When I first started seriously on beauty blogging, many of you know me with my curly hair. The actual fact is I’ve kept a long straight hair for as long as I can remember and decided to undergo a perm. Twice 😀 . Just last year I’ve decided to go back to my original straight hair but I wouldn’t want the rebonding stick straight. My stylist recommended doing a treatment with relaxing cream and then follow up with L’Oreal Professionnel Steampod Steam Bond. She said Steampod will be able give me a silky, smooth straight hair without the frizz and burn unlike rebonding. And so I did.

This time round, L’Oreal Professionnel Malaysia ask me if I would like to go for a Steampod Keratin Steam Care Treatment. I needed a hair trim and treatment badly so I jumped right on the opportunity. My appointment was set on the 23rd December at A Cut Above Bangsar Village II branch. This was my hair before the treatment and trim. My hair was getting really long. The layer that I had has beginning to even out as if I have straight even hair length. My fringe has started to annoyed me very much and the bottom half of my hair was so badly spoilt with split ends that it broke into small pieces each time I comb my hair. First time in my life I’ve seen such thing happening to my hair.

The treatment started off with a wash. I was put through two wash as I have oily scalp and long hair. After that I returned to my chair for a mist and massage with X-Tenso Care Pro-Keratine + Incell Ultra Protective Pre-Treatment. It’s an anti-breakage, anti-damage and for chemically treated hair. Junior Stylist, Miki took a small strand of hair, mist the treatment on and massage in slowly from root to end. Process is repeated until every hair is treated.

Oh and I have to warn you that most of the photos is taken by myself as the salon is quite full and busy that morning so I’ve decided to take as much photos as I can without any help from the salon staff. Sorry if there’s no close-up shots but I make sure you can see clearly what was happening so no worries about that 😀

Steampod was already prepared earlier for warm up prior before using. So what exactly is Steampod and why is everyone raving about it, you ask? Steampod is the world’s first hair smoothing iron that delivers a continuous stream of pressurized steam from an in-built steam generator. This is a new, effective and long-lasting steam-activated straightening treatment. The steam gently opens up the hair cuticle, progressively warming up the fiber to prevent heat shock. The repairing treatment is then delivered to the core of the fiber whereas the cuticle is smoothed and the ends are sealed for a flawless finish. The effect and transformation is immediate without the burnt hair look from regular straightening treatments.

There are two types of Steampod service offered – Keratin Steam Bond and Keratin Steam Care. I went for Steam Care Treatment as my natural hair is already straight so I don’t need the “rebonding” effect, just treatment for my spoilt hair will do just fine 🙂

Eventhough Steampod uses a smoothing iron that is similar to regular rebonding iron, it is not painful nor does the iron is dragging my hair. Basically the steam released from Steampod smoothen the application and the process duration time is shorten. With regular rebonding, you will need to undergo a painful process twice whereas with Steampod you only need to do it once. I would say the whole process is quite pleasant and pain-free!

Some of you may ask what’s the different between Steam Bond and Steam Care. This Steampod machine is a dual function machine. You can do hair smoothing aka Steam Bond or hair treatment aka Steam Care with Steampod.

Keratin Steam Bond

Steam smoothing service with the ultimate repair of Pro-Keratin found in X-Tenso Care. For this service you can choose either Ultimate Straight Smoothing (straight and silky look until the ends of the hair) or Natural Straight Smoothing (straight and shiny with more natural movement), depending on the type of permanent look you want to achieve.

Keratin Steam Care

Steam Care is a hair treatment that gives an anti-frizz smoothing effect that can last up to 3 days, if used for normal to slightly sensitive hair. With continuous use with X-Tenso Care at home, hair fiber is reconstructed from the inside out thus preventing it from breakage and dryness.

Before I even realized it, I’m already half way through Steam Care Treatment. Like I said, it’s quite pleasant and I really do feel like falling asleep if Miki didn’t chat with me lol.

