The blurb
I hadn’t come across Sejour, despite it being tucked just behind the King’s Road on Bray Place. It’s a gorgeous Georgian affair, sat on a corner and painted red, with such large windows it could pass as an artist’s studio. K-fusion is a revolutionary anti-frizz treatment that works by softening and bending the disulphide bonds in the hair, thereby repelling moisture and sealing in cuticles. This helps prevent any frizz from returning and leaves hair smooth, soft and much more manageable—for up to four months!
K-Fusion is also 100 per cent formaldehyde free and suitable for all hair types. It’s packed full of protein, hydrolysed keratin and infused with Agadir Argan Oil. Unlike the original Brazilian blow-dry, once you wash your hair it will return to its natural form, but a gorgeous glossy shine replaces any previous frizz.
The process
Sejour sits on a cobbled street corner, and from the outside almost resembles a restaurant. On finding the door, I was met by a slightly surly receptionist and told to take a seat—before being roundly ignored. If I felt on edge I needn’t have worried; minutes later the effervescent Julia bounded in, all smiles and sweetness. She led me down to the large washroom, filled with paintings and magazines, and told me about K-fusion and how it differed from other keratin treatments.
I let her know I’d rather no brushes went anywhere near my hair while it was wet, and she happily accepted my request, open to my hard-earned experience of my own mane. The only way to get a comb through my hair after washing without conditioner is to rough dry it with a hairdryer first, which may be unorthodox, but takes it from a knotted mess to a co-operative mess. At inferior salons, the brushing of my wet, unconditioned hair can cause so much breakage I’ve sometimes questioned whether the amazing results on the hair remaining is even worth it.
Anyway, once my hair was washed and rough dried, Julia applied the treatment all over, section by section, and left for half an hour, coming back at 10 minute intervals to brush the product through the lengths. After this it was back downstairs for a thorough rinse, and time for the final step of the process. The hair is dried and sealed with hot irons and must then be kept dry for 48 hours before washing with K-fusion aftercare products.
Whilst the process took a while—long enough for me to contemplate the possibility of dying from hunger—Julia was so lovely and interesting it really didn’t feel long at all. She regaled me with tales of her pet turtle from back home, all the hikes she’s discovered in England, and gave me some tips on meditation, along with lots of mint tea and some solid advice to stop being an attached man’s mistress.
The results
My hair looked sleek and shiny as I left the salon, but a blow-dry and straighteners can make almost any hair as sleek and shiny. The real test is after the first home wash. I waited the requisite 48 hours then washed using the Sodium Chloride free L’Kerabelle products. I’m not going to lie, the first wash didn’t smell pleasant. I believe dysentery came to mind. Those chemicals do not like their first contact with water.
This was a brief price to pay however, as once dried my hair looked amazing, and just blasting any which way with a hairdryer left it looking perfect. The company’s blurb is also true—K-fusion doesn’t change the texture as much as more traditional formaldehyde keratin treatments; my hair just resembled a better conditioned version of itself.
Also, you’ll be relieved to hear the potent aroma of the first wash was a one-off, didn’t last once it was dried, and by the second wash was barely noticeable. All in all a great, effective treatment, a lovely stylist, and a very cute salon.
