Lucie Loves… Hair & Beauty // #Tried&Tested Jo Hansford Split End Solution
I love hair and I’m not talking about the musical either!
In our lifetime we spend invest a small fortune into the daily upkeep of our respective manes. The importance of looking and feeling good and the impact that it has on our self-esteem is often tantamount to just how much we spend trying to achieve this utopian aesthetic. The Oxford Dictionary has bad hair day listed as being one of those days when everything seems to go wrong - who wouldn’t want to splash a bit of cash to keep one of those at bay?
That being said, good hair days, when they do happen, are a brilliant feeling/occurrence and can do wonders for ones self-esteem!
[sings] “I woke up like this…” Erm? No, not really…
We’ve all experienced scissor happy hairdressers and the ugly aftermath. There have been many occasions in my life where I wish that my hair was a bit like Velcro or that my hairdresser’s chair had a ctrl + z or a backspace button, to rewind back to the very moment before those precious extra inches were lopped off my unsuspecting barnet.
As a child my sister and I had really lovely (but-often-a-bit-luggy) long hair. That is until we had a new neighbor-cum-hairdresser move in next door, and my mum whisked us over to have our hair styled into ‘cute’ bobs. Oh dear, the 7 year old me with teeth too big for her face, did not look so cute anymore!
I reckon that was THE moment that my fear of hairdressers, or should I say their scissor-wielding hands, truly set in.
Consequently, I have spent the last 22 years dodging my way of out regular haircuts. Instead, I chose to go down the colour route, and make my way through a spectrum of different hues – some better than others. Constant colouring has left my hair a bit parched looking…
However, now and again, I have this little monkey on my shoulder who likes to act all impulsively – booking spur-of-the-moment hair appointments at strange salons in equally strange towns, and then spending the next few weeks angrily in a state of regret, wishing I hadn’t done so. These bad “have-you-been-in-a-fight-with-a-lawnmower?” haircuts, along with my brief American dalliance with Sun-in have left my tresses categorically scarred for life. Not that I’m being overly dramatic or anything – ask my Cousin, Hollie, she’ll vouch for me.
A few years back I read about a new treatment that claimed to be another way of keeping your long flowing locks without having to reach for the scissors: Jo Hansford’s Split End Solution.
Like all bride-to-be’s, I’ve got pictures in my head of how I’d like to look on my wedding day. I always have long, Rapunzel-esq, flowing hair, all wild and ethereal looking… *dreams* It’s pretty long at the moment, but I’ll be the first to admit, that due to excessive colouring and heat – it’s not in the best of condition.
And so, being keen to give new techniques a go, in an attempt to salvage the lengths of my hair, I booked myself in at Jo Hansford’s Mayfair salon, with Stylist Roxy Farrier to try the Split End Solution.
“The Split End Solution is a keratin hair repairing treatment that works on the ends of the hair only using a unique coating method, which will nourish each strand without suffocating it. This treatment differs to the traditional Brazilian Blow-Dry, which coats the whole head to create a semi-permanent straight look. Split End Solution will repair hair so it appears healthier and shinier, offering impressive results for dry and severely damaged ends that will last up to three months.”
How it works…
- Roxy sat me down and explained that the Split End Solution treatment would only be applied to the bottom 4-5 inches of my hair – basically, where it needed it the most. Hair apparently grows on average 6cm a year, so the bottom 4-5 inches are probably around 5 years old! Eek!
- First I was taken over to sink to have my hair shampooed three times using a Nano keratin clarifying shampoo. This is then left on for 10-minutes until the hair is super-clean and free of any products or oils that may have built up - it’s literally squeaky-clean! The shampoo opens up the hair follicle to make each strand ready to accept the keratin treatment.
- Roxy then roughly blow-dried my hair to give it lift, before setting to work applying the Split End Solution to the lengths of my hair that had been identified for treatment.
- I was then positioned under the climazone heat source for 10-minutes to help the treatment absorb into the hair.