This is the result to Steampod Steam Care Treatment, even before applying treatment mask and other treatment products 🙂 . I have ombre hair color as like I said it before, my hair is spoilt on the most part of the ends. It is pretty obvious that the result is instant and I don’t have frizzy hair that I had before. Notice that there was no burnt hair at all? The shine is amazing. The credit goes to the continuous stream of pressurized steam from an in-built steam generator.

Let me walk you through this wonderful machine.

Steampod is a result of 5 years in research and with 8 patents. It is the 1st Steam Smoothing System multi-dimensional heat-styling tool that provides the hair with a complete repairing treatment, while creating the polished, blow-dry finish. It is suitable for all hair types, even the most sensitive all thanks to the caring effects and from it’s Pro-Keratin technology.

And this container here contain water and minerals in it that are needed to produce the steam.

This tool here comes with multi-function and with amazing features:

• Continuous steam pressure (3,5 g/min), the highest on the market
• Heats up the hair progressively and avoids heat damage
• Professional and removable hair comb
• The plates are flexible and create a natural, polished blow-dry finish
• Hard anodized floating plates
• 5 variable levels of temperature (from 170 to 210°C)
• Ultra smooth and resistant surface

How it works

The Smoothing Comb you see here works by spreading the hair evenly (which explains the pain-free process) so that the contact surface with the plates is maximised throughout the smoothing. This comb is there for another purpose. It reduces service time only 1-2 passes compared to 3-4 of the classical straighteners (which explains the shorten treatment period).

All the small round holes you see in front of the Smoothing Comb is where the steam is released. It works by gently opening the cuticle and drives the products deep into the hair fibre. It releases steam constantly under a high pressure. Steampod release a 3.5 grams of a steam per minute, while regular hair straightener release a 0.5 grams of steam per minute. The steam keeps the optimal level of hydration in the fibre while activating the treating products to allow for repair and strengthening in the heart of the fibre.

This tool also comes with plates but in this case it’s called the Floating Plates. The contact with the plates is ensured from roots to ends for a polished blow-dry finish. The temperate of the plates is can be adapted according to hair sensitisation and smoothen the hair fibre for mirror shine gloss. This feature also explains why I didn’t feel the heat or hot burn on my scalp 😀

After that, it was time for the second last treatment. X-Tenso Care Nutritive Shine Serum was added into X-Tenso Care Pro-Keratine + Incell Intense Nutri-Reconstructor Masque and the mixture product was applied onto small strands of hair by massaging the product in and when every hair is covered, I was left alone for 10 minutes before rinsing.

After rinsing, my hair was applied with Steampod Replenishing Smoothing Cream. I requested for a hair cut and willing to pay for it as it wasn’t covered but A Cut Above Stylist, Florence Ng was so kind to me that she said she could trim some of my hair for me. *Thanks Florence!*. The hair trim was done while my hair is still wet.

After the hair trim, Miki once again blow-dry my hair and we waited for Florence to come back again for final touch-up on the hair trim. Then she “seal the deal” with Steampod Protective Smoothing Serum.

Are you as curious and excited as I am when I took the “After” photo? Miki helped me to take the photo of my hair and when we both look back at the camera preview, I was literally swept off my feet and WOW-ed at my own hair. Miki jokingly asked me if I knew my hair was this gorgeous. I said I know the after-effect of Steampod Steam Care Treatment because I’ve done the treatment before but honestly, I didn’t expect THIS. If only I have more hair on my head LOL!

Steampod Keratin Steam Care Treatment is priced from RM155. The length of my hair before trim cost around RM255, but do take note that the price will depend on your hair length. I suggest that you drop by L’Oreal Professionnel Salon for a quote prior before or just walk in and do it!

For those that are looking for straightening your hair permanently, I would recommend you to Steampod Steam Bond rather than the conventional rebonding as Steampod will style and treat your hair at the same time, reducing the amount of stress and damage to the hair.

Steampod Steam Bond Service and Steam Care Treatment are available at all L’Oreal Professionnel Salons nationwide.

Disclaimer: Steampod Keratin Steam Care Treatment is courtesy of L’Oreal Professionnel Malaysia. This doesn’t affect my judgement in the review in any way.