Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Salon Treatment

After reading about the new Paul Mitchell Awapuhi in Salon Keratin Treatment that fixes damage, I was curious to learn more. Via this website, I tracked down a salon in my area that was offering this service and booked an appointment. I was hoping that this treatment would help heal my goat hair* (by heal, I mean make it behave and feel smoother) and make the underside layers of my hair feel nicer and look nicer.


(Wonky ends shown above. My hair looks dry and not too shiny.)

I was also hoping against hope that it might make my wonky ends look nicer. They aren't split, they just like to look, well, wonky and dry and icky.

Shear Genius, outside of Baltimore, was the salon I visited for the treatment. Stephanie, the stylist, told me all about the treatment and what it would accomplish. She also agreed that my hair was in need of some TLC.

Apparently, for centuries, Hawaiians have used Awapuhi juice as a skin and hair treatment. Decades ago, Paul Mitchell and John Paul DeJoria bought land in Hawaii and began growing Awapuhi in a sustainable way (all awapuhi used in his products is grown and harvested here). The lipids are extracted from the root of the plant and used to make hair softer and more manageable with intense shine. This salon treatment also combines KeraTriplex, Paul Mitchell's signature keratin product. KeraTriplex™ is a blend of three proteins with targeted molecular weights that penetrate into the cortex, rebuild disrupted bonds and reinforce the cuticle.

So here is how the treatment went. We started by washing my hair with Moisturizing Lather Shampoo, followed by a quick Keratin Cream Rinse conditioning treatment. Then the KeraTriplex serum is applied and massaged into the hair. After a few moments, the Keratin Intensive Treatment is added to the hair and I then sat under a dryer for about 5 minutes.

Afterwards, my hair was rinsed and a Styling Treatment Oil was applied after my hair had been gently towel-dried.


(The same side of my hair the day after the treatment. Nice!)


The end result? My hair is incredibly soft. Like tv ad soft. I've had other keratin treatments and this one definitely made my hair softer than others I have tried. Stephanie and I encouraged everyone to feel my hair before I left the salon. It was pretty amazing stuff. The under-layers are much softer and slightly more manageable. My goat hair is improved slightly. But today is a harsh day to judge. We are getting up to 12 inches of rain in 70 degree weather. It's like a terrarium outside. This has not made much of an impact on my hair's ability to freak out completely in humidity.


(A close up of the same bit of hair shown above in the first picture, the day after the treatment.)


According to Paul Mitchell, this treatment should last for a few weeks and a take home kit is sold separately if you would like to keep the basic results going at home (the Awapuhi lipids shown in the ampule above are not included in the take home kit). You do get the Shampoo, Conditioning rinse, KeraTriplex treatment, Treatment Oil, Texturizing Sea Spray and Finishing Spray in larger than deluxe sample sizes for $40. The treatment itself is $25. I can definitely see doing this monthly to have hair this soft.


(Here is the same portion of my hair a little over a week later.)

Fast forward a little more than a week. My hair is still softer than usual and shinier than usual. I have been using the shampoo, conditioner, weekly treatment and oil (daily). My hair is behaving much better and still feels really nice. However, this treatment has next to no impact on frizz. It's been almost nothing but rain for the last 8 or 9 days. The initial softness I felt began to fade as soon as I did anything that might rough up the cuticle. Despite sleeping and styling my hair, my hair is still much softer and less damaged-looking then when I had started, which will make me want to continue using this product. Make no mistake, the initial softness fades, but my hair does not look as damaged as it did when I started the process. Not using the Paul Mitchell Shampoo and Conditioner also has an impact on the softness of your hair. I used another sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner and did not get the same results as I did with the Paul Mitchell. Any way you slice it, this treatment definitely made a difference in the appearance of my damaged hair and how soft it felt.


I paid for this myself. Paul Mitchell would never, ever test on animals.


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