Over the past year, many of us have had to find new ways of turn our homes into makeshift beauty parlours (among other things), whether that’s taming unruly brows or keeping our hair under control by reaching for the scissors – some attempts inevitably being more successful than others.

While it was a relief for many when hairdressers were finally permitted to open in England on 12 April, if you’re as unorganised as me when it comes to your haircare, you weren’t lucky enough to secure a booking. As such, it had been a whole year before I managed to secure a haircut, and it’s safe to say my locks were in need of some serious TLC. Not to mention my hair is naturally frizzy, very long and difficult to tame.

While waiting for my long overdue appointment I discovered Owow, a relatively new haircare brand that promises to instantly revive lacklustre locks; taming frizz and delivering silky smooth hair that supposedly lasts for up to three months.

Already convinced? Shop Owow’s at-home kit now (£43.96, Owowbeauty.com)

Claiming to offer the same miracle results as a salon-worthy keratin treatment – a chemical process often performed by hairdressers that smooths and adds shine to frizzy hair – but for a fraction of the price and without the nasties (it’s vegan, cruelty-free and sulphate-free), I was undoubtedly sceptical.

The brainchild of Georgina Grudinschi, who understood the need for long term solutions to combating frizzy hair, Owow has amassed a cult following and has demonstrable results, with users sharing their before and after photos on Instagram. The more I scrolled, the more intrigued I was.

Can a simple at-home hair treatment really be the answer I’ve been looking for to transform my frizzy Hagrid hair into sleek, smooth locks? I tried the Owow kit (£43.96, Owowbeauty.com) to find out.

Owow at-home smoothing treatment kit

Buy now £43.96, Owowbeauty.com

On first impressions I liked the Owow packaging, it arrived in a recyclable cardboard box and all the products (sulfate free shampoo and conditioner, and the smoothing treatment spray) can be recycled with your usual household waste.

The products are cruelty-free and vegan, and unlike keratin treatments at the salon, do not contain formaldehyde. The formulas are instead packed full of natural ingredients, including cashew nuts, guarana and balsamic vinegar – all of which are rich in vitamins and antioxidants and good for making your hair shine.

Onto the important bit, the application. The instructions were easy to follow, with a leaflet detailing the steps you have to take in order to say “bye bye to frizzy hair”. The entire process did take around two hours, which may deter some, but we were determined to give it a good go.

It firstly involved saturating the hair with the smoothing treatment, which I expected to have a chemical scent, so was pleasantly surprised by how nice it smelt. Owing to the length and thickness of my hair, I did use up the entire 100ml bottle in one sitting, something that might not be the case for those with shorter or finer hair.

Following application, I had to leave the treatment on for one hour (40 minutes for those with thin hair), allowing it to work its magic before thoroughly rinsing it to make sure no residual product was left. After this, it was time to blow-dry and straighten my locks. The latter did take quite a considerable amount of time because you have to go over each 2cm section six times to make sure the hair is entirely straight.

But once that was done, I was left to admire the finished result: soft and shiny hair that now feels completely transformed. Normally when I blow-dry my hair it feels dry, frizzy and somewhat unmanageable, but after using the Owow at-home smoothing treatment, it’s silky and sleek – and I’m here for it. I will now have to wash my hair using the brand’s sulfate free shampoo and conditioner and blow-dry after every wash to reactive the effect, but that’s not much of an issue for me – and there is a 100ml shampoo and conditioner included within the kit.

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The verdict: Owow at-home smoothing treatment kit

Having never done an at-home keratine style treatment before, I was sceptical at how the Owow at-home smoothing kit could transform my locks from their dry and frizzy state to something smooth and silky. But that’s exactly what it's done. I’m impressed with how it’s made my hair more manageable and has meant I don’t need to straighten it after every blow-dry, with just a few flyaways left to tame. While the £45 price tag does seem steep for a treatment you have to do yourself at home, if you regularly go to the salon for a similar thing, it will save you money in the long run, and you should certainly give the Owow at-home smoothing kit at try.

All in all, the process did take a long time – well over two hours – but, I suppose it’s a small price to pay for a couple of months of smooth locks. Goodbye Hagrid hair!

Looking to attain sleeker, stronger locks? You need to read our guide to the best hair growth shampoos

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This at-home keratin treatment kit transformed my thick, frizzy hair

After a year of no salon appointments, my hair was in dire need of some TLC – Owow came to the rescue

Owow at-home smoothing treatment kit

The verdict: Owow at-home smoothing treatment kit

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