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Ah the old frizz and curl – the hair type that I’ve hated for majority of my life and always wanted to change.
So when I realised that Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, had the exactly the same hangups about her own hair (albeit pre-royal life), I was relieved.
It seems even royals are humans too.
I share a few similarities with the Duchess – a Prince, a castle and newborn are not among them – but, dark features and curly hair? I have them in spades.
In fact, check out these pictures below of us as kids.
(Swipe to the left)
Similar, right?
Growing up as a teenager with frizz, I was very self conscious, especially because I had no idea how to control my hair.
In fact, it wasn’t until I discovered you could use a clothes iron to straighten your hair (FYI – do NOT try this at home) that I felt anywhere near confident.
Fast forward fifteen years and the state of my hair has not changed (except I now use God’s gift to this earth – a GHD) and just like Meghan in her younger years, there’s truly not much I could do.
(Swipe to the left)
So to channel my inner Duchess, I finally bit the bullet and had my friends at Pierre Haddad in Sydney’s CBD take control of my mane and work their magic with a keratin treatment.
The results? Incredible! I was able to say goodbye to my frizz and hello, to silky smooth hair … for at least two to three months.
During my treatment, I sat down with salon manager Julie Mansour to talk about why this treatment not only looks great, but is also incredibly beneficial for your (royal or not) hair.
My hair has always been a bit of a disaster area … but check out my killer 90s threads!
(Source: Supplied/Now to Love)What is keratin treatment?
“Keratin is like liquid gold,” Julie told me. “We always say as hairdressers, if we could capture the natural oil of the scalp in a bottle, that would be the best treatment ever! It helps with dryness and also helps to repair your hair.”
While these are all wonderful ways to keep your hair super healthy, I was, to be honest, more worried about my curls.
“It has that added bonus in that it actually relaxes your hair and also smooth your hair,” she said.
“It will not make your hair 100 per cent straight and it’s not wash and wear, but it is a treatment that helps to repair damaged hair.”
I also needed a haircut but Julie told me it was more important to cut after the treatment.
“This is because we can see what the keratin has repaired and then we can cut off the damaged hair,” she revealed.
My hair, before and after keratin straightening (same day)
(Source: Supplied/Now to Love)Did Meghan Markle have a keratin treatment while pregnant with baby Archie?
You may have noticed that Meghan wore her hair up a lot more during her pregnancy to Archie, and while there are a myriad of reasons for this, it’s more likely that her hair regimen changed dramatically.
“The reason you can’t use keratin during pregnancy is because of the fumes,” Julie said.
“The fumes can get into the blood stream and are not good for the baby, especially during the first trimester. The other reason is because we dry the product into the hair and it’s not washable for three days.”
If you are preggo like Meggo was, you can use an alternative which is the ‘Charcoal Relaxer’.
“It’s a lot safer and you can also wash it out afterwards,” Julie said of the treatment. “And it has the exact same effect as keratin.”
The pricing for both are very similar – approximately $300-$400 depending on the thickness of your hair.
WATCH NEXT: See the sweet moment Prince Harry fixes Meghan Markle’s hair
Story continues after the video…
Is there any long-term damage?
According to Julie, there is no long-term damage to your hair.
“The only time that Keratin can be damaging is if someone is inexperienced while they’re doing it or if they over iron their hair,” she said.
“If you go in with a really high heat, you can really damage your hair.”
If it’s the first time that you are using the product, you will notice that the straight-look only lasts for about two months.
“It is a product that tends to build on itself, so if you come in around that time for another treatment, it will last longer the second-time round.”
Meghan’s hair is literal goals.
(Source: Getty Images)The Verdict
You guys. This was truly the best thing that every happened to the frizzy and curly mess that is my hair.
Before, it would take at least 30-40 minutes to make my hair look perfect – and even then, walking around would just make it all frizzy again.
After the treatment, it takes me 10 minutes to dry it and run a quick straightener over the top – so it’s no wonder that Meghan uses this product!
See! We’re practically the same person now! Does this mean my Prince is on his way?
(Source: Getty Images/Supplied – Now to Love)
Before and after – same day of the treatment.
(Source: Supplied/Now to Love)While I know that this cannot last forever, I am truly excited to keep topping it up, because frankly, I’m a “keratin konvert”.
