Tress therapy

Getting her hair washed, treated, trimmed and coloured is the ultimate relaxation for Lili Lajman

PEOPLE always talk about the power of retail therapy or spa treatment in regaining zest for life when you’re down in the dumps. While I do not discount this (having indulged in both when I needed a bit of cheering up myself), I believe there is also another pursuit of self-pampering that can brighten up one’s day — getting your hair attended to.

Be it for a wash, cut, new style or the latest colour, this form of “me time” can be therapeutic too. Having your locks washed, your scalp massaged as well as your temples and neck rubbed, isn’t this pure bliss?

Throw in a different hair style or colour, and you leave the salon with a brand new appearance, improving your overall look and feel immediately. Shawn Loong, the man behind Shawn Cutler.

BAD HAIR DAY FOR MONTHS

But somehow, unlike shopping and spa, having something done to our tresses just does not make it to the top list of antidotes for emotional distress.

The main reason I could think of is the possible bad experiences that one might probably encounter. You know, like ending up with an unattractive cut or an unflattering style which unfortunately leaves you with a bad hair day for months.

Not to mention the harmful effects of the strong chemicals used on The writer fell in love with the silky soft finish of her coloured hair instantaneously.

the hair which can cause the strands to be weaker and thinner after each colouring process. There is nothing like the feel of coarse, dry and brittle mop of hair to put one off.

Concerned with their mane’s well-being, some people even swear off changing the tone of their hair to a lighter tint or other vivid hues simply because of the damage that comes with bleaching and colouring.

But this changes now.

THAT PEACE OF MIND, FINALLY

With L’Oréal Professionnel’s new SmartBond, one can finally have some peace of mind when feeling adventurous with hair colour. Working in synergy with L’Oréal Professionnel bleach and colour products, SmartBond, the hair bond strengthening system that changes the whole colouring experience.

this hair bond strengthening system offers targeted action to prevent hair breakage, maintain healthy hair texture and make coloured hair softer.

The combination of SmartBond and any L’Oréal Professionnel Hair Colour Chemical service safeguards hair from being damaged. It not only protects and strengthens hair bonds, it also cleans the hair fibre from bad ions left by components like persulfates, thereby allowing weak bonds to be reconstructed and restored.

GET SMART

L’Oréall recently organised a special promotional offer for Malaysians to try out the SmartBond experience at participating salons. Not surprisingly, the response was overwhelming.

I had the privilege of having my SmartBond hair makeover in the deft hands of Shawn Loong, the owner of Shawn Cutler hair salon and L’Oréal’s ambassador stylist.

Loong liked the texture of my hair so we agreed to colour it without any bleaching process this time around. The renowned stylist, who just returned from a trip abroad, was all cheerful and friendly as he attended to my tresses at his salon in Bangsar.

The SmartBond system comprised two steps. As the first step, the additive was added into the colour mix and applied onto my hair and then left for awhile. After the colour rinse-off, the pre-shampoo was rubbed into my hair to help rinse off all chemical residue.

The whole process was carried out in such a warm, efficient manner that the two books I had brought with me never got read, thanks to the skillful and attentive stylist and his team.

THE VERDICT

I have had my hair coloured on many occasions. However, this was the first time I actually spent more time marvelling at the feel of my crowning glory than appreciating its new shade. No doubt the colour was beautiful and lustrous. But my hair was so soft to the touch that I could not stop gushing about it to Loong.

SmartBond took my breath away. Even after the first wash at home (and the second and third wash too), the hair texture remained silky smooth. To be honest, it almost felt like my hair had not undergone a colour chemical service at all.

So, if you are in need of some de-stressing or a different style or just want to get those grey hairs covered, go fix that SmartBond appointment with your hairstylist and indulge in the new look that you’d always wanted.

You can let your hair down (literally) and experiment with the hottest colour trends that you just happen to catch a glimpse of on Instagram. Be it blonde, pastel or even silver, you can now switch from one tone to the next as frequently as you like, without worries.

Sporting this new shade of locks with a luxurious soft finish has given me a delightful spring in my step. A definite mood booster.

Now, if that isn’t therapeutic, I don’t know what is.