth. Someone gets it done and generally sends a friend in," she said. The Brazilian Blowout costs $200 to $250, depending on hair length and thickness.

Taming frizzy, curly and unruly hair has inspired countless products and fads in the multi-billion-dollar beauty market. In the 1950s, scalp-burning lye was used to relax tight curls -- inspiring the 'do worn by African-American men known as a "conk." In the 1970s, beatniks -- my mom included -- ironed their hair.

More recent common trends include the Japanese Yuko method -- which gets the hair dead straight by thermal processing. The downside is it takes about three hours, costs $600 to $800, and does not affect new hair growth, leaving curly roots and straight ends.

When it comes to frizz-control goop, I've tried everything from hemp pomades and placenta conditioners to pricey name-brand serums and homemade remedies.

(Personal tips: Pure aloe vera is my go-to gel; olive oil is great for shine; and the mayonnaise in your hair overnight -- it works.)

The most popular hair taming trend right now, albeit the most temporary, is the blowout, in which tresses are blow-dried straight or into loose curls with a round brush and dryer. Unlike the Brazilian Blowout, it doesn't require chemical treatment. The technique gives that tousled red-carpet starlet look à la Blake Lively and Beyoncé.

The catch is, it's almost impossible to do yourself, especially if you have long hair.

Victoria native Val Litwin, 32, capitalized on the blowout trend with business partners Judy and Devon Brooks when they opened Canada's first blow-dry bar Blo, in Yaletown in 2007.

"They [the Brooks] were saying, 'Why can't we get a blowout at a reasonable price at the drop of a hat,' " said Litwin from Vancouver. "I definitely saw the business opportunity there."

He said Blo was busy the moment they opened the doors. They now have three Vancouver locations, four in Toronto and others on the way in San Francisco, New York and Calgary. "Everyone wants a good hair day, whether it's for a special occasion ... or just everyday maintenance," said Litwin, son of Times Colonist Life and Arts writer Grania Litwin.

Blo offers a shampoo and one of seven blow-dry styles for $31 in 30 minutes. They also do up-dos and extensions but no cuts and colours.

"Some of our best clients say they don't even wash their hair anymore," he said.

As for a Victoria Blo location, Litwin said there would have to be the density and demand, "But I'd love to see it happen."

By Sarah Petrescu, Times Colonist, January 19, 2010

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