For many women, shiny, healthy, straight hair is a lifelong ambition, something many fear they'll never achieve. But the truth is, there's simple science behind healthy, shiny hair. Hair is shiny when the cuticles lie flat and reflect light; those flat cuticles also protect the hair from harm caused by heat or chemicals, making it healthy. Straight hair is something you're born with, but there are ways to achieve straight, healthy, shiny hair no matter what you start with.
Step 1
Get a haircut. The first step to healthy hair is getting rid of split, damaged ends. Not only will this help with the overall appearance of smoothness, but hair grows better when it's healthy.
Step 2
Wash your hair with the right shampoo and as infrequently as possible. Whether you have thin, curly hair or thick, wavy hair, there is a product designed for you. Many brands offer a full line of products, including shampoo, conditioner, straightening cream or serum and finishing spray. Look for product lines with the word "smoothing" in their titles--those are the ones designed to make hair lie smoother. If you have thicker hair that can stand to go a couple of days without washing, don't wash every day. Frequent shampooing can dry out hair, as can any blow drying or styling that follows a shampoo. If you must wash your hair every day, use the mildest shampoo possible.
Step 3
Detangle with care. Never use a brush on wet hair; use a wide-tooth comb, and run it gently through the hair. If the ends are tangled, work on them first, while holding the hair just above the tangled spot to reduce pressure on the full strand.
Step 4
Minimize your hair's exposure to heat. Unless you have naturally straight hair, some heat is necessary for straightening, but the less exposure the better. Let hair air-dry as much as possible, or use an ionic hair dryer, which dries hair in less time. Never attempt to straighten completely wet hair with a brush and blow dryer--let it air-dry most of the way, and then use a round brush to finalize it. Finish the straightening process with a flat iron with ceramic plates, which distribute heat more evenly than other types. Spray hair with a product designed to protect hair from heat before blow drying or flat ironing. Complete the process with a finishing product designed to keep hair smooth. Again, it's important to choose a product designed for your hair type, as silicone-based products that may work perfectly on thick hair can make thin hair look greasy.
Tips and Warnings
- If you feel you need to at least wet your hair every day for styling purposes, try using only conditioner on alternate days. This allows you to start fresh but protects the hair from excessive shampooing. Use a clarifying shampoo once a week. This clears off any styling product buildup on your hair.
- Never flat-iron wet hair; this can lead to serious damage. Keep the flat iron in constant motion--don't stop in any one place, or you risk burning your hair.
Things You'll Need
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Heat-protecting styling product
- Finishing product
- Blow dryer
- Ceramic flat iron
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