Curve Salon's Silkener Secret

[sengschick]

i've gotten my hair done at curve about three times. the first two times they did many sections and rinsed out each section before applying to the next section. the last time, she said she wanted to be a bit more aggressive with the silkener so i could have more defined curls and body. this time, she applied it all over my hair and kept it in about 12-15 mintues. my curls came out perfect--going from small springy curls to a little larger than straw-sized curls--almost like Cree Summer hair.

so1913 described the process perfectly--they move very fast. etc.

i asked miko about the chemicals they used and if it matters and why many stylists can't do texturizers. she said the application technique is more important than the product. she said many people just overprocess and can't match the demarcation line properly. i asked her if i should try it myself since i was watching her apply it, she said no especially since i've never applied a relaxer to my own hair before.

when i first went to the salon, my hair was fully natural. i had learned to enhance my own natural frizz and springs into defined curls throughout much of my hair. the annoying thing to achieving these defined curls was i had to wet my hair daily with lots of conditioners and random holding concotions. when i got to curve they asked me to look through some of their hair books and pick what types of curl sizes i was interested in. i picked a few ranges--smaller to larger. miko went through my hair and said that she wasn't sure if my hair would be able to curl like the larger curls. she also said that i might come out with more of a loose wave pattern. my hair is 4a/b and thick. it doesn't have a definite curl pattern and looks like little springs and z's throughout. once the silkener process was done, she was very pleased. the curls popped out of places that had previously just been frizz. she said that she felt confident next time that we could be more aggressive and get bigger curls the next time. so, with this long explanation, i think there really is something to their technique. this technique could include the use of protein or some other product that breaks down the relaxer. i also think they technique is more of a smoothing process rather than combing process. they have used a comb on me before, but they didn't pull it all the way through--it was almost like
a downward teasing method. but i really am convinced that there is something added to their relaxer. i wish we could figure out this technique absolutely.

Okay, this just brought me out of lurkdom, lol, b/c I'm can't believe Miko is acting like this is magic. IT'S NOT. Your hair pattern, my hair pattern, her hair pattern are all a bit different. If u see my texturized hair in photo there is no way she can promise to deliver that exact curl to you. The purpose of the book review is so that u don't select some crazy loose wave that she knows she won't be able to deliver. Promising a looser curl next go round means she is going to a) run relaxer back thru your length, which is NOT a healthy hair practice or b) she's know to use less protein or a milder protein in her mix.

As far as this magic in locating a demarcation line . She can see the top of your head... big deal, lol. Further she's going to be able to 'match' the curls b/c guess what? YOUR CURL PATTERN IS THE SAME!!!! (the protein is going to fill in the space in your curl chain the exact same way as all times before) And guess what else, SHE'S USING THE SAME RELAXER. Those two things can only yield in u leaving the salon w/matching tendrils. (I gotta give it to homie, b/c she's selling the heck out of her product.) I'd bet money that w/most mild lye relaxers 9 times out of 10, if you use the protein barrier method you're going to end up w/very similar results. I'm putting this theory to test soon b/c I'm switching relaxers and barrier method.


Alright, carry on, lol.


Oh yeah, I have ~3 different textures in my hair, but I don't bother worrying about. In my overall presentation the hair looks the same. It's the way I'm built, so I just deal, use more product, moisture, etc when I wash n' go in that area. If it were really extreme I'd add a heavier protein to that one area.

 

[LaNecia]

One of ya'll just needs to bust in there when they're mixing the relaxer or at the very least wear a wire with a camera and it on utube for all of us to analyze.

I can see it now...Insider Secrets from Curve Salon...featuring LHCF Members Undercover!

 

[so1913]

This is all great info. We're getting closer and closer to their secret. One of ya'll just needs to bust in there when they're mixing the relaxer or at the very least wear a wire with a camera and it on utube for all of us to analyze.

Hahahah, girl, they got that under wraps, literally! They pre-mix the "stuff" and store them in bowls wrapped in foil. When Miko sends the assistance to get a batch, they go into the back room and come out with a foil covered bowl with the "stuff", LOL. You don't see anything, no original containers, no mixing, nothing!

I'm assuming that it is some formulation of Affirm as suspected by many because they do use Affirm and Kera Care products in the salon.

 

[tallnomad]

yeah, it is Affirm. I specifically asked Miko if it was Affirm she used--I was scared to ask at first because everything is so secretive. She was very nice and forward, however, and said that it was Affirm Fiberguard.

 

[LaNecia]

Bump!!

 

[so1913]

Ok, so surprisingly, not to many people were getting silkeners this past Saturday, as the other two time I was in the salon, people were in and out of that chair like clock work. I did catch one lady getting her retouch and the process is pretty much as I detailed before. The only other observations I noticed was that she seemed to start in the middle of the head and work her way around, after she applied the cream through out the entire head using her fingers, she went through the entire head again moving quickly, using the end of the rat tail comb to part and the main part of the comb to apply cream to kind of "spot" treat the areas that may have been missed in the finger application process. AFTER this, she used a large tooth comb to go through and "work" it in with a few strokes of the comb (where you would use your hands maybe to smooth)

To me there seemed like A LOT of overlapping going on, didn't look too "safe" to me personally. But there you go. The person she was working on she rinsed out right after working it through.

 

[leleepop]

We need a person with a cosmetology licensed to go work there. A "mole" lol They need to get the info and not get converted into " one of them". Any takers

 

[DelightfulFlame]

We need a person with a cosmetology licensed to go work there. A "mole" lol They need to get the info and not get converted into " one of them". Any takers

LOL...not me. As long as this protein conditioner keeps doing the trick for me...I could give a darn what they use. (which I'm sure is some protein mixed in the relaxer anyhow.)

 

[leleepop]

LOL...not me. As long as this protein conditioner keeps doing the trick for me...I could give a darn what they use. (which I'm sure is some protein mixed in the relaxer anyhow.)

Yeah thats what Im gonna do also Sends and your hair are beautiful.

 

[CurleeDST]

Well ladies sounds like you all have your answer. Isn't this the mild version of the stuff?

yeah, it is Affirm. I specifically asked Miko if it was Affirm she used--I was scared to ask at first because everything is so secretive. She was very nice and forward, however, and said that it was Affirm Fiberguard.

 

[LaNecia]

so1913, thanks for following up! You're the bestest!

 

[CreoleBelle]

I would like to start texturizing my hair, but I'm not sure what to do exactly. If I used an actual texturizer instead of a relaxer, would I need to add a protein conditioner to my hair before I texturize? Or would it be better to texturize with a relaxer? How different are the texturized results from a texturizer and relaxer? Any recommendations on an inexpensive protein conditioner I can use to pre-treat my hair before a texturizer? Those of you who use texturizers, which brand do you use? Sorry for all the questions. TIA!

 

[DelightfulFlame]

in my experience...

texturizer = mild relaxer

for me, the protein conditioner ensures that I get consistent results...no straight pieces...or underprocessed pieces because it makes sure that my curls are maintained. That way I can process for the normal length of time.

I personally like the lye silk elements mild. When I used a texturizer kit (s-curl no lye), I came out very underprocessed and my hair was dry. I had to try to guess how many minutes to leave it on b/c I didn't want any straight pieces of hair (which is a possibility even with texturizer kits). Lye doesn't dry my hair out like no-lye does. Since I based my scalp with vaseline, I didn't have any burning. With the protein conditioner in my hair, I just processed like normal time recommended and smoothed with my fingers instead of a comb.

 

[asummertyme]

Ok..this is getting really good now...so it seems to me that Mild Affim relaxer with fiber guard along with a protien barrier is the trick....i so want to try this..

 

[Phoenix]

Did we ever decide definitively whether you mix the protein with the relaxer or put the protein on your hair and then apply the relaxer? If you apply protein to the hair, do you let it dry first or apply the relaxer immediately after?

 

[leleepop]

Did we ever decide definitively whether you mix the protein with the relaxer or put the protein on your hair and then apply the relaxer? If you apply protein to the hair, do you let it dry first or apply the relaxer immediately after?

You put the protein on like the night before and let it dry, also if you do it this way you dont have to put it in the relaxer. You can put a teaspoon or so of oil in your mix.

 

[Nightingale]

Does curve do that (protein before the relaxer)?

 

[kitchen_tician]

Okay, this just brought me out of lurkdom, lol, b/c I'm can't believe Miko is acting like this is magic. IT'S NOT. Your hair pattern, my hair pattern, her hair pattern are all a bit different. If u see my texturized hair in photo there is no way she can promise to deliver that exact curl to you. The purpose of the book review is so that u don't select some crazy loose wave that she knows she won't be able to deliver. Promising a looser curl next go round means she is going to a) run relaxer back thru your length, which is NOT a healthy hair practice or b) she's know to use less protein or a milder protein in her mix.

As far as this magic in locating a demarcation line . She can see the top of your head... big deal, lol. Further she's going to be able to 'match' the curls b/c guess what? YOUR CURL PATTERN IS THE SAME!!!! (the protein is going to fill in the space in your curl chain the exact same way as all times before) And guess what else, SHE'S USING THE SAME RELAXER. Those two things can only yield in u leaving the salon w/matching tendrils. (I gotta give it to homie, b/c she's selling the heck out of her product.) I'd bet money that w/most mild lye relaxers 9 times out of 10, if you use the protein barrier method you're going to end up w/very similar results. I'm putting this theory to test soon b/c I'm switching relaxers and barrier method.


Alright, carry on, lol.


Oh yeah, I have ~3 different textures in my hair, but I don't bother worrying about. In my overall presentation the hair looks the same. It's the way I'm built, so I just deal, use more product, moisture, etc when I wash n' go in that area. If it were really extreme I'd add a heavier protein to that one area.

Sengschick, Girl, Where have you been??? I know you just didn't pop in here like you haven't been M.I.A. This must be a good thread for you to post. I miss your posts. Don't go away.

 

[pinkowinko]

i don't know, ladies. i was just reading the miss jessie site and it states that the silkener takes between 5-9 minutes to process. however, the texturizer that the lhcf ladies have mastered requires the relaxer to be on for the full amount of time. so maybe this isn't the method that they use at the salon. hmmm.

 

[LaNecia]

i don't know, ladies. i was just reading the miss jessie site and it states that the silkener takes between 5-9 minutes to process. however, the texturizer that the lhcf ladies have mastered requires the relaxer to be on for the full amount of time. so maybe this isn't the method that they use at the salon. hmmm.

You know, I've been giving this some thought and perhaps the answer lies in the middle. The ladies at Curves have more curl left in their hair where as most of the ladies here who are using the protein to pretreat their hair are going for a straighter 'texlaxed' look more so than simply a looser curl pattern.

Well, with the exception of DelightfulFlame, I believe she's gotten curlier results still leaving it on for a longer period of time?

When Curves mentions that they do a more 'aggressive' silkening, does that relate to more smoothing, longer application time, more relaxer applied to the hair (the more that is applied, the faster/better it releases the texture) and/or less protein/conditioner/oil (if they use anything) in the relaxer to give it a higher relaxer to conditioner ratio (which would increase the relaxers 'strength' without going with a stronger relaxer (mild to regular to super)?

Any thoughts on this ladies?

 

[AmandaJoy77]

I've been reading this thread and I would LOVE to know. I've gone to curve for a silkner about 3 times now and just don't want to pay $300 for a touch up. Even writing that is embarrassing. My hair does look great for about a month, but after that it looks really dry and tangled so I end up running back to the salon. Ugh. Any more insight ladies?

 

[Jaelin]

My hair does look great for about a month, but after that it looks really dry and tangled so I end up running back to the salon.

Do you wear your hair out? In a wash and go?

I wonder because when I was tempted to texturize, I would look at the Curve gallery and see the styles, whcih involved hair being out and not in a protective style. I suspected, that it wouldn't work out for me because I am deathly afraid of wearing my hair out. I have never worn an afro or braidouts because I just feel as though the moisture will disappear and then it will be dry and breaking. I see members here with those styles but I still think it's not going to work for me, even though I'm much better at taking care of my hair.

 

[AtlantaJJ]

i've gotten my hair done at curve about three times. the first two times they did many sections and rinsed out each section before applying to the next section. the last time, she said she wanted to be a bit more aggressive with the silkener so i could have more defined curls and body. this time, she applied it all over my hair and kept it in about 12-15 mintues. my curls came out perfect--going from small springy curls to a little larger than straw-sized curls--almost like Cree Summer hair.

so1913 described the process perfectly--they move very fast. etc.

i asked miko about the chemicals they used and if it matters and why many stylists can't do texturizers. she said the application technique is more important than the product. she said many people just overprocess and can't match the demarcation line properly. i asked her if i should try it myself since i was watching her apply it, she said no especially since i've never applied a relaxer to my own hair before.

when i first went to the salon, my hair was fully natural. i had learned to enhance my own natural frizz and springs into defined curls throughout much of my hair. the annoying thing to achieving these defined curls was i had to wet my hair daily with lots of conditioners and random holding concotions. when i got to curve they asked me to look through some of their hair books and pick what types of curl sizes i was interested in. i picked a few ranges--smaller to larger. miko went through my hair and said that she wasn't sure if my hair would be able to curl like the larger curls. she also said that i might come out with more of a loose wave pattern. my hair is 4a/b and thick. it doesn't have a definite curl pattern and looks like little springs and z's throughout. once the silkener process was done, she was very pleased. the curls popped out of places that had previously just been frizz. she said that she felt confident next time that we could be more aggressive and get bigger curls the next time. so, with this long explanation, i think there really is something to their technique. this technique could include the use of protein or some other product that breaks down the relaxer. i also think they technique is more of a smoothing process rather than combing process. they have used a comb on me before, but they didn't pull it all the way through--it was almost like a downward teasing method. but i really am convinced that there is something added to their relaxer. i wish we could figure out this technique absolutely.

Has anyone asked if she would franchise her technique out to other black salons in the nation!!?? There is another thread going on about keeping our black hair care money in our communities, well if I could get my hair silkened correctly on a regular basis I would do it in a heart beat, and I would use Miss Jessies products. I think a lot of women would take that option. I showed Miss Jessie's before and after pictures to a couple of ladies here at work and the are about to purchase plane tickets. Miss Jessie can only do but so many heads in her salon. If she duplicated across the nation, she could be making mad bank. Sure we would have to be a "slave" to her method, but at least it's a black owned / originated method that would make my hair a breeze to care for. I am not talented enough to do this thing myself, I alread jacked my head up twice!

I'm thinking out loud, anyone else feel this way about it? Or better yet, are their any salons that's doing this sort of thing here?

 

[JLove74]

Has anyone asked if she would franchise her technique out to other black salons in the nation!!?? There is another thread going on about keeping our black hair care money in our communities, well if I could get my hair silkened correctly on a regular basis I would do it in a heart beat, and I would use Miss Jessies products. I think a lot of women would take that option. I showed Miss Jessie's before and after pictures to a couple of ladies here at work and the are about to purchase plane tickets. Miss Jessie can only do but so many heads in her salon. If she duplicated across the nation, she could be making mad bank. Sure we would have to be a "slave" to her method, but at least it's a black owned / originated method that would make my hair a breeze to care for. I am not talented enough to do this thing myself, I alread jacked my head up twice!

I'm thinking out loud, anyone else feel this way about it? Or better yet, are their any salons that's doing this sort of thing here?

I wouldn't franchise, they got the technique on LOCK. Kind of like Coca-Cola, they aint sharing the secret recipe.

 

[AtlantaJJ]

I've been reading this thread and I would LOVE to know. I've gone to curve for a silkner about 3 times now and just don't want to pay $300 for a touch up. Even writing that is embarrassing. My hair does look great for about a month, but after that it looks really dry and tangled so I end up running back to the salon. Ugh. Any more insight ladies?

What exactly are her prices?? Can someone post an appx price for a silkener and retouch? I know her products are high in price... I have 3 ladies going crazy over here!

 

[AtlantaJJ]

I wouldn't franchise, they got the technique on LOCK. Kind of like Coca-Cola, they aint sharing the secret recipe.

See that ain't right, she would make money teaching the technique and she would have more folks buying her products! She can only do so many heads in a year, when you have salons in DC, ATL, LA, Dallas, Chicago, etc...that's revenue that's coming in that you only have to do an action once to generate constant return....see we dont' think right...

 

[JLove74]

What exactly are her prices?? Can someone post an appx price for a silkener and retouch? I know her products are high in price... I have 3 ladies going crazy over here!

I've read somewhere prices start at like $300

 

[AtlantaJJ]

I've read somewhere prices start at like $300

I can just fly you down here and you can give me a phyto II I love their hair no fair!!!

 

[AtlantaJJ]

I've read somewhere prices start at like $300

BTW, that QP Mango butta is the bomb girl, my feathers are laying down today!!!

 

[LocksOfLuV]

Did we ever decide definitively whether you mix the protein with the relaxer or put the protein on your hair and then apply the relaxer? If you apply protein to the hair, do you let it dry first or apply the relaxer immediately after?

See this is the thing, some people are saying they are adding the conditioner to the hair while others are saying tha are adding to the relaxer.

Which way is everyone doing it? I am thinking of adding the protein to the relaxer. Will that effect the relaxer in any other way other than helping texlax the hair?