TheJessicat - Extractions of a Disoriented Mind
  • Entertainment
    • Film & Movies
    • International Artists
    • Live Concerts & Gigs
    • Local Artists
    • Music Festivals/Rave Parties
    • Nightlife/Parties
  • Food
    • American
    • Asian
    • Coffee joints/Cafe hopping
    • French
    • Fusion
    • Italian
    • Japanese
    • My Cookbook
    • Others/Fusion
  • Fashion
    • Body Art
    • Cosplay
    • Fashion Shows
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Makeup/Skincare
  • Travels
    • Thailand
    • The Australian Diaries
  • Health & Fitness
    • EatFitSlam: Clean Eating
    • GymJamSlam: Gym/Workouts
    • Sports
  • Current Affairs
Entertainment
    Film & Movies
    International Artists
    Live Concerts & Gigs
    Local Artists
    Music Festivals/Rave Parties
    Nightlife/Parties
Food
    American
    Asian
    Coffee joints/Cafe hopping
    French
    Fusion
    Italian
    Japanese
    My Cookbook
    Others/Fusion
Fashion
    Body Art
    Cosplay
    Fashion Shows
Beauty
    Hair
    Makeup/Skincare
Travels
    Thailand
    The Australian Diaries
Health & Fitness
    EatFitSlam: Clean Eating
    GymJamSlam: Gym/Workouts
    Sports
Current Affairs
TheJessicat - Extractions of a Disoriented Mind
  • Entertainment
    • Film & Movies
    • International Artists
    • Live Concerts & Gigs
    • Local Artists
    • Music Festivals/Rave Parties
    • Nightlife/Parties
  • Food
    • American
    • Asian
    • Coffee joints/Cafe hopping
    • French
    • Fusion
    • Italian
    • Japanese
    • My Cookbook
    • Others/Fusion
  • Fashion
    • Body Art
    • Cosplay
    • Fashion Shows
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Makeup/Skincare
  • Travels
    • Thailand
    • The Australian Diaries
  • Health & Fitness
    • EatFitSlam: Clean Eating
    • GymJamSlam: Gym/Workouts
    • Sports
  • Current Affairs

Not straight, nor curly. Relaxing Rebonding by A Cut Above!

June 11, 2013 by thejessicat

 

 

You may think having wavy hair is all fine and dandy, but no, not in my case.

If you must know, I was born with wavy, thick and unmanageable hair, which I hated so much. It often looks windswept, sticks out in all the wrong places and having bad hair days began to define me, little by little.

Ergo, I have been straightening my hair ever since I was a 14 years old and has since never looked back.

But with technology revolving around the hair industry, hair revolutionists have been churning out new ways to make the “straightening” procedure and results a little more alluring.

 

With my one and only hairmaster, Winnie Loo of A Cut Above Group

My previous session at A Cut Above was when I did my Kerastraight Brazilian Keratin Treatment which got rid of the frizz and frayed, dryness in my hair (you can read about it – here).

Following up, my next appointment was scheduled to straighten my unruly mane.

 

One of the rare days I’ll leave home with such disasterous looking hair,

is ONLY when I’m on my way to A Cut Above!

Today’s session was done in A Cut Above @ Bangsar Shopping Centre smiley

Before undergoing a chemical hair treatments to structurally modify your curly and unruly hair, I would first like you to know the difference between the two techniques of hair straightening – hair relaxing and hair rebonding. 

Here are a few things you have to know:

 

enlightenedDIFFERENCESenlightened

Hair rebonding allows breakage of hair bonds, rearranging those bonds and restructures it once again to the desired, straight, state. Using a flat iron, the hair bonds are restructured and then applied with a neutralizing agent that will preserve the newly structured hair bonds.

The tool usedis a flat-iron to flatten/straighten the hair and relatively takes longer than relaxing.

The effect relatively takes longer than relaxing but is more lasting than relaxing and the results of hair rebonding will be a pin-straight, flat-out stick straight hair.

If you like the sleek, super straight look, then this option will be suitable for you. But to me, after many years (and many times!) of rebonding my hair, I find that it looks rather unnatural and closer to a broomstick effect than a healthy straight hair effect. 

Yeah I had this kind of straightened rebonded hair for years!

 

On the other hand, hair relaxing straightens the hairby breaking down the components of the hair and takes the frizz out of your hair strands. In other words, it ‘relaxes’ curls to a more manageable state, smooth the hair to a straight effect.

Only a blow dryer is used to straighten the hair and the process is relatively faster than rebonding.

However, relaxing may not last as long as rebonding as the natural wave is slightly maintained, although much straighter than the original.

But to me, this option looks more natural than rebonding as it does not give you the uncooked spaghetti-straight hair effect.

 

enlightenedSIMILARITIESenlightened

Both procedures alter the structure of your hair permanently – duh, you wanted it straight, right?

Certain activities like swimming, too much exposure to the sun exposure, or improper styling tools may have adverse effects. Chemically-treated hair is always more vulnerable and sensitized, so just give your hair extra care and love! heart

 

STEP 1: ANALYZING

So which did I end up underdoing?

Winnie recommended me what she would call, the hair relaxer rebonding treatment.

I’ve always trusted her completely, as she gives me the best advices! heart

As such, I’m going to share with you the entire process of what goes behind-the-scenes of a typical hair relaxer rebonding experience at A Cut Above and why this is the best option for your hair if you want the best of both worlds of rebonding AND relaxing.yes

STEP 2: SHAMPOOING AND PROTECTION

Like all the appointments I’ve had at A Cut Above, my hair was first washed.

Getting my hair washed while checking out the shampoo that they used on me today.

It is the L’Oréal Professional X-Tenso Care Nutri-Reconstrutor Shampoo

This shampoo is has two technologies merged into it – Pro-Keratin and Incell.

Containing anti-breakage and anti-dryness properties, it helps to rebuild and deeply nourish damaged hair.

 

The hairdresser assigned to me was very friendly and rather informative when I asked questions!

STEP 3: PROTECT AND CARE

My hair was then towel-dried and sprayed with L’Oréal Professional X-Tenso Care Nutri-Reconstrutor Serum.

The former helps to ensure healthy and best results by improving hair’s elasticity during the straightening.

It was then combed straight and separated into sections.

STEP 4: APPLICATION

The relaxing cream was evenly applied underneath and on top of onto my hair layer.

STEP 5: DEVELOPMENT

The cream was then left on for about 15 minutes for chemical reaction to take place.

While developing, the heat helps to open hair cuticles, thus allowing better absorption.

STEP 6: SMOOTHING AND FINAL DEVELOPMENT

After 15 minutes, my hair was smoothened and combed layer by layer.

Then, it was left on for another few minutes for final development

STEP 7: RINSING 

He rinsed my hair very carefully, making sure that ALL residue of chemical creams are removed.

STEP 8: BLOW-DRYING

My hair was gently blowdried as hair is usually in fragile state after relaxer chemicals have been applied

Still slightly damp after blow-drying, the next blow-dry step will take place.

Separating my hair into sections again.

STEP 9: STRAIGHT BLOW-DRY

In the usual rebonding procedures, this step is skipped and instead, straight on to the flat-iron stage.

But this relaxing-rebonding process requires my hair to be blow-dried straight  first. smiley

Blow-drying definitely gives the straightness a more natural curve to it before the ironing process!

Don’t you agree? wink

Reading some magazines on my hairdressing table.

Almost done!

Winnie dear came by to check on the procedures.

It’s all going well! Your staff are very professional and well-trained laugh

She then advises on the next step.

I was also howing Winnie some of the questions that you asked,

so I could quickly reply all of you with the right answers!

Yup, if you want to know anything at all regarding anything hair-related to A Cut Above, feel free to ask me; I’ll try my best to ask her personally for you smiley

STEP 10: IRONING

As the straight blow-drying process has already been done, this ironing stage was very brief,

but sufficient to create a straighter, more longer-lasting effect compared to just blow-drying alone.

The flat irons used at A Cut Above is an ideal one, made of either ceramic or titanium,

and regulated to not more than 180-200 degrees celcius.

This is to avoid the hair of getting burned and lead to irreversible frizz of the hair.

I would know, as I’ve gotten my hair burnt many times due to unprofessional straightening in the past! frown

 

Results! No, we’re not done just yet – but we’re almost there! devil

Just waiting for my hair to cool off to normal room temperature.

STEP 11:  NEUTRALIZING

After leaving it for 10 minutes, a neutralizer was applied to bond the structure of the hair again.

It was applied on each section of my hair thoroughly.

Sipping some hot tea while the boys worked on ensuring the neutralizer is evenly applied.

The neutralizer was combed gently and slowly.

It was then left to set for 15 minutes to achieve optimum conditioning and nourishing effects.

STEP 12: FINAL RINSE

My hair was rinsed with cold water to remove all the neutralizer left on my hair and conditioned thereafter.

I know it’s a long process, but A Cut Above does everything to perfection,

without compromising all the fine details.

We all want the best for our hair, don’t we? yessmiley

When the straightening of my hair was finally done, it was time for a hair cut.

She inspected my hair and asked me how I would like it to be this time.

I asked for something irregular and non-symmetrical! smiley

Being one that favours the bold, daring & experimental when it comes to hair styles, my brilliant hairmaster Winnie gave me an edgy, non-conventional haircut to suit my personality.

I love the times we spend together during hair cuts!

Winnie is super fun, and it’s always nice catching up with her smiley

Putting her magic touches and snips to my hair

Her movements were very swift and precise in their swipes.

But of course, her tools of trade is the mighty scissors and her very own fingers! cool

After more than three decades, she’s never fails to be extremely meticulous and sharp in her craft! yes

That is just one of the things I admire and respect about her. She’s so inspiring.

The accolades and awards won by A Cut Above says it all.

It’s true that despite achieving success, you should never stop what you truly do best because it genuinely

awards you with immeasurable self-satisfaction. I can see how Winnie really embodies that philosophy!

Anyway, she also gave me back my Skrillex-inspired side-shaved buzzcut.

Happy times whenever I see her! laugh

She’s a fighter too, recovering well after a recent car accident. God bless! heart

After all the long hours of hair straightening process and a quick haircut by Winnie,

are you ready to see a BEFORE AND AFTER? wink

I know this is your favorite part.. haha! devil

Most of you always ask me for before and after photos whenever I experience anything. So here they are!

 

BEFORE

BEFORE

BEFORE

LEFT: BEFORE   |   RIGHT: AFTER

Such chemical treatments require tip-top salon skills and knowledge as delayed rinsing, or improper application and execution can definitely lead to hair damage. I’ve been there, done that, and been there, done that, wash rinse and repeat the nightmare again and again.

So this is why I urge all of you out there who is looking to straighten their hair, to go to credible salons or hair centers that are professionally licensed and skilled, lest you get your hair burned and damaged like the ghost of all brittle hairs LOL.

 

Which is why I always return to A Cut Above!

I”m positively sure that once you come here and experience top-notch services, you won’t turn back. wink

Oh by the way, they are currently running a Father’s Day promotion. Check it out:


All the more reason for you to pamper daddykins! laugh

Thanks Winnie, for a wonderful afternoon and for always making my hair so gorgeous!

See you again soon dearie!heart

———————————————————————————-

To book your hair appointments or for more information on this treatment, you can:

Call them at their salon via their contact number: +603-2283 3131

Log on to their website at: acutabove.com.my

They are very active on social media too!

Like their Facebook page at: fb.com/acutabovegroup

Tweet them on Twitter at: @ACutAboveGroup

Follow them on Instagram at: @ACutAboveGroup

Share:

The Sunday Times XIV: Sights, sounds, adventures & eats! My week in a flash ♥

December 23, 2012 by thejessicat

 

 

 

Writing this from my lovely lil Penang island as we speak.

The past week has been almost entirely focused on family, friends and almost all my loved ones!

 

Let's take a ride in the car 

 

This week saw an emotional roadtrip for me as it marked the last time I'll ever drive my good ol' faithful white Perodua Kelisa which ferried me everywhere throughout all my years as a college kid & a university undergraduate.

Yup, six years with my lil one. 

It's now time for a change to something more powerful, stylish & cutting edge… one that befits me better

 

I present to you, my new precious, big baby, the Ford Fiesta Hatchback Sports Edition in Red.

Full story up soon! A shoot is in progress

 

What else is new? My hair.

Thanks to the amazing team at A Cut Above, I had another unique technology done to my hair – called the relaxer rebonding process. It's not straightening, nor relaxing, nor rebonding. It's.. a combination of all three!

 

Winnie dearest and I catching up over some snipsnips! 

 

Before and after! I'm loving the results! Professional & well-done

*full story soon!

 

While I was getting my hair done, Konzy bought some cakes from Just Heavenly for us to share

(Honestly I think he hates me and has evil intentions to fatten me up LOL!) I kid. :P

 

Left: Cappucino Cupcake | Right: Death by Chocolate

 

I personally didn't like the Cappucino Cupcake, especially hated the icing on top.

But for people who love eating cream or icing, that's your treat right there ;)

 

Death by Chocolate, on the other hand, was more my cup of tea.

It was rich with dark chocolate mousse with a velvety layer of melted chocolate engulfing it whole

Oh geez, I wouldn't mind having ten more of this!  FULLY RECOMMENDED 

 

Triple Expresso Brownie

 

It had the perfect texture, chunky and fudgy but it wasn't as moist or as warm as I had expected it to be.

The taste, on the other hand, was great – coffee and the walnuts were a good combo! 

 

Lunch at La Bodega @ Bangsar Shopping Centre :

Smoked Salmon with Baba Ghanouj sandwich for me & Chicken Bocadillo sandwich for him

 

I loved mine. Healthy meals are always my first option, and this proved to be quite a good choice!

His was a little to bland and dry. Only tasted a lot better after layers of tabasco sauce 

 

Random photo in my new, sweet, sweet ride 

 

A world phenomenon of an American TV series – Gossip Girl – has finally come to an end.

Initially I was totally against watching something that was titled 'Gossip Girl', thinking that it would be some pretentious girly girl drama show. But I was wrong. Watching it got me hooked since 2010!

After six years/seasons of this, fans never wished this day would come. :/

 

SPOILER ALERT : IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED THE CONCLUSION – FINAL EPISODE YET,

SCROLL SWIFTLY PAST THIS SECTION OF THE POST

 

I was so happy that my favorite on-screen couple, Chuck Bass & Blair Waldorf got married! 

All's well, ends well.

 

When I got back to Penang, my weekends included spending time with old friends, new friends and more friends, left, right, and center. :D:D

First up, my high school Class of 2006 reunion gathering at Suffolk House.

 

We all had to wear 'name tags' lest we forget how each other used to look like. Who is this girl? 

I haven't heard this name in a long, long, time. :P

 

I'll be dedicating a full blog post special for this! A major 'then VS now' photos ;)

You'd be amazed what six years can do to a girl. We all looked somewhat different than we were since the moment we took our final walk out of the iron gates of our high school premises.

 

Off to Golden Screen Cinemas @ Gurney Plaza to watch The Hobbit

 

Overall, I thought it was a good movie, despite falling asleep in the first quarter LOL.

It had many witty punchlines and good ol' humour. Plus, having watched all the Lord of the Rings movies as a kid, I would certainly not give the prequel of it all a miss! 

 

I also had a dose of my usual Milkshake Factory obsession.

 

Tried the new Rio Coconut Shake for the first time with Ferrero Rocher in it.

It was absolutely delightful! The shaker recommended this to me and since I was a fan of coconut drinks, I thought, "Hey, why not?" Glad I decided upon it.

The chunky chocolate bits from the Ferrero Rocher blended in fresh, pure coconut water was a sip of heaven.

FULLY RECOMMENDED!! 

 

When dusk descended, it was time to let our hair down and party like the rockstar Penang-ites we are.

 

Buddy Minny introduced SOHO Gastro Pub @ Precinct 10 to me!

 

I'm still a loyal & a frequent at MOIS No 1 Upper Penang Road – my pick amongst the pool of Penang clubs!

But since SOHO was quite a new one and a fairly crazy place to party at, I thought I'd join in :)

 

Ready for some party photos? I always look forward to my Penang homecoming! 

Don't mind us, we were semi bonkers by the end of the night. 

 

Lin Chong aka crazy dragon, Minny & I

 

 My babe Minny and I

 

All of us! We go a long way back… think, 2008? 

 

Flanked by Jon & Kon

 

Drunk-selcas with my childhood pal, Jon! 

 

With Thean Sim  It's been too long, girl!

 

And Lionel.. again! :D

 

Theresa from our college days 

 

More of us at the table! :D

 

My date for the night  Konzy & I

 

After the night was over, we trudged out into the patio to take a breather or two before finally deciding to go straight on to breakfast at 4AM. Why so late, you ask?

Well, it is morning after all. Very, very early in the morning :P:P

 

This was the only photo I took during breakfast. Was I really that smashed? 


Breakfast was Chiow Lin Steamboat Restaurant at Abu Siti Lane, Georgetown.

We had a private room to ourselves (with the Empire State building framed up LOL) and the steamboat was served with an authentic Zhong Qing soup, which, to me, was unsurpassable by any other steamboat outlets I've dined in. 

Being out of touch from Penang for several years, I can only trust my Penang buddies to bring me to the best places nowadays! Thanks ya'll! xoxo

 

Massive seafood by the seaside dinner with the family at Hai Boey Seafood Restaurant @ Gertak Sanggul

 

Amongst the hoards of flags, I caught sight of something fairly interesting.

 

HAHAHAHAH. Smart.

 

The flag of Germany & the flag of Japan hung next to each other on the ceiling?

Now everybody knows your political stance! I see what you did there… but don't worry. People who don't know their world history will Nazi it. (Get it? Get it?)

 

Mom & I. One of the few photos I have of the night. Thanks for the photo, dad! 

 

Caught Life of Pi in cinemas with the family!

 

I loved every bit of the movie. It was so personal, eye-opening, reflective and deep! I felt very inspired and had a better perspective at life and its many meanings upon leaving the cinema.

If you're tired of the same ol' Hollywood drama, this movie offers a good alternative.

It made me appreciate the gift of life so much better. Go watch it! 

 

Decorated the interior of my new car a lil bit.

 

Recognize this lil red octopus? Once upon a time, it meant the world to me.

And it still does. Some things never change. I guess I'm just sentimental like that 

Thanks for the gift;) Glad you recognized it on my Instagram haha!

 

 

Life is always full of surprises. Isn't it always? ;)

But never run away from your past, it made you who you are today. In some strange way or another, all the memories of my past were beautiful, and I've never regretted a single thing I've done.. ever.

Neither should you. 

 

Much love,

Jessicat

 

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

The Sunday Times is a weekly series; published every Sunday night to recap the highlights of my week, capture what piques my interest and to briefly highlight my recommendations for to-go and to-eat places!

Some of the photos in this edition are posted instantly on my Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr & Facebook

Do follow to get instant updates and pretty photos of the sights & sounds all around me!

Share:

Oh, hello there!

Hi! Welcome to TheJessicat.com - an urban lifestyle blog established since 2005, written from the perspective of a Malaysian blogger. Discover the latest and all that the city has to offer! Do bear with her occasional rants & musings though. Happy reading! ❤

Your ad here

nuffnang promoted content
proudduck: Mommy Guilt
nuffnang promoted content104,253 views

Sponsors & Affiliates

Follow my stories on Instagram!

Archives

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No connected account.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to connect an account.

Copyright © 2005-2017 | TheJessicat.com | All Rights Reserved