in French, 'vis' akin to your house, your place
Chez vous : Main Outlet
391 Orchard Road, Ngee Ann City Podium,
#05-05, S238872
CHEZ VOUS : Hideaway
391B Orchard Road, Ngee Ann City Tower B,
#14-04, S238874
CHEZ VOUS : PRIVATE SPACE
391B Orchard Road, Ngee Ann City Tower B,
#08-01, S238874
Rebonding (a.k.a. Thermal Straightening) has been the go-to in-salon service for many women who wants maximum manageability and straighter-looking hair. With the advancement of technology, Thermal Straightening no longer needs to be stiff and stick-straight looking anymore. Here's everything you need to know about Soft Rebonding and Volume Rebonding.
Special Thanks to Associate Director of Chez Vous: HideAway, Oscar Lee and Deon Liow, for contributing to this article. They specialise in such procedures.
The honest answer is NO, despite what other hairstylists might tell you. The reason is that straighter and frizz-reduced hair will always look less voluminous than frizzy, curly and wavy hair texture. Read on to find out more.
Classic Rebonding aims to straighten the hair to the full extent - hence flatter. This results in completely straight and sometimes rigid-looking hair.
Note: Classic Rebonding is not suitable for shorter-length hairstyles such as Bob. Because, the ends will usually look stiff and "hard" - unless you're going for a blunt cut look.
Soft Rebonding aims to create "naturally" straight-looking hair with reduced stiffness by:
Note: Soft Rebonding might not work for incredibly thick, curly or wavy hair. As it lacks the straightening intensity required to smoothen such hair texture.
This type of Rebonding is similar to Soft Rebonding. But, this technique requires the hairstylists to bend (or curve) the hair when ironing and neutralizing. This is especially so at the crown and hair ends area.
In drier climates, this can create a slight "lift" at the crown. But, in humid climates like Singapore, it merely prevents the roots from overly "sticking" on the scalp (a.k.a不让根部太贴头皮). Now, do you understand why the term Volume Rebonding is pretty misleading in Singapore's context?
Another misconception customers have is that Volume Rebonding can create a J or C curl effect on hair ends. Yes and No. The J or C curl effect created solely via Volume Rebonding is temporal and short-lived. The main purpose of bending the hair ends into a C or J shape is to ensure that the hair ends doesn't look stiff or stick-straight. This is to create a more natural-looking finish. Customers who wish to sport C or J curls will have to combine both Volume Rebonding and Perm services together to achieve so.
It involves the application of targeted hair "goodness" into the hair during the procedure. This is to reduce the damage posed to our hair.
Including treatments throughout the thermal straightening process is common in most premium hair salons.
A type of salt and a reducing agent that helps break the Disulfide bonds in our hair. So that we can re-shape it during the thermal straightening procedure.
a.k.a. Thio-free lotions. Cysteamine also breaks down disulfide bonds in our hair without over-swelling the hair. Thus, it reduces the damage caused to it.
Cysteamine is used commonly in Soft Rebonding procedures.
Similar to Thioglycolic Acids, but this technology does not swell the hair - thus reducing damage posed to it. That said, this technology can break down hair bonds effectively during the straightening procedure for non-resistant hair (i.e. for non-coarse hair or hair that are not extremely curly).
It is the same technology used in Chez Vous' Anti-damage Soft Rebonding and Movement Perm service. GMT is by far the least damaging option, as of now.
An experienced hairstylist will usually customise these technologies depending on one's hair texture, condition and desired results. Thus, it is not surprising that they might use different brands of lotion in a single straightening service.
Alert: The future is bright for Thermal Straightening. Because rumours have it that zero bond-breaking lotions have been successfully formulated and will be launched in the upcoming year(s). Hello to minimal-damage straightening services!
Stick-straight hair created via conventional Thermal Straightening technique tends to lack movement and airiness. This can overly-frame the face, magnifying flaws and cause us to look stern. But, that's no longer the case with Soft Rebonding or Volume Rebonding techniques.
Unlike Keratin Treatment that requires heat daily to activate its smoothness, Soft or Volume Rebonding doesn't need heat to do so. Meaning, we can now wake up to manageable hair without the fuss of styling it. Say yeah to longer sleeping hours!
An important point to note: We need to change our homecare routine to maintain the appearance of healthy-looking hair post-Thermal Straightening.
A treatment masque will not only condition and detangle the hair. It will also strengthen it to reduce porosity hence combat dullness. And boost elasticity to lessen breakage.
Moisturizing our hair reduces friction. Always remember, friction causes irreversible damage to our cuticles, reducing the shine and increasing the appearance of split-ends.
Avoid leaving our hair damp for a prolonged period. When hair is wet, it swells and causes internal stress. This damages the cuticles and weakens the hair considerably in the long run.
Frizz-free and straight hair tends to look healthier. That's because smoother surface reflects light better - hence increased shine.
Our hair grows around 2 inches every 4 months, and these newly grown hair needs to be Rebonded to blend in with the hair ends.
Any chemical services, including Thermal Straightening, affects the hair's elasticity. Thus, there is a possibility that future perm services on Rebonded hair will turn out sub-optimal and uneven. Because elasticity is vital when it comes to curls formation. Tips: NEVER Ask for a Rebonding service that lasts for "very long". Because such procedures will impact hair's elasticity drastically as hair will need to be softened to the maximum level. It is recommended for your Volume Rebonding or Soft Rebonding service to last for 3 to 6 months. This way, chances of you perming it in future is higher.
Tips: NEVER Ask for a Rebonding service that lasts for "very long". Because such procedures will impact hair's elasticity drastically and is more prone to severe damage, as hair will need to be softened to the maximum level. It is recommended for your Volume Rebonding or Soft Rebonding service to last for 3 to 6 months. This way, chances of you perming it in future is higher (and safer).
Rebonding straightens hair "permanently" to a certain extent. The reason why Rebonded hair can sometimes be frizzy over time is due to the hair's natural ageing process. Or damage caused by other chemical services (and even the lack of care for it).
That said, doing roots to ends straightening service is not advisable to prevent accumulated damaged and breakage. Usually, Thermal Straightening the roots and running the lotion through the hair at the end of the processing will suffice.
However, there is a risk of insufficient straightening between the newly rebonded hair and previously rebonded hair. This might result in a "dent". But fret not, that's usually a quick fix or retouch.
At Chez Vous, we are for the idea of being conservative, followed by retouch if required. Because aggressive softening and processing of roots to ends may result in irreversible breakage.
Strengthening and moisturising your hair with masques regularly will better prep the hair for the service - creating better end results.
All chemical services will pose a certain degree of damage to the hair. Though, that has been greatly minimised with the advancements of technology and techniques - such as Chez Vous' Anti-damage Soft Rebonding.
Remember, Thermal Straightening is an (almost) permanent procedure.
Rebonding gives us the illusion that our hair is healthy, hence we tend to neglect them after the procedure. Moreover, many of us also have the misconception that we can Rebond our hair again if they start to turn frizzy, dry and damaged. But that's not true.
Remember, we should not perform a full-strength Rebonding service on previously Rebonded hair to prevent breakage.
In fact, Rebonded hair needs extra care to prolong its healthy-looking appearance:
Special Thanks to Associate Director of Chez Vous: HideAway, Oscar Lee and Deon Liow, for contributing to this article. They specialise in such procedures.
Have any more doubts with regards to Thermal Straightening, or any other hair or hairstyle related concerns? Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] or drop us a message via our Instagram and Facebook page. We are more than happy to assist you!
The all-new Chez Vous: HideAway Concept Store is designed by the multi-award-winning hair salon Chez Vous. As its second outlet, it sets to disrupt and revolutionize the way people think of a hair salon experience. This next-generation hairstyling space is part salon, part sanctuary and part-playhouse.
Aside from the comprehensive menu of hair services, guests can enjoy a whole host of value-added "spa"-like touches. Taking one's salon experience to a whole new level of luxury.
Guests will also be pleased to know that each associate director takes up to 5 appointments. Each 2-hour slot for chemical services, in a day. This is to ensure that we have ample time and optimal attention to work on each guest's hair.
The best part? It is highly affordable with our ultra-transparent tiered pricing. Bonus: There's even a "Strictly No Packages or Hard-selling" policy put in place.
*Additional top-up of $99 on top of the service bundles for Premium Services such as Keratin Treatment, 10-step Treatment Digital Perm or Rebonding, and Growth Factor Scalp Therapy
**Price applies for all hair length, subjected to 7% G.S.T.
Chez Vous: HideAway concept salon is conveniently hidden at 391B Orchard Road, Ngee Ann City Tower B, #14-04. To make a reservation, call 6219 3558, during opening hours. We hope to see you soon.