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Have you ever found yourself standing in front of the mirror, hairbrush in hand, wondering how your once-lustrous hair turned into a frizzy, unmanageable mane? 

The quest for sleek, healthy-looking hair often leads us down the rabbit hole of straightening perms and rebonding treatments. However, the aftermath is often a cycle of damage that leaves us yearning for a reset button.

As we age, our hair does too. This includes signs such as thinning strands, loss of volume and a dryness that no amount of conditioner seems to cure. Chemical processes (such as bleaching or regularly colouring greys) can also age hair faster. Add to that the relentless humidity of Singapore, a silent saboteur that worsens frizz. 

Kenta Nagatsuka, CEO of Hair Salon Michaela (previously Tokyo Michaela), noticed a trend among customers seeking solutions for long-term hair damage and frizz. 

The hair designer says: “Expensive keratin or cinderella treatments sometimes leave hair too flat or even coarser than before. It’s important to choose the right hair service for the customer and sometimes, treatments are not able to solve their concerns.” 

The Japanese-style boutique salon, known for their natural-looking signature perms and hair spa services, has developed a new Anti-Aging Straight Perm.

Inspired by the latest hair straightening methods and technologies in Japan, the perm is a meticulously crafted solution born from the salon’s own intensive research and development to tackle the unique challenges of ageing hair, particularly in Singapore’s unforgiving climate.

Kenta adds, “The Anti-Aging Straight Perm is created to break the cycle of damage, and fulfil our commitment of making our customers happy and beautiful.”

A gentler straight perm process

Kenta explains that traditional rebonding treatments can be harsh, altering your hair’s natural structure. “In a traditional rebonding process, a flat iron is typically used to ‘crush’ the shape of the hair strand. However, a straight perm is still able to maintain the hair’s structure,” he says. 

Plus, the harsh alkaline-based solutions in regular rebonding treatments can weaken the hair’s protein structure, leaving it dry, brittle, and more prone to breaking.

Over a period of three years, Hair Salon Michaela underwent a series of trials and errors to formulate a perm agent that uses an acid-based, non-alkaline agent. This makes it gentler on already damaged or ageing hair, reducing the risk of further damage.

The salon further employs a unique approach to heat application, ensuring that your hair is not subjected to excessive temperatures that could lead to damage.

For hair that remains soft and voluminous, not flat

Traditional rebonding often results in flat, lifeless hair. But the Anti-Aging Straight Perm is designed to maintain your hair’s natural volume. 

“Usually, only a flat iron is used, which presses the hair and adds too much heat, making it look flat and limp,” Kenta points out.

So, what’s the secret to ensuring that hair remains bouncy, soft and voluminous?

Hair Salon Michaela has innovated a “twin brush blow” technique where the heat from the hairdryer and traction from the clamp work in tandem to straighten the hair’s waviness without crushing it – thus minimising damage to your hair.

Then, a specialised brush iron is combed through the hair with just the right amount of heat to remove frizz and create a softer, glossier, and more natural-looking finish. 

“The duration of using heat on each section of your hair is much less than during a traditional rebonding treatment – five seconds instead of 10 seconds,” says Kenta, who adds that a wider section of hair is also used.

Watch this video to see how the Anti-Aging Straight Perm works: 

Shorter perm session with less maintenance needed

Compared to traditional rebonding sessions that can take anywhere from three-and-a-half to four hours, Kenta says the Anti-Aging Straight Perm takes two to two-and-a-half hours, with effects lasting around four to six months depending on your hair texture and style.

The Anti-Aging Straight Perm also allows for easy maintenance and styling, so you can look effortlessly chic every day. 

According to Kenta, customers who have undergone the Anti-Ageing Straight Perm appreciated the fast and efficient process, and noticed how easy it was to comb through their previously-damaged strands. One customer even said that now she only needs to go for a straight perm once every six or seven months, compared to a rebonding treatment once every four months. 

To extend the longevity of your perm, Kenta says: “Just using good shampoo and treatment products for permed hair, and going to the salon for maintenance after two months, is enough.”