Sarah Jossel Article
“Darling, call me urgently!”
“I’m in a meeting — all OK, Mum?”
“I’m in Venice. You’ve never felt heat like this in your life…” Oh gosh, is she dehydrated? Does she need help? “…and you should see my fringe. Not an ounce of frizz!”
Dear readers, in my mum’s defence this is as big as news gets. You see, growing up there was always “my mum” and “my mum’s fringe”. We all used to watch from the sidelines as she would step outside at dinners, weddings, alfresco lunches and her fringe would dramatically rise, crinkle and … poof! Explode into a frazzled ball of fluff in seconds.
Fringegate has haunted her for as long as I can remember. Sometimes it is quite funny. When it came to choosing my wedding venue I’d get feedback like, “It’s quite far from where everyone is staying,” “The older guests will struggle,” and, “Not good for the fringe, Sarah!” Other times less so. My mum had breast cancer in 2002 and her hair grew back even curlier after chemo — they call them chemo curls for a reason.
So what has happened? How did my mum rid herself of the frizz-fest fringe? Enter a treatment known as “hair botox”. Hair what? Botox?! Wait. Does it freeze the hair like Botox? Is it anti-ageing? The hairdresser Ondine Cowley, who is using the treatment on up to ten people a week at the central London salon Gielly Green, says: “Just as Botox can smooth out lines on a forehead, this smooths out the hair. The hyaluronic acid, pracaxi seed oil and karite, or shea, butter conditions and brings hair back to what it felt like in your twenties.” Sounds good to me, but to be clear, is there any Botulinum toxin in the treatment? “No, no,” Cowley says. “No needles involved. It’s just in the name because it has smoothing properties.”
As I learn more about this hair botox malarkey my first thought is that it sounds a lot like my beloved keratin blow-dry, which I have relied on for years for tackling frizz. “The main difference is that this is formaldehyde-free,” Cowley says. It’s worth pointing out that small amounts of formaldehyde are legal in beauty products in the UK (it’s an ingredient commonly found in nail polish, for example), but I know some people prefer to steer clear of the chemical, so this will be a key change for them.
The application is slightly different too. Anyone who has had a keratin blow-dry will know that you have to leave it in for three days, whereas with hair botox “you apply it to dry hair, leave it on for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how straight you want your hair to be and how thick your hair is. Then you rinse with water and blow-dry,” Cowley says. “The improvement is instant. You’ll feel your hair change after one treatment.”
It has been a lifesaver for my mum’s fringe specifically, but it has other skills too. “It’s brilliant for women who have left their hair grey but aren’t happy with the coarser texture,” Cowley says. “This process brings it back to its youthful state.” And she swears by it for those who want to improve manageability rather than making it dead straight. “It’s for those who want body but always want that ‘step out of the shower and go’ effect.”
I remember the message I received from my mum when I booked her fringe in for a straightening treatment about a year ago. “It’s too flat! I need something that keeps the volume but takes away the frizz. Help me, darling!” Success — we’ve finally found her happy fringe place.
Three things to know about hair botox
● Hair botox is slowly rolling out across the UK. Currently the three best salons are Nicky Clarke in Birmingham, Gielly Green, London W1, and in Sixty8 atelier londo. London. “You need to go to someone reputable,” says Sam Salha, founder of Sixty8 hair atelier London.
● A good indicator is price. For a full head you’re looking at about £175, but if you’re in my mum’s camp and only want your fringe smoothed out, that will cost about £45.
● It should last for at least three months, and at-home upkeep is minimal but specific. “You must use sulphate-free shampoo,” Salha says. A few pro-favourite brands: Pureology, Alterna and Kevin Murphy.