Allow us to set the scene for you: you slept through your alarm, it’s drizzling outside, and you have a big date right after work. You’re totally throwing your hair in a ponytail, aren’t you? But there’s no need to reach for that hair tie, not if you’ve already indulged in the all-natural, good-for-locks straightening treatment popping up in salons all over the city. Keratin therapy, which starts at $300 and goes up from there depending on your hair type and the salon’s “it” factor, straightens, adds shine, and actually leaves hair healthier than it began. Expect to invest a few solid hours while your stylist employs a high-heat straightening iron to bond liquid keratin to your hair — but, in the grand scheme of blow-drys and flat-iron tug-of-wars, it’s quite worth the investment. From there on out, just a quick blast from the dryer and a finger comb, and you’re good to go. Results last a few months, and — yet another plus — roots aren’t quite so pronounced as hair grows back in. (We remember the Japanese straightening system’s awkward line of frizz all too well.) Find keratin therapy at cutting-edge area salons like James Joseph Salon (30 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.266.7222), Emerge (275 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.437.0006), G2O (338 Newbury Street, Boston, 617.262.2220), and Kent Newton Salon (1315 Washington Street, Boston, 617.426.2640).
