Extra TLC for your Tresses

My über-long hair was already down to my butt (see pic here) when I had it cut last November ’09. Chopped off or lopped off, more like. Half was taken away, leaving me with tresses just a little past my shoulder blades. I was in shock, I tell you. In fact I still shudder at that awful memory–the snipping of the scissor blades as chunks of my long and much-beloved hair fell to the salon floor. Oh, the agony.

Though the reason for that drastic change was mostly emotional (letting go and all that), it was also partly due to practicality. As much as I love being Rapunzel, it ain’t easy keeping all that hair all shiny and healthy. The ends were already a bit dry and frizzy and basta-na-tao that I am, I was too apathetic to remedy the condition of my tresses. I was contented with just shampoo and the occasional conditioner (which did nothing for my hair anyway).

Ever since I started browsing the GT forums, it seems my long-dormant (like, since birth?) kikay self has been awakened. And with it, my fascination for products which cater to my skin and hair care needs.

Like I said, my hair has a tendency to be dry so I looked for products which could help alleviate the dryness and give my hair a healthy sheen. I was using L’Oreal Elseve Re-Nutrition Caring Shampoo then. It was already a big help in reviving my locks, but then I still wanted more. Haha.

Another product that caught my eyes while slogging through the threads was the pink (yes, PINK!) Opal One Minute Treatment.

A lot of girls were raving about it being really good so when I chanced upon it in Watson’s, I decided to see if their claims were true and grabbed a tube for myself. That it was rather easy to use (just like a regular conditioner) and that I only need to use it twice a week clinched the deal for me. Addict that I am, I couldn’t even wait for morning and tried it out that very night.

Now, my hair is not really the walis-tambo kind of dry or chemically damaged enough to warrant a deep repairing treatment. But I still chose the (pink) Deep Repairing variant over the (orange) Daily Nourishing one because I figured a little extra lovin’ wouldn’t hurt my tresses anyway. Haha.

Anywho. The tube contained a white cream with small, dark red beads. Its consistency is pretty much like that of regular conditioners (think Cream Silk). Felt pretty much the same when used too. The smell is okay, although not really to my liking.

I do not blow-dry nor even comb my hair in any way whatsoever, so the most styling it gets is when I run my hands through it (which I do a lot, more a mannerism than anything though). And I must say my hair indeed felt smoother after using it. The strands felt slick while still wet and I had to check several times if there were still any left on my hair (there were none) because it was that slick. When it finally dried, it still felt real smooth.

Here’s a pic of my hair the day after (I shampooed with Herbal Essences hello hydration shampoo though):

I just used my camera phone so the shot is a bit blurry, but still you can see the shiny highlights even on the part on my shoulders.

I decided to use this instead of a regular conditioner during our company outing. I figured swimming in chlorine-infested pool waters under the hot sun counted as chemical damage. So if I use the treatment right after swimming, I’ll be doing minimal damage to my tresses, right?

So what happened to my hair after the swimming and the treatment? Nothing. Which is actually a good thing. It did not dry out or look damaged or show any evidence of being soaked for a good hour or two in the chlorine under the hot sun. Only my skin bore evidence of that mid-afternoon swim (ouch!) but that’s another matter altogether.

All in all, I am loving this product. Will definitely repurchase after trying out another hair treatment (wouldn’t want my hair to get immune to any hair product I love, that’s why). It’s affordable and effective, so what else would I need?

Oh, and yeah. Now I have no fear of growing out my hair again because I know this would help keep my tresses healthy. ♥