Time Out

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Hairapy sessions

Don't lose your head over dry and damaged hair-instead, let these treatments fix what winter has wrought.

Complaint:Rought texture
Salon Rx: Kerastase Ritual

Dispatched to Maxine for a patented hair therapy called the Ritual. I braced myself for something New Agey, but instead they blinded me with science. Said procedure began with a technician applying a diagnostic camera to my head. Enlarged video images revealed my follicles to be in virtually perfect healt, sharply limiting what they could do to improve my locks. Regardless, the amiable tech proceeded to give me a shampoo and scalp massage (great hands), and then painted my moistened thatch with a combination of gels he mixed to my diagnostic specs on the spot. Next my head was encapsulated in a pod-shaped contraption, which first opened the cuticles of my hair with warm steam, then snapped them shut again with a cooling blast. Finally I was given a blow-dry and styling. It was easily the most elaborate papering that my hair has ever experienced, and it has repaied me with absolute softness and perfect obedience ever since. $60 at Maxine, 712 N Rush St between Superior St and Chicago Aves (312-751-1511). -Cliff Doerksen