You’ve heard much of the Brazilian Blowout over the last year. Nicole Richie swears it’s freed her from having to blow dry her gorgeously glossy head of hair. Vogue calls it “seriously liberating.”

Well, I for one have been “seriously intrigued,” so when Allan’s Salon invited me in for the treatment, I didn’t think twice.

What exactly is the Brazilian Blowout?

First things first. According to the official site, the Brazilian Blowout is the only professional smoothing treatment that gives you smooth, shiny, frizz free hair without using any harsh chemicals, such as formaldehyde, that damage your hair (like Japanese Straightening). Au contraire! The results – which last between 10 to 12 weeks – are actually amazing for your tresses. Think of the best deep conditioner you’ve ever used, and then multiple by three months. (See how the treatment works here.)

Says Diane Kray, owner of Belmont, CA’s Beatique Beauty Bar, “This treatment is wonderful – it’s a breakthrough. The Brazilian Blowout contains the highest form of human hair keratin, so it is a natural smoothing process that creates incredible shine, reduces curl and smooths frizz.”

But, Diane cautions, the Blowout is not a straightening system. “Your hair will not be pin straight,” she says. “But that’s a good thing.” (Beautique considers Japanese straightening to be so damaging to the hair that it does not provide the service.) “The Japanese straightener is like a reverse perm; it breaks down the bond of the hair. But with the Brazilian Blowout, there is no residual damage to the hair, nor do roots grow in, because there isn’t any thio or lye in the products. Japanese straightening is out.”

Plus, Allan Ngo adds, the treatment allows you to wash and dry your hair as soon as you leave the salon. No more two or three day waits for you! Just be sure you budget enough time for the original treatment. “The company says the treatment takes 90 minutes, but we’ve found it’s really more like two or three hours. And make sure your stylist is Brazilian Blowout certified.”

This man has won the national Elumen Competition twice, so I’m inclined to say, “yes, sir. We will.”

On what kind of hair does the Brazilian Blowout work best?

Says Allan Ngo, the treatment “works for virgin to damaged hair. It doesn’t matter if your hair is color-treated or frizzy, or if you use a blow dryer or flat iron every day.”

In other words, anyone and everyone. Before and after shots here.

My experience… what you can REALLY expect.

It used to take me 45 minutes to get ready, counting from the moment I got in the shower to the moment I walked out the door. This morning, it took me 25.

Now that I’m post-blowout, I usually blow dry for a few minutes, just to speed up the drying process. But be sure about this — if I wanted to, I could walk out of the door with wet hair, and still achieve the look I want. (Even the baby hairs around my face – or should I say the frizzy devil’s horns – now dry straight.)

Crazy.

I think I’m addicted. I think I’m really, really addicted. Just consider all the damage my hair is going to avoid purely because I won’t be frying it with a flat iron every day. Think of all the time I’ll be able to spend on other, more productive things. Seriously, someone should have warned me because, at $250 to $700 a pop, the treatment is pretty expensive. But time is money, right? Justify, justify…

A word of caution, though…

Sure, your hair may look great when you first get the treatment, but don’t expect it to last longer than a month if you don’t use the right kinds of products in the days that follow. With the Brazilian Blowout, aftercare is super important.

For starters, make sure your products are formaldehyde- and aldehyde-free. (See what cosmetic chemist, Ron Robinson says about them in an interview with A Mom In Red High Heels!) Then check for sodium chloride and sulfates. While not harmful to your hair, they will remove the keratin bond of the Brazilian Blowout faster. And that’s not what you want.

Not to worry, though. There are many products that fit the bill here. We recommend the Brazilian Blowout Acai Hair Care and Simply Smooth Keratin Treatment products. Available on Amazon.com, and select salons and beauty supply stores nationwide.

It seems E! News leading lady, Giuliana Rancic, was right. This IS, like, the hottest thing around right now. Locate a salon here.

Check out our latest post where we show how to get the Brazilian Blowout At-Home for a fraction of the cost.

– By Caitlin Garthoffner