The Day my Hairdresser had to Sterilise her Tools (Pantene Pro-V Sheer Volume Shampoo)

Member Name: aefra

Product:	Pantene Pro-V Sheer Volume Shampoo
Date:	20/09/02 (535 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Leaves my hair in good condition

Disadvantages: **

This op was inspired by a slightly sordid 15 minutes in my hairdresser's. Since parking outside the door of my local stylist cannot always be taken for granted, I like to arrive early - just in case. Kara smiled at me and said she would only be a minute, then turned to the thick, dark, collar-length hair of the young man sitting in her chair. "Are you sure?", she asked. He nodded. He wanted it all off to the scalp. When the clippers stopped dead at the first contact with his hair, it was apparent that the "only a minute" I would have to wait was optimistic. The young man assured her that there was no wax in his hair, that it was "a bit greasy". I felt a little sorry for him over the next 15 minutes as, in the almost empty salon, the elderly lady beside me and I tried not to stare at the proceedings. This young man either had great aplomb or just didn't realise that anything was wrong. He said that he didn't have any shampoo, but had put his head under the tap before leaving for his appointment.

Kara was trying to deal with hair that had clearly not seen water, let alone soap for many a moon and when for a while she reverted to scissors, even these became stuck in the repellant sticky mass. Over a quarter of an hour later the job was done and a bravely smiling Kara bid him good day before taking the tools of her trade away to be sterilised, and then swept up the disgusting remnants of his visit from the floor. The nice elderly lady and I both told him that he looked nice as he left to keep an appointment. I do hope it wasn't an interview for a job as a solicitor's clerk or similar. After brushing the seat I was expected to take and washing her hands (it was that bad), Kara thankfully lifted a new comb and scissors above my head.

After the previous client whatever state I was in would have been a relief, and it was not surprising that she enthusiastically remarked on
how shiny my hair was. "What do you use on it?", she asked. I relished telling her that it was the stuff which she, other hairdressers and public information says is dreadful for the hair. With a short break to try other products, I was back 365 days a year on Pantene shampoo and conditioner. She paused a while and then remarked that it must suit me. The truth of the matter is that - if reports and warnings are to be believed about all the awful sillicones in Pantene which build up and spoil the hair are true - I am the only one using the biggest selling brand name in the world. Since I know few who admit to using it, I must be getting through an awful lot of shampoo.

Pantene have now discontinued a range which concentrated on types of hair. Nowdays they produce products which aim for an end result. Thus the shampoos and conditioners now tell us that we will have Smooth and Sleek, Radiant Colour, Perfect Curl, Classic Care or Sheer Volume as a result of washing our hair with Pantene. Each is identified on the familiar white bottle by a different coloured logo.

My hair, kept short, is thick but fine. The sort that invites the scissors to a quick snip and all is over, only to have a stylist admitting that I have more hair than they expected. For this reason I use Pantene Sheer Volume because I want it to actually look thick. Both the shampoo and conditioner I choose are in slim 200ml white plastic bottles conveniently meant to be stood upside down on their caps. The contents of the shampoo are a clear gel with a discreetly citric scent. Because the soft lather is instant with very little used, the shampoo goes a long way and rinsing out is easy with my hair left feeling squeaky clean. Despite all the talk of sillicones the shine is not that of a heavy Brylcremy effect. The blurb tells me that Sheer Volume " supports each strand to add fullness and protects without weighing down", and I find th
is to be true. My hair is shiny, but feels light and manageable. Without using a dryer the style (such as it is) falls into place. Here I should mention that the manufacturers' (Proctor and Gamble) website suggests using the shampoo and conditioner in tandem. That is choose both for the end result you wish. I don't have the price to hand, but there are frequently offers on this brand.

Despite the emphasise on "end result", the shampoos are still intended to assist in problems such as split ends, dryness etc. They contain special cleaning agents and conditioners which target damaged areas of hair. Well, that is what the website tells me. Maybe the fact that my hair is regularly trimmed means that nothing can build up on my hair before it is cut off. But thinking back to the days of shoulder length tresses, dealt the blow of heated rollers from time to time, this product has stood me in good stead for quite a while.

After warnings that this type of shampoo will do my hair no long-term good, I have tried several shampoos over the past few months, and some I have liked. But I have yet to find any that leave my hair as Pantene does. It has just that little extra and I shall continue to use it daily. The sales are so huge, that I can't take the credit for them all, and have to assume that there are a lot more like myself who feel happy squeezing that white plastic bottle every morning.

Summary: