Avlon Blogger Breakfast with Dr Ali Syed


On Saturday myself and some other bloggers were kindly invited to a breakfast with Avlon hosted by the company's President and Master Chemist Dr Ali Syed. Avlon, which specialises in producing professional products for afro hair, is recognised globally and owning various brands. I'm most familiar with KeraCare but the company boasts several other successful brands including Affirm, MoisturColor, Ferm and FiberGuard.


The event was eye-opening and I could see instantly why Dr Ali Syed is described as the leading authority on afro hair. He was bursting with knowledge and it was interesting to hear facts like 'african hair tends to be 50 times more difficult to comb when dry than caucasian hair' and 'hair growth rates in African hair can be as low as 3.68 inches per year in comparison to 5.69 inches in caucasian hair'. 

From left to right: Jemima (Black Beauty & Hair), Keysha (Black Hair), Diane (I Grew It Long), me, Dr Ali Syed, Rachy (UK Naturals), Dr Ali Syed's wife, Peeks (MO-AM network), Wunmi and Chantelle (Woman In the Jungle)

It became clear from the breakfast that despite a wealth of successful product lines the company is constantly looking to create more brands to suit both consumers and professionals. I'm most excited about the launch of the new Texture Release system in the UK. 

Texture Release is a salon system which can temporarily elongate or straighten curly hair, depending on your personal preference. The effects last for about two months and provides the ultimate versatility when styling the hair. In some ways Texture Release is similar to a keratin treatment, but it has been designed without formaldehyde, methylene glycol and other harsh ingredients which is a huge plus. It's also stated to work on all curl types and previously relaxed hair.


All of the above photos were kindly provided by Abi Oshodi. You can view more of his work at his website here.

The Texture Release looks to be genuine alternative to relaxing but I've tried to stop myself getting too excited about this system yet, as it's currently only available in salons (I've only been to a salon once in the past 8 years!) I've long been searching for a way to manage my multi-textured transitioning hair and I'm hoping a home version of this system is released so I can try it.

Overall it was a great event and I also received a goodie bag stuffed with KeraCare Natural Textures products which I've not tried before. I've already started using them but will do thorough reviews in the coming weeks when I have more of an idea on just how well they work for my hair.


Have you tried anything by Avlon or the Texture Release?

Lesley x