Julie Merritt: Hello! My name is Julie Merritt. I have been a hairstylist for over 10 years as well as an international platform artist. Now we're going to be talking about smoothing services for the hair.

We're going to be talking about three different types of smoothing services for your hair. Many of you know the different benefits and qualities, but we're going to go a little bit more in-depth, so you can decide which is best for you.

The first smoothing service we're going to talk about is your traditional Japanese smoothing system. This is a straightening service that's done with a thioglycolate. It's going to be a permanent straightening service, so you are going to get a line of demarcation. You're going to pick naturally curly, frizzy, wavy hair and make it completely straight until that hair end and that service grows out. This service ranges anywhere between 4-6 hours for your time in the salon, ranging on the price of $400-$1,000 in the salon, depending on your type of hair and the salon you go to.

The second service we're going to talk about today is the Brazilian. The Brazilian is utilized with the flat iron on the hair during the service. It's going to take animation from the hair and retain some movement. However, cut the drying time in half for those clients. This service prices from $200-$400 depending on the salon you go to, as well as your type and texture of hair. One thing to keep in mind with this smoothing service is while you apply the chemical product on the hair, you're also utilizing a flat iron at the high ranges of heat of 450 degrees on your hair fabric. One thing to also keep in mind is the chemical make up of what is in that service. The service contains sometimes Formaldehyde as well as Menthol Glycol, which are carcinogens that you do want to be aware of and talk to your stylist about when you are seeking a smoothing service.

The third smoothing service is a non-permanent demi smoothing service. This is a Thio based service, which is going to add an extreme amount of conditioning buffers to your hair. The service I recommend is RUSK's AntiCurl with Kerashine Conditioning. This is going to add extreme amount of versatility to your life everyday. You'll be able to wear your hair curly and smooth, eliminating all that frizz. However, maintaining a lot of your natural animation that you want to wear day in and day out.

The greatest part about it is it's going to cut your maintenance time in half in the morning. This service ranges anywhere from $85-$200 in the salon, and it only takes about one hour to do. The benefits of this service is its non-permanent, so you are never going to get that line of demarcation as it starts to fade out of the hair. It will last anywhere between eight and 12 weeks in your hair, and then slowly just move back to your natural way of hair.

Now for those male clients who will need this versatility as well, this is a great option for them. So depending on that hair that you're looking for, whether it's that short, full hot type look or that San Diego surfer type wave, our men are looking for curl adjusters as well. With these looks, you can always use a flat iron in order to get that smoothing service. It's not just for us women anymore. Now I'd like to introduce you to Melissa. Melissa has an incredible amount of frizz and curl in her hair. So Melissa is going to be the perfect candidate for the AntiCurl with Kerashine Conditioning. This is going to allow her to maintain a beautiful look whether it be curly one day or straight the next, reducing that straightening time in over half. As for all smoothing services, they are to be done in a professional salon by your licensed stylist. Now these are the basics of smoothing services for your hair.