Curly hair is great for the wild, tousled look, but does not work well in the more sleek styles. There are several different methods for straightening hair, from chemical relaxers to heat techniques. Heat straightening is temporary and offers a level of flexibility that chemical straightening does not---just add a little water to go back to your natural texture. Done correctly, heat styling is also less damaging than permanent relaxers.
Step 1
Wash and condition your hair with a hair straightening shampoo and conditioner, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Dry your hair with a towel until slightly damp.
Step 2
Apply anti-frizz serum to your hair and finish drying your hair with the hairdryer. Use the comb attachment to straighten out your curls. Move the hairdryer downward along the length of the hair to make the hair as flat as possible. Combing upward adds too much volume.
Step 3
Apply a heat-safe straightening serum. Use the rat-tail comb to divide your hair into four sections (part your hair down the middle and from ear-to-ear), and bind each section with the hair clips. If you need to twist your hair into the clips, twist lightly.
Step 4
Start at the back of your head and use the rat-tail comb to release a small piece of hair. The piece should be no wider than the flat iron. Set the flat iron to medium-high and wait for it to heat up. Clamp the flat iron over the lock of hair, about 1/2 inch from your scalp. Move the iron down the length of the lock, in a smooth, straight motion. Repeat with all of the hair in that section then move on to the next section---working back-to-front.
Step 5
Comb through your straightened hair, lightly, with a wide-toothed comb. Keep your hair straight with a light mist of hairspray.
Tips and Warnings
- Starting at the back of the head gets the hardest part out of the way. Starting at the back also keeps the straightened hair from getting in the way of the unstraightened hair. Move slowly. Hair straightening is time-consuming for a reason. If you move too quickly the hair won't straighten properly.
- Use the flat iron on small sections to allow the heat properly penetrate. If the sections are too thick, the outer strands will insulate the inner strands and they wont straighten completely.
Things You'll Need
- Hair straightening shampoo and conditioner
- Anti-frizz serum
- Hairdryer with comb attachment
- Heat-safe straightening serum
- Hair clips
- Rat-tail comb
- Flat iron
- Wide-toothed comb
- Hairspray
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