Hairtoxx: ‘Can I freeze away my frizz with this new hair cryotherapy treatment?’
Fed up with hair like candyfloss, our deputy editor tried a new salon treatment that smooths the cuticle by freezing it into submission. But did it work?
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Having my hair frozen to minus 16 degrees – by what looks like a pair of straighteners but they’re covered in ice crystals – on a frigid winter day was not top of my list of fun things to do. I detest being cold – wild swimming is my worst nightmare and I never relinquish my Uniqlo cashmere thermal vest until May – but here I am, at Haug London Haus salon trying out Hairtoxx, a new Brazilian hair cryotherapy treatment.
Similar to Hair Botox, it’s a smoothing treatment but a cold, rather than hot, one. It’s a desperate attempt to find something, anything, that’ll tackle my appalling frizz, the result of three decades of bleach, lack of styling skills and general neglect.
As all bleached blondes know, achieving Claudia Winkleman-esque levels of shine is impossible (the peroxide roughs up the cuticle). But is it too much to ask for just a teensy bit of gleam? Hair that looks like hair rather than candyfloss? Well, look at the photos – it actually works! And – bonus – while my hair got cold, the rest of me absolutely did not.
From lifeless to luminous: Kerry’s hair before (left, although you knew that) and after
What is Hairtoxx cryotherapy exactly?
Hairtoxx – a Brazilian brand that’s only available in the capital at Haug London Haus salon at time of writing but is gradually rolling out nationwide – involves sealing a deeply hydrating mask into the hair cuticle and cortex, using a cryotherapy tool that looks likes straightening irons. It takes an hour tops, including a blow dry, and costs £140. The price includes the brand’s nourishing shampoo and conditioner to take home, to help prolong the shine, and they say the results last around five weeks.
“The mask contains natural products like avocado butter and hyaluronic acid, which is already found within hair,” says my stylist Katie. “The hyaluronic is locked in by the cold, to fill the gaps where it should naturally be. So we’re restoring hair to its natural health, boosting strength, shine and elasticity.” The tech makes sense – after all, we give our hair a cold rinse or a cold blast of the hair dryer for these reasons.
And given cryotherapy’s booming popularity in wellbeing circles for its inflammation and pain reducing benefits, it’s no surprise that the hair industry wants in on its icy charms.
What happens?
My hair is washed and then the treatment mask is combed through my mid-lengths and ends, section by section. Katie then runs the cryo tool, which is plugged into what looks like a freezer to cool it to minus 16 and has visible ice on one of its plates, over each section. She does the top of each section then does another pass to coat the underside. You can see the ice crystals transfer from the plate onto your hair but because it doesn’t touch your scalp, you don’t feel the cold. (The blue light is just there to look cool, by the way, it doesn’t do anything.) You don’t have to wait for it to develop or take, it’s rinsed straight off, your hair is then conditioned and blow-dried. It’s all very quick.
The conditioning mask is combed through (left) then sealed in with the cryo tool
What’s the difference between Hairtoxx cryotherapy and keratin treatments?
My hair is fine and bleached, but all hair types can benefit. Some clients, Katie says, are using it as an alternative to keratin treatments. It’s much quicker (keratin takes around three hours, mine takes one and cheaper (£140 vs from £200 for keratin on shorter hair), although keratin lasts longer (five weeks for Hairtoxx vs three-to-six months). “Hair cryo won’t straighten your hair though like keratin, if that’s what you want. It doesn’t create a chemical change like keratin” says Katie. “Hairtoxx retains your curls. It’s a gentler and more natural process. If frizz is your main issue, it’s the one to go for.”
If you’re looking at this as an alternative to a hair Botox treatment, while Hairtoxx uses cold to lock moisture into the cuticle, hair Botox uses heat. So it might be a good option if you want to avoid (more) heat on your hair.
My verdict
My hair looked shinier than I’ve ever seen it in the salon and felt incredibly soft but the real test comes in the days that follow, when I’m left to my own (cack-handed) devices.
I go for a long run in drizzle the next morning, with my hair scrunched up into a ponytail under a baseball cap, which is unfortunately where it spends most of its time (I do a lot of sport). I’m astonished when I take it down straight afterwards, while I’m still sweating, and there’s not a hint of frizz in sight.
After the first at-home wash and blow-dry — frizz still MIA
I can also happily wear it down on days two and three post-treatment – unheard of, as the frizz usually reappears straight after wash day. My only issue is trying to get enough volume into it, as it’s far more sleek than usual.
I wash and blow dry it on day four – and here’s where I’m expecting it to revert to the usual mess but, to my amazement, it still gleams. I commute to work, get rained on and then spend the day in an over-heated room; all frizz red flags normally. But my hair remains a candyfloss-free zone, as it is right now, two weeks in. It’s also allowed me to cut right down on products – normally, I have to bombard the ends with calming creams and balms to no lasting avail.
Whether the Hairtoxx will last five weeks, I don’t know but so far I’m impressed. At £140, it’s not something I could afford to add into my regular cut and highlights regime every time, but, for a special occasion, I’m in.
Hairtoxx at Haug London Haus costs £140