- Roxy then blow-dried the product into the hair, adding a bit of body and a slight wave to my locks. She had asked how I liked to wear my hair and I’d said that I rarely wear it poker straight, preferring to have movement and a more tousled look.
- Roxy then worked her way meticulously over the lengths of the hair using straighteners, sealing in the Split End Solution as she went to smooth the hair cuticles flat.
In all the treatment took approximately 2 hours to complete. For someone with slightly shorter or thicker hair, the time may differ slightly. The results are pretty immediate too.
Results…
Each strand of hair looked healthier and sleeker, but you’d expect that after a salon blow-dry – the proof would be in the washing/styling of it myself at home.
I was advised to not wash my hair for 72-hours and if I did get it wet, to blow-dry it immediately so as not to kink the hair. Eek! This was difficult. I generally like to wash my hair every other day, but I followed my Stylists orders and didn’t touch it for the duration – instead opting for a spritz of Dry Shampoo at the roots, which was fine.
On 4th day, as advised, I shampooed as normal with a Jo Hansford Volumising Shampoo, which I am told is sulphate free. Roxy had said that it is important to use a sulphate free shampoo as any ordinary shampoo will strip out the treatment. I followed the Volumising Shampoo with the Jo Hansford Intensive Masque, which I left on for 5-minutes, before rinsing and styling.
I couldn’t believe how much quicker it was to blow-dry! My previously porous lengths, now sealed with keratin, were much less of a faff to dry. My usual 15-20 minutes of drying time was cut down to just 8 minutes! The ends still felt sleeker and I was still able to get a natural looking wave by using my GHDs and curling wand. I am very pleased with the results - my hair looks so shiny!
I’ve been advised that if you colour your hair, it’s good to have it done and then have the Split End Solution on the same day. This way you’re sealing the new colour into your hair, which should prevent it from fading. If, like me, you haven’t coloured your hair immediately prior to the treatment, they advise waiting 2-3 weeks before you do so.
The treatment is said to last 3 months, depending on frequency of washing.
Despite having the treatment, Roxy says that I still do need a haircut. I suppose no amount of Split End Solution can lift the weight of outgrown layers and replace the need for a restyle… Oh well!
This treatment is perfect for:
- Those who want to keep the length AND condition of their hair but don’t have time for a regular trim
- Hair which is damaged at the ends from over-styling with heated tools… but you don’t want to take anything off the length of your hair
- Those who always suffer with split ends no matter how much that mane is cared for
- Post holiday locks with dry and damaged ends - a result of the sun and salt water
Price for Split End Solution with blow-dry: £150.00
Total treatment time: 90-120 minutes
For appointments, please call the Jo Hansford Salon on 020 7495 7774, visit the salon at
48 South Audley Street, Mayfair, London, W1K 2QB
Huge thank you to my Stylist Roxy Farrier at Jo Hansford, Mayfair and Gemma at Jo Hansford PR for allowing me to come and try the treatment out. I hope that this tried and tested post allows more people to see just what other options are out there for treating colour-damaged locks, before opting for a severe chop!
About Jo Hansford MBE:
Described by Marie Claire as “the First Lady of Colour” and hailed by American Vogue as “the best tinter on the planet”, Jo Hansford MBE is quite simply an icon in the field of hair colouring. Consequently, Jo is held in the highest regard by her peers in the industry and her celebrity clientele, who include Elizabeth Hurley, Georgia Jagger, Erin O’Connor, the Duchess of Cornwall and Sienna Miller.
When Jo opened her specialist colour salon in 1993 her team consisted of just eight. Now celebrating her 21st anniversary, Jo Hansford boasts a team of over 40 highly skilled staff in her stylish London salon. Her expert colour team have all been trained in Jo’s unique techniques ensuring the heritage of the brand continues throughout the next generation of hairdressers. Recent accolades include ‘Best Salon in Mayfair’ in the Mayfair Magazine Awards and finalist in the ‘London Lifestyle Awards’.
Photography © Lucie Kerley