I started using this at the suggestion of my co-worker last year. I like the results. It's smells like .....but my hair looked 10x better. Make sure you condition your hair afterwards.

P.S I am a product junkie

When I first started using it, I was scared to death of it  I've never had a product that turned my hair into a helmet and made it hard as a rock.  But it is supposed to do that--thats how you know its working. Once it is dried in hard, you aren't supposed to disturb it--but its really not that serious.  As long as you aren't trying to comb it or styling it while its dried in- you won't have a problem with breakage.  You can even blow it dry with a hand held dryer as long as you are blowing down.  Nowadays I actually look forward to it.  You put it in, let it harden completely, rinse it out, and deep condition.  Once you rinse it out and do your deep conditioning, your hair will feel so much stronger. 

Alot of people have problems b/c their hair still feels hard after they wash the treatment out.  The solution for this is thorough deep conditioning.  Depending on your hair condition, it might not be your regular 30-45 min deep conditioning that you'll need to do---I leave my conditioner in for hours afterward- even overnight sometimes.  Your hair should feel strong--not hard.

You can use it on relatively healthy hair every 6-8 weeks for preventive maintenance.  But, you should not use the treatment more than every 6 weeks b/c it is strong enough to last you through that period of time.  Too much protein at a time will cause you even more breakage.  You have to keep in mind that reconstructors/protein treatments are probably not the only products in your regimen that contain protein- so if you are using a protein containing shampoo, conditioner, leave in and hair gel- your hair is already dealing with a considerable amount of protein.  Listen to your hair--it will tell you what it needs.

Good thread.  I needed to know the answer to this question also.  Horror stories?.....really?

jasmine2g3 wrote: Can this treatment be used with a blow dryer b/c i do not have a hooded dryer? Or can I just put a shower cap over my hair and move the blowdryer around over my head until it gets hot?

you don't have to have a hooded dryer at all! You can use a handheld dryer to do it--but you have to make sure you keep the air moving in a downward motion.  I use the handheld dryer so that I can dry all of the areas the hooded dryer can't get too.  The aphogee will stiffen your hair so if you are letting it blow wildly you make have some tangling and breakage issues to deal with later.  You can even airdry the treatment in if you want-- but heat will get the job done much faster.  No need for a plastic cap for any of the options.

cookiesnkream wrote:    LOL well maybe that was a strong word,, i have read some posts about it with complaints of breakage after using it ,, to me thats a horror story lol thats what scared me about it...

I'm with you.....that is a horror story.  When I go to the bss I'm gonna check this out.

I have never used Ahpogee Reconstructor but I have used Emergencee by Nexuss and Penetraitt by Sebastian.  They are similar products where you apply them, sit under dryer until the product dries & hardens.  Then you rinse well.  These reconstructors are great and really make a big difference.  When I did either of these regularly, my hair was really healthy, shiny, strong and thick.  Many of the beauty shops that I have gone to over the years offer these and I have also done at home.  I would definitely use a conditioner afterwards, preferably one that is moisturizing and detangling. 

I am not surprised to hear that some people have experienced breakage using these types of products.  Once the product dries, your hair will be hard like a helmet and when rinsed, these reconstructors do not leave your hair feeling slick enough to detangle (at least not in my experience with Penetraitt or Emergencee).  So, if someone inexperienced were to use any of these, they could run into trouble if they were to try to comb through their hair without first rinsing and then using a good conditioner.