woman straightening her hair

If you lot're similar me, yous're constantly looking for ways to switch up your look . 1 of my become-to moves is to straighten my frizzy, curly hair. I go from Ms. Frizzle to Malibu Barbie in merely a few non-so-short hours. Don't become me wrong; I love my curly hair, but having the ability to completely transform the style I look is fun every one time in a while (and the drastic change tends to freak people out).

And then, naturally, I've had a few fun experiences with this. Three months into my previous task I decided to straighten my hair, which led my former boss to reintroduce himself to the "new hire"—nope, still me! All curly girls know this struggle. The endless, "Wow, you lot look so different," or, "You're so pretty with straight hair," or even, "I didn't even recognize you" come flooding in when you blast the perfect hair-straightening techniques.

Over the years, I've gotten amend at straightening my hair, but there's definitely a steep learning curve—specially for girls with tight curls. I would leave the house with sleek, perfectly directly hair and once I stepped outside, information technology would poof into something out of a nightmare—a very frizzy nightmare. To assist all my beau curly-headed girls out there, I've spoken to some of the all-time hairstylists I know for pro tips on how to go perfectly straight hair at domicile. Hither'south what they had to say.

1. Start with completely dry out hair.

I volition never forget the expect on my babyhood friend's older sister's face as she left the bathroom with a slice of pilus missing because she tried to straighten her pilus when it was wet. The horror. Always get your pilus completely dry out before straightening. Always . There are different ways to get almost this depending on your pilus type.

If you have curly hair, blow-drying your hair first is key.

This is something I e'er do simply it isn't always necessary. I have extremely tight curls and just a unmarried pass of the straightener won't practise. Hairstylist Alison Rea, who is my personal stylist, swears by this trick—especially for her clients with coarse hair. "Rather than damaging the hair over and over over again with a straightener, I have out the major kinks with a blow dryer first. I utilise a concentrator zipper and paddle brush to get the pilus super direct before using my flat iron." This procedure is much less fourth dimension-consuming than you might think, and it volition actually salve you lot time after on.

  • Invest in a accident-dryer with a concentrator zipper. Hot Tools makes a great, affordable accident-dryer that comes with this game-changing tool. This paired with a paddle brush or round castor can make a killer combo.
  • Elevator a department of hair with your brush from the underside and apply heat from above, sandwiching the hair between the ