Why does my smoothing fade in six weeks when they promised five months?

Short answer: usually one of four things: the product was too light for your hair, the water is hard, the shampoo is stripping it, or the promise was never realistic. The fix depends on which.

It’s one of the most common things people tell me, in Kensington as much as anywhere: “They said five months. It was gone in six weeks.” It’s not you, and it’s rarely bad luck.

The four usual reasons

1. The wrong strength for your hair. A one-size salon uses one product. On thick or curly hair a light smoothing↓DOWN will fade fast; it was never strong enough to hold.
2. Hard water. London’s water is hard. Minerals build a film on the hair, which roughens the surface and makes smoothing look like it’s fading faster than it is.
3. The shampoo. Strong, stripping shampoos shorten any smoothing. Ask what to use; it’s cheap to get right.
4. The promise. “Five months” on a menu often means “on the best hair, best case”. Nothing is 100%, and a good hairdresser gives you the realistic number.

Realistic numbers

• Straightment Semi↓DOWN: fades with no line; most of my clients come back after 1–4 months.
• Straightment Demi↓DOWN: about 60% of the curl out, no line to grow out; roots after 4–8 months.
• Straightment Permanent↓DOWN: 80%+ of the curl out, for good on the hair it treats. New growth comes in natural.

These are what I work to. I choose which one after I’ve seen your hair, so it’s strong enough to last and gentle enough not to hurt.

What to do next time

• Tell me what you had, and how long it really lasted. That tells me a lot.
• Clarify every couple of weeks to lift the minerals; ask me which clarifier is safe for your treatment.
• Don’t book the same thing again and hope. If it faded fast once, it will again.

Getting here

From High Street Kensington, the Circle or District line takes you one stop to Notting Hill Gate; change there for the Central line straight to Oxford Circus, a minute from Maddox Street. From South Kensington, the Piccadilly line runs to Green Park, then one stop on the Victoria line.

Straightment Demi↓DOWN → · Is keratin treatment safe? → · Online consultation →

For men

Sides that stick out, frizz, flat or thinning hair, grey gone wiry: most of it can be sorted, and nobody will know you’ve had it done. The men’s pages → · Coming in from nearby →