Have straight hair everyday!

People always say they love my hair – hairdressers love the thick, glossy waves and friends are always amazed how dramatic it can look for a night out when I backcomb it and go a bit retro...

Yuko hair straightening ...but I'm a hostage to humidity. In certain climates my shiny waves become frizzy and I end up with a halo of fluffy hair. I get tired of having to wear it up all the time to hide the fact that it looks unruly. I can't go near it with a hairbrush unless I want to look like a throwback from a bad 1970s disco poster, so it's difficult to look properly groomed.

I dread weekday mornings if I have to wash my hair, as time is spent applying a leave-in conditioner, anti-frizz serum and curl-control product. Sometimes the result is as desired – a mane of luscious, shiny locks that make me feel fantastic… but this is rare. Usually I leave the house looking as though I have nylon carpet and plastic shoes at home (for the record, I don't!).

With permanently straight hair you can literally wash it and go, with no need to blow-dry

Because of time limitations and because I don't want to dry out my hair, I very seldom blow-dry it – preferring instead to stand on a tube platform and let a blast of warm Central Line air zap any remaining moisture. Of course this often adds to the halo-of-hair effect, and I arrive at the office always looking slightly dishevelled.

I've owned a set of GHD straighteners for more than two years, but they've only been used a handful of times – I just don't have the patience to do it as I have so much hair! It can take me 25 minutes to get it looking passable and there's usually a kink at the back that I've missed.

Recently I started looking into permanent hair straightening and suddenly it was like a whole secret society was being discussed. One friend I mentioned it to admitted that she'd had it done a couple of years ago and that it was fantastic while it lasted, but she had to let it grow out due to the cost… another told me how a male friend of hers had it done so he could do the latest 'hip' hair-dos – and everyone I talked to whispered about 'that Japanese system of hair straightening'.

It turns out that this esteemed and talked-about method is the Yuko System – started in Japan 18 years ago by Yuko Yamashita, who's the head beautician at a salon in Kyoto. The system came to the UK six years ago and half of all salons in London now have a trained Yuko specialist on hand. The waiting list at the Yuko flagship salon in Mayfair used be six months, but this is down to under two months for a Saturday, or a fortnight if you can take a day off work during the week, as fans can get their hair straightened at so many other salons now.

So who can get their hair straightened?
Well, pretty much anyone - nearly a third of the clients at the Yuko salon are men. The system doesn't work on Afro hair unfortunately, though women with very tight curls can have it done, but would need two treatments. You can't have it done on bleached hair either, as the chemicals would overload the hair and damage it.

Pregnant clients are advised not to have the process as it involves chemicals, but plenty of pregnant women still get their hair
straightened after signing a disclaimer.

Before and after

How long does it last?
Anything from three months to nine months, depending on your rate of regrowth and the strength of your curl. Postscript: Mine lasted for a whopping 12 months before I decided it was time to get it done again, the full wave never came back but as you can see from the before/after photo below it was looking a little untidy.

How much does it cost?
If you're a regular customer and you have short hair, prices start at £180 – but my hair and length (thick, below shoulder) would cost £320 because it takes so much more time to treat and iron straight. Salons have different rates, so it's worth checking prices locally. Once your straight hair has grown out it costs the same amount again to have the re-growth treated, so obviously it's not the cheapest option. But if you currently spend 10 minutes a day styling your hair, that's 35 hours over seven months that you could spend doing something else!

Why get it done?
With permanently straight hair you can literally wash it and go – you don't need to blow-dry it because (depending on your hair) it will air dry completely straight or, at worst, with a very subtle wave. A great time-saver for anyone with kids, or whose mornings are always fraught. The new hair trend for autumn is for mega-groomed hair and glossy, straight hair is easier to keep tidy.

Brides-to-be might also consider the treatment, as it means not worrying about a hair being out of place on the big day – and on the honeymoon you don't have to pack your hairdryer, straightening irons and a bag full of products!

How long does it take?
The system takes four to six hours, depending on the kind of hair you have. My treatment took a bum-numbing five hours!

What happens once you get home?
Of course, you feel amazing walking out of a salon after the treatment, your hair is super-glossy and dead straight, but can you expect to look this groomed after it's been washed? Well, almost. I left my hair for longer than the recommended 48 hours, leaving it closer to 60. And then I washed it and left it to air dry. It didn't dry poker straight - that hairstyle beloved of soap actresses that looks like a lank sheet - but it was still very straight. There was a very subtle kinky wave, which was to be expected with my naturally thick, wavy hair, but less than five minutes with my usual straighteners and my hair looked almost as good as when I left the salon. Leaving it to air dry rather than running the straigheners through looks more natural than the 'ironed' tresses you see photographed above.

My second Yuko - fifteen months after the first
Well, as you can see in this photo, my hair never reverted to the curly mess it used to be but I wanted it to be frizz-free and dead straight again. Fortunately, I found a salon in Kingsland Road, between Shoreditch and Dalston, called Avant Garde. The salon is owned by Fikri Karacar, who used to be the Assistant Manager of the Yuko flagship salon in Mayfair. His prices are lower than the flagship store, and the location was perfect for me. In less than five hours my hair looked perfect once more, and Fikri said that if I continue to get Yuko'd it's possible my hair will lose all its wave over time - hooray! Fikri invites anyone to pop in for a no obligation quote.
Avant Garde, 466 Kingsland Road, London E8 4AE, Tel 020 7249 2263. Open Tuesday-Saturday 9am-6pm.

Where else can I get it done?
Yuko System Re-Texturising is available at over 400 salons nationwide - log onto yuko-london.com, or call 020 7629 7555 for more information about the process or to make an appointment.

