Curly or wavy hair does seem sexy and charming; however, sometimes the owner of curly hair wants to try a new hairstyle so it is tempting to straighten it. So do you? If you want to straighten your hair, be it at home or at the salon, there are some important tips that you must pay attention to. Want to know more detailed information? Read on for this article!
Step
Method 1 of 2: Straightening Hair at Home
Step 1. Wash your hair with a shampoo that is able to soften your hair, finish with conditioner
Straightening dry and frizzy hair is not easy; for that, you need to first prepare the condition of the hair by washing it using shampoo and conditioner that is rich in moisturizer.
- Use a sulfate-free shampoo to prevent the hair's natural oils from being lost. Remember, your hair needs protection from this layer of oil when styling at high temperatures.
- Use a conditioner that is rich in moisture and is able to hydrate the hair. For extra protection, use a leave-in conditioner or conditioner that doesn't need to be rinsed after bathing.
Step 2. Dry the hair
If possible, wait until your hair is half dry before using a blow dryer; if the hair is still wet exposed to heat, it is feared the condition will be more damaged.
Instead, pat and knead your hair with a cotton t-shirt or a soft, lint-free towel. Don't rub or pull on wet hair so you don't break or fall out
Step 3. Apply a small amount of straightening product
Do not apply too many straightening products so that your hair does not look “heavy”, limp, and lacks volume.
Look for products that protect and moisturize your hair, such as a blow dry primer (a tonic that protects your hair from the heat of a straightening iron and makes your hair look more voluminous), a vitamin spray that softens your hair, or a smoothing balm (a type of oil that keeps hair moisturized)
Step 4. Dry your hair with a blow dryer
Use a round comb to pull each strand of hair as it blows dry.
- Point the dryer hole down to prevent the hair texture from drying and frizzing after drying.
- Make sure your hair is completely dry before straightening it with a flat iron.
- Be patient. This step is a lengthy process, especially if your hair is very curly.
- If your hair is too curly and difficult to straighten with the help of a round comb and blow dryer, try using large rollers and blow-drying your hair using a hooded hair dryer (the round hair dryers you often find in salons); If you don't have one, try using a hair roller before going to bed at night, and straightening it when you wake up the next morning.
Step 5. Straighten the hair with a flat iron
Once your hair is completely dry, tie a section of your hair into a bun or ponytail, then begin to gradually straighten the untied sections (approximately 3-5 cm thick in one straightening process).
- If your straightener has a temperature control, make sure you use it according to the following instructions: for thin or damaged hair, use a temperature of 250-300°C; for hair of medium or normal thickness, use a temperature of 300-350°C; for thick, stiff and unruly hair, use a temperature of 350-400°C.
- Hold the comb with your right hand and the vise with your left. Pull the section of hair to be straightened with a comb, then pin it in a straight motion with a vise (starting from the roots to the ends of the hair).
- If the hair is not straight, repeat the process again.
- Once the layer of hair close to the neck has been straightened, untie your hair and repeat the process for that section.
- Do not use a flat iron if your hair is still wet or damp; Be careful, doing so has the potential to damage hair health.
Step 6. Use a hair serum or vitamin spray
Do this process to make your hair smoother, softer and shinier.
Serum is more suitable to be applied to thick and coarse hair, while vitamin spray is more suitable to be applied to fine or normal textured hair
Method 2 of 2: Straightening Hair at the Salon
Step 1. Select the Brazilian blowout process
Brazilian blowout, also known as permanent blow out or keratin treatment, is a method of straightening hair using keratin that is said to not damage the hair. As a result, your hair will feel softer, relaxed and straight. On average, the Brazilian blowout process takes 90 minutes with the following steps:
- The stylist will wash and dry your hair with a towel.
- Then, he will divide your hair into sections and apply straightening products to each section in turn.
- After that, your hair will be dried and pulled with a hairdryer to make it straight.
- Then, he will straighten your hair with a flat iron to keep it in shape.
- After the process, the stylist will wash your hair and apply a hair mask that moisturizes the hair.
- Eventually, he'll go back to washing your hair and applying serum and/or vitamins before going back to blow-drying your hair.
Step 2. Schedule an appointment with a salon that offers Brazilian blowout or permanent blow dry services
If you are still not sure about using these services, try consulting first with a professional hair stylist available at the salon.
- Understand that the price of hair straightening services carried out by professional hairdressers is very expensive. In Jakarta, the price range is around 1.6-2.8 million (depending on hair length and thickness); in addition, you also need to set aside at least 3 hours to go through the whole process.
- If your hair is very curly, a permanent blow out will probably make your hair texture smoother, although not completely straight.
- Although many argue, straightening hair in this way will also damage your hair.
Step 3. Have the right hair care products
Once straightened, of course your hair needs to be treated. However, you don't have to buy expensive hair care products at the salon; basically, hair care products sold in supermarkets or pharmacies you can use.
- Look for hair care products that are minimal in chemicals and can prevent frizz.
- Do not use any product that contains sulfates.
Step 4. Take care of your hair after the straightening process
After straightening your hair at the salon, there are some general steps that you must follow (some hairdressers have their own, more specific rules).
- Do not tie or pin hair in the first 72 hours; Don't tuck your hair behind your ear either.
- Make sure your hair is not exposed to water in the first 72 hours. If your hair is accidentally exposed to water, immediately dry and straighten it with a flat iron.
- Straighten your hair as needed. Remember, new hair grows back into curls; therefore, you must diligently straighten it at home.
Tips
- Look for styling products that don't include "water" in their first five ingredients. Be careful, contact with water can make your hair curl again.
- Some types of hair are thicker and therefore more difficult to straighten.
The Things You Need
- High-temperature iron and/or hairdryer
- Comb with round bearing
- Hair straightening products
- Hair serum (optional)
- Hair vitamins (optional but should be available as they are very beneficial for your hair)
