For a long time now, I avoided “wearing” my natural hair out. The maintenance and always trying new products in hope they deliver what they have promised and barely holding up, it all got too much, too pricey and felt impossible to get my hair back to what it initially was.
After my medical treatments in 2018, my hair went from "my best accessory" to something I didn't recognize. It was thin, dry, snapping at the slightest brush stroke, and I'd find little broken pieces on my pillow, my sweater, my shower floor (if you know, you know). I kept telling myself it would bounce back on its own, and slowly it did start growing back, but growing and surviving are two different things. Every inch I gained was breaking off just as fast.
I'd tried the oils, the masks, the "miracle" bottles that promise the world. Nothing held. So when a friend (and Hair Technician- Sally) told me about a Japanese hair repair treatment at Blow Me Away on West 3rd, I was skeptical, but desperate enough to try it.
What Is Tokio Inkarami?
Okay, so this Tokio Inkarami is a professional Japanese treatment that repairs hair from the inside. Most products just coat the surface (like putting concealer over a crack). This one uses patented technology to deliver keratin into the damaged areas and build a stronger internal network. Strength, elasticity, resilience. All the things my hair had lost.
What sold me was that Blow Me Away is an organic, low-tox salon. I'm careful about what touches my body, especially after everything my body has been through. They were upfront that when hair is really damaged, some professional technology can do what natural ingredients alone can't, and they choose the treatment based on your hair, not a one-size-fits-all menu.
Before Hair Growth Treatment
Hair Growth Treatment is designed to help prevent thinning hair and hair loss while creating an optimal scalp environment for healthy hair growth.
The Appointment: Five Steps, Zero Judgement
I went in for the Tokio Inkarami + Head Spa package and here's how it went down:
Step 1: Prep. They even out the condition of your hair so the damaged spots are ready to receive everything that follows.
Step 2: Deep Penetration. Tiny repair ingredients go deep and start filling the gaps inside the strand.
Step 3: Build Structure. More keratin layers on and connects with step one. This is where they use the Care Pro, which uses ultrasonic technology to help everything sink in deeper (basically a little science-fiction moment in the middle of your appointment).
Step 4: Strength + Elasticity. Larger ingredients expand that internal network, so your hair has some bounce and give again instead of snapping.
Step 5: Seal + Finish. The cuticle gets smoothed and sealed, and you get that shine and slip.
After Hair Growth Treatment
A deep scalp exfoliation helps remove buildup and unclog hair follicles, allowing the scalp to feel clean, refreshed, and balanced.
The First Time I Ran My Fingers Through It
I'm not exaggerating when I say my hair felt different walking out the door. Softer, smoother comb-through, way more shine, and that rough, straw-like texture was gone.
But here's what I really want you to hear, because it's the most important part of this whole post: Tokio Inkarami doesn't make hair grow faster. Your hair grows at the pace your body sets, and mine was still recovering. What it did do was help my hair stop breaking, so the length I was growing actually stayed on my head. That's the difference between a growth journey that feels like running in place and one where you can finally see progress.
A Little Reality Check (Because I Love You)
Blow Me Away is refreshingly honest about this too. Hair that's already melted, gummy, or breaking extensively can't be fully restored by any treatment. It can improve how the hair feels, but it can't rewind destroyed strands. So please go in with realistic expectations, and let your stylist tell you what's possible for your hair. And if your hair loss is tied to a medical treatment or condition, please loop in your doctor too. I did.
How Long Does It Last?
One treatment gives you an immediate improvement, but colour, heat, and washing slowly wear it down. The recommendation is to come back every 4 to 6 weeks, so think of it as maintenance, like topping off the tank. It's also safe for colour-treated hair, and you can add it to a cut, color, blowout, or head spa. There's a Smooth version (lighter, more movement, great for finer hair) and a Moist version (more softness and control for coarser hair). Your stylist will tell you which one is right for you.
The Bottom Line
Going through chemo took a lot from me, and my hair was one of the most visible things it took. Getting to feel like myself again, to touch my hair without flinching, honestly meant more than I expected. If you're in the middle of your own hair recovery, please be gentle with yourself. You're not being vain, you're allowed to want to feel like you.
You can book your own Tokio Inkarami package at Blow Me Away (8223 W 3rd St, LA). I documented the whole thing on Instagram, so go say hi if you have questions.
