A lesser-known hair trend that has been doing the rounds in all the important social circles, hair botox is the treatment you need to try for shiny, sleek and healthy hair. Before you ask–no, the deep conditioning treatment doesn’t involve needles like the skin equivalent or the ingredients such as botulinum toxin and chemical formaldehyde.

Instead, the treatment, which originates from Brazil, uses non-chemical concentrates such as vitamin B5, vitamin E, collagen complex, antioxidants and caviar oil to nourish hair intensely. It also helps to fight against free radicals and combats brittle, dry and broken fibres, essentially sealing and softening the hair cuticle. A hair treatment for all, this is everything you need to consider before booking in for a dose of hair botox…

“Like your favourite facial filler, hair botox ‘fills’ any gaps or breakage in your hair fibres and seals split ends, leaving it soft, healthy, smooth, and strong,” explains Inach Emir from Inanch Hair Salon. And who wouldn’t want shiny, healthy, low-maintenance tresses from root to tip? “It enhances condition and shine, reduces frizz and provides lasting effects for up to 12 weeks!” 

Hair botox is popular because it can be used to treat all hair types, including natural, afro-textured hair and bleached hair. Consider it a conditioning treatment that’ll transform tresses if you struggle to style and maintain thick and frizzy strands, find your hair dull or lifeless or if you are worried about using harsh chemicals or losing body and volume. Martin Palmer, Salon Manager at Nicky Clarke Birmingham, UK, explains: “The hair is cleansed with a clarifying shampoo to help remove any excess build-up and allow the botox treatment to penetrate the hair shaft effectively. Then, once the majority of the moisture is dried off, the hair botox treatment is applied section by section and massaged into the hair cuticle. Left for an hour, the treatment is rinsed out and hair is blow-dried and straightened.” 

Palmer explains that the treatment can last between three to six months. “There is no set time that you need to have it redone as the botox treatment will wear off gradually,” he says. “But the more you have it done, the longer it lasts.” In between treatments, stylists recommend using a sulphate-free shampoo so as not to strip away the treatment. If your scalp becomes itchy and irritated, introducing a clarifying shampoo once a week or every fortnight to help remove the product and sebum build-up that can gather on the scalp over time will do you a world of good. 

There are so many benefits to this gentle but effective treatment. “It’s perfect for finer hair as, unlike some smoothing services, it maintains volume and won’t leave hair flat–just healthy, glossy and full of life. It will not straighten the hair but make it easier to manage curls and waves,” Emir shares. In the same breath, it helps to repair the hair, enhances shine, encourages re-growth and protects from the effects of humidity by creating a protective veil around the hair follicles.

While there are many benefits, there are a few things to consider before booking the treatment. Those being: 

• The time it takes for the whole treatment (around three hours) depending on how thick and long your hair is
• It can lighten colour-processed hair, so applying a toner post-treatment is recommended
• It should only be done by a qualified stylist

Healthy strands for the win.