Steam Bond: The New Rebond?

the steam bond process is a relatively new trend in the hair salon industry, and i imagine it will soon take to mainstream haircare as it promises much more good stuff than the traditional rebond. i got to try the procedure last week and to be honest i was surprised that i even said yes, since i made a vow never to subject my hair to any straightening procedure that will create those unnaturally ironed-out locks. i underwent rebonding back in its heyday and let’s just say looking through my photos from that time makes me feel a bit nauseated.

but i was offered this new straightening service that is supposedly healthier than rebond and can create a more natural straight, so i went for it. i’d been thinking about getting my hair straightened for months now anyway, so it was perfect timing.

steam bond is the innovation created by l’oreal professional in cooperation with rowenta, a leading manufacturer of irons, garment steamers, portable heaters and other similar things. it utilizes a nifty little gadget called steampod, the world’s first heat & high-pressure steam iron that treats the hair while smoothing, delivering a nourishing pro-keratin treatment into the hair fibers. it also prevents heat shock through its gradual and even delivery of heat, and afterward seals the ends for a flawless finish.

it’s pretty groundbreaking stuff, so i trooped to AZTA SALON in eastwood to try it out.

some bit of background on my hair: it is naturally straight (with perhaps the slightest hint of a wave), but some years ago i decided to get a perm and have been maintaining it since. it’s also quite thick and coarse, and because of regular hair coloring treatments — and not nearly enough TLC from me — it has become dry and rather depressing altogether.

it’s been over a year since my last digiperm but my hair is still pretty curly, especially when properly styled. it was the perfect test for the steam bond, methinks!

before the straightening process i got my roots retouched first, so i can fully appreciate my new hair afterwards. (i can’t believe i lived with those unsightly dark roots for weeks!) brownie points to azta for perfectly matching my existing color!

i read some magazines while i happily sipped on azta’s yummy milk tea, which i always get every time i’m at any of their salons. in fact azta is where i first tasted milk tea (maybe 5 or 6 years ago?) and thought it was the most heavenly drink ever created.

#GPOY. also got my brows dyed. i know it’s not the safest thing to do but i hate having eyebrows that don’t match my hair.

my hair was then rinsed with the x-tenso shampoo that’s part of the steam bond haircare arsenal they had laid out.

the team then applied the x-tenso straightening cream all over my wet hair and left it to work its magic for 15 minutes. note: the straightening cream has a very distinct smell that may be a bit overwhelming for some. i think it’s completely bearable, but it might be because i am used to hair products that overpower the senses. haha.

after a thorough rinse later, my hair was sprayed with protective product to help prevent dryness and damage. it was then blowdried to perfection.

then it was time for straightening (woohoo!). they took out the special steam bond irons, which were plugged into the steampods, aka containers in which the formula for the nourishing steam was mixed.

my whole head took about 50 minutes to iron. i do have thick, long locks so other people might take longer or shorter to complete, depending on thickness and length. i also had my bangs blowdried and not ironed, since i didn’t want it to have the same super straight look (i had my bangs ironed that one time i got a rebond years ago. looking back, it was probably the deal breaker).

the steam from the irons was incredibly hard to capture on camera but thankfully i have the photo above, which gives you an idea of what the steam looks like. it did feel warm around my head during the procedure, but nothing terribly uncomfortable or off-putting.

a neutralizer was then applied to my hair, to stabilize it and hold the straight. after 10 minutes of soaking it was rinsed with water.

then came the x-tenso treatment, which was combed through my hair to help keep it nourished. another 10 minutes later and a quick rinse after, they applied some l’oreal mythic oil on my damp hair. one final blowdry and my shiny, soft tresses emerged from the hot mess i came in with.

total time for the process? a little over 4 hours. but keep in mind i also got a dye job at the onset, so it’s not so bad!

et voilà! my new straight hair. i know it still looks quite flat and distinctly ironed-out post steambond, but truthfully it’s SO much better than the regular rebonded look. i’ve shampooed it a couple of times since and only let it air-dry (thank you electric fan!), so it’s much fuller now and more natural-looking. the ends look more straightened than the rest of my mane but hopefully in the next few weeks everything will calm down and i will be left with something resembling my natural hair.

big big thanks to the azta tandem of rayban and janice, who patiently and carefully took care of my locks, as well as stylist jojie who oversaw the whole process. i’m super happy with the results and excited to be a straighthead (eh?) once again.

for detailed prices of azta’s STEAMBOND please refer to the menu below. they also offer CHROMABOND, which incorporates some color shine (think cellophane) and the prices are listed as well.

would YOU go for the steam bond? (: