The training comes from the Brazilian couple Marcelo and Marcia Teixeira, who have schooled hundreds of hairstylists in the method since starting classes at their Delray Beach salon, Marcia Studio, in January 2006. Now the company is rapidly expanding classes to New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California and Texas. Next up is Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the Middle East.
"I saw the potential and I went for it," said Marcelo Teixeira. "We invested everything we had and then some."
In Brazil, the method is called escova progressiva in Portuguese, which means progressive blow-dry. The active ingredient, keratin, is a protein that is sealed onto the hair using a 450-degree flat iron.
"Asians have more keratin, which is why their hair is straight and shiny," said Teixeira. "And blacks have less. This keratin comes from New Zealand from lambs wool. No animals are killed, of course. The keratin comes to us in liquid form."
The formula coats the hair with a biopolymer and smoothes out the roughness of the cuticle while sealing in moisture, which is what gives the hair a shiny, glossy finish. The process takes two to four hours depending on the length and texture of the hair. Stylists usually charge around $150 an hour for the treatment, which lasts three to four months.