Published: 08 September 2005

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Comments

(14)

1		your link to locate the salons nationwide that perform the yuko system does not seem to be working, linking to something different entirely. Posted by joannemc September 18, 2007 09:06 PM Report comment
2		how da heck do you your hair so straigt so lessthan10 ,in Anonymous December 11, 2007 03:04 AM Report comment
3		how da heck do you your hair so straigt so lessthan10 ,in Anonymous December 11, 2007 03:04 AM Report comment
4		well to be honest i also had yuko done twice a few years back and was left with damaged hair that started falling out after the first year of yuko treatment and would never recommend this treatment to anyone, it's too strong and chemically damages the scalp and roots as well but this process can take a while, in the short term, yuko might be great but in the long run it's the worst thing you can do. Plus my sister in law from china also has yuko done every year, she is slowly going bald from the treatment and scalp damage, she now has a bald patch in the middle of her head, i have advised her to stop using yuko... Anonymous April 28, 2008 03:01 PM Report comment
5		well to be honest i also had yuko done twice a few years back and was left with damaged hair that started falling out after the first year of yuko treatment and would never recommend this treatment to anyone, it's too strong and chemically damages the scalp and roots as well but this process can take a while, in the short term, yuko might be great but in the long run it's the worst thing you can do. Plus my sister in law from china also has yuko done every year, she is slowly going bald from the treatment and scalp damage, she now has a bald patch in the middle of her head, i have advised her to stop using yuko... Anonymous April 28, 2008 03:01 PM Report comment
6		well to be honest i also had yuko done twice a few years back and was left with damaged hair that started falling out after the first year of yuko treatment and would never recommend this treatment to anyone, it's too strong and chemically damages the scalp and roots as well but this process can take a while, in the short term, yuko might be great but in the long run it's the worst thing you can do. Plus my sister in law from china also has yuko done every year, she is slowly going bald from the treatment and scalp damage, she now has a bald patch in the middle of her head, i have advised her to stop using yuko... Anonymous April 28, 2008 03:01 PM Report comment
7		well to be honest i also had yuko done twice a few years back and was left with damaged hair that started falling out after the first year of yuko treatment and would never recommend this treatment to anyone, it's too strong and chemically damages the scalp and roots as well but this process can take a while, in the short term, yuko might be great but in the long run it's the worst thing you can do. Plus my sister in law from china also has yuko done every year, she is slowly going bald from the treatment and scalp damage, she now has a bald patch in the middle of her head, i have advised her to stop using yuko... Anonymous April 28, 2008 03:01 PM Report comment
8		I've now had Yuko regularly for 3 years and no sign of "baldness" or any other problems. I think the earlier reader's problems may be unrelated to the Yuko as the chemicals never actually touches the scalp. Anonymous May 30, 2008 04:52 PM Report comment
9		I have done Yuko 6 times and I have no baldness problem. regards, Anonymous July 16, 2008 11:52 PM Report comment
10		Hey I was wondering if there was any place in the United States where I could get Yuko done. I clicked on that salon locator link but it took me to some UK site. Where can I go to find US salons? Thanks! Anonymous July 28, 2008 08:22 PM Report comment
11		I am worried. Should I or shouldn't I? I really want it done. I don't know what to do AW Anonymous August 10, 2008 12:01 PM Report comment
12		I have had the Yuko treatment three times and it is fabulous! Last november, I decided to try the L'Oréal x-tenso instead (which was cheaper) but the result was not as good at all and I had an itchy scalp for, well i still have it! I had to give my hair a rest, a whole year, what a waste of time and money. I will have the Yuko treatment done very soon. It is expensive but worth EVERY PENNY. I have never experienced any itching, redness or baldness with Yuko (which can be related to other symptoms like not drinking enough milk, etc). Any good salon will accept to do a test on a strand of hair if you are unsure. I had my Yuko done twice at the Yuko salon near Green Park, which was great. I had it done once at Nicky Clarke and it was good but not brilliant(they use these awful wet-to-dry hair straighteners for the whole process and i suspect it does not work as well as the ones set at a specific temperature like at the Yuko Salon). Hope that helps. Anonymous September 25, 2008 06:29 PM Report comment
13		I have had my hair yukoed a number of times and I normally do it twice a year! It is absolutely fabulous... I am left with no problems, my hair is straight(takes literally 10 mins to blowdry) do not need a brush even! My hair is silky and soft. Best to be done on natural hair colour. Saves so much time as normally my hair is frizzy and takes ages to do but Yuko, you can literally wash and go! best invention. yes, it is expensive, but I don't mind paying twice a year, saves me so much bother. make sure you go to a reputable salon Anonymous October 20, 2008 07:24 PM Report comment
14		Hello Ladies I hope one of you fellow curly girls can help me with my query? I've got an appointment booked to have my curly hair straightened using Yuko system at their Mayfair salon at Christmas. However, I have a T-section of blonde highlights currently which I know isn't ideal for this process. I've got to have a consultation first and the receptionist has advised me that they may try and persuade me only to get the non-highlighted hair done dependent on my hair's condition, but ultimately it's up to me whether i want to take the risk and get the whole lot done. I'm quite keen to brunette for Christmas anyway and so was going to book in for the next month or so to go to the dark side. Will my hair be okay to Yuko allover if the blonde bits are dyed dark, will it improve the condition? I haven't had it highlighted for 2 months. Also, the whole of the underneath of my hair is 'virgin' hair, it's never been coloured...therefore do I get it coloured brunette allover including the underneath or will this lessen my chances of getting the all clear at my consultation?? My hair naturally is a mousey brown and the I want to get a rich chocolate brown all over colour put in. If somebody could please advise me it would be much appreciated!! Anonymous November 04, 2008 03:21 PM Report comment