The Matrix Opti Smooth Permanent Straightener Kit: Worth the time and money?

Hello again my lovely followers! ❤
My first review today will be on the Matrix Opti Smooth Permanent Straightener Kit. This kit is meant for salon use, however it can be bought on eBay to be done at home at a fraction of the price!

The process involves breaking the protein bonds in your hair and then straightening it to achieve the desired straight locks. At the salon it takes around 8 hours to achieve and the price ranges from $300-$1000+ depending on how long your hair is, how curly it is, etc. So that is a big price tag and investment!

Unfortunately not all of us have the money so the cheaper alternative is to do it yourself.
I bought my kit off of Amazon a few years ago and used it right before my Sophomore year photo was taken. Unfortunately at the time it was not done right and it was terribly rushed as I was late. My straightener also wasn't up to par as far as straighteners went so it made my Taylor Swift curls into waves.

However last week I had decided to give it one more try in attempts to cut down time on straightening my hair. This time it was a success! I am so happy with the results and I'm glad I was able to get it right this time! I now don't spend an hour straightening my hair and can simply get pin straight hair by blow drying it for two minutes! So below I will explain the entire process so you can give it a go if you'd like.

The Matrix Opti Smooth Permanent Straightener kit includes:

1. A bottle of Pre-Treat
2. A smoothing cream
3. A bottle of conditioning neutralizer
4. A Post-Treatment cream

 

Image From:  http://www.emotion-hair.it/public/it/3230-matrix-opti-smooth-stiratura.asp

The first step to permanent straightening is the wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo to remove any build up and to make your hair as clean as possible for the process. I recommend that a week in advance that you really baby your hair and take care of it. That means using hair masks and avoiding heat in your hair. You are after all, breaking the protein bonds in your hair so you might as well be nice to it before that. You also may want someone to help you with this process as it is hard to see the back of your head and you want this to be done perfectly.

While your hair is still wet from the shower, towel blot it and then apply the pre-treat to your locks. This spray will keep your hair protected from the damage of straightening your hair so this is an important step! Afterwards be sure towel blot your hair again and apply a cape. 

Next apply the smoothing cream within 8-12 minutes. Yes you heard me, that means you have to do this step rather quickly. You're going to want to put the cream in half inch partings and apply it from half an inch from the scalp, downwards. You are also going to want to comb it to keep the hair straight as this is the product that is breaking the bonds in your hair. Now you're going to want to cover your head with a shower cap to keep the heat onto your hair and help it develop faster. *Be sure to use the right formula for your hair! There is a chart included to show which formula is right for you.

After ten minutes you are going to want to do a knot test. So you are going to need to take a small section of hair (not too small or that knot will be stuck in your hair forever and you're going to need to cut it off) and then simply tie a knot. You are going to make three knots: one two inches away from the scalp, one on your mid-lengths and one at the one. If the knot is secure and stays then that part of your hair is done. If the ends or mid-lengths are done before the top of your head, spray water on it to stop the process. If the knot does not stay, untie the knot and put it back in a shower cap and repeatedly test the strands again every five minutes. This entire process can take about 40 minutes so be patient!

This next part is rather boring but you will need to rinse your hair for 7-10 minutes to completely rinse out the smoothing cream. So rinse away with warm water and be gentle!

Now you are going to want to towel dry very very gently, your hair is very fragile right now. You will also want to take a detangling wide tooth brush and brush out your hair to make sure it is tangle free. And again, apply some more pre-treat onto your hair.

Next we are going to blow dry our hair until it is 80% dry. So bust out your blow dryer and blow dry your hair away! When you have finished with that you are going to want to straighten your hair. Be sure to get a good quality flat iron! Do not use a drug store one and use a flat iron that is ceramic. The one I used is by Infrashine and I will be doing a review on that next! During this step you are not allowed to use clips or pins as it may leave a dent onto your hair, so get a friend to hold the sections for you. I will be doing a Youtube video soon on how to get pin straight hair, so watch out for that!

After you have finished straightening your hair, put back on your nape as we are going to be using the conditioning neutralizer next! Take half inch partings and begin applying it on your hair starting from half an inch away from the scalp. Gently comb with a wide inch comb every few minutes to keep the hair straight. You are going to leave this product on your hair for ten minutes and then you'll want to rinse it out for 5-7 minutes.

Blot dry your hair with a towel and don't worry we are almost done! We are going to apply our post treatment cream from the mid-lengths to the ends of our hair. Leave it on for 2-3 minutes and then rinse it out. After this you can blow dry your hair and voila! Straight hair!

READ ME: BE SURE TO PREVENT GETTING YOUR HAIR WET FOR THE NEXT 48 HOURS. USE A SHOWER CAP WHEN TAKING A SHOWER AND DO NOT TIE IT UP OR DENT IT IN ANY WAY.

This step is extremely important, if you fail to follow those instructions then your hair will go back to being curly/wavy! So don't say I didn't warn you!

I know that this is a very long post but I just wanted to be thorough as I know not everyone is clear on the process of permanent hair straightening. So I hope you learned something through this post and if you have any questions, be sure to ask!

~Dopemakeup <3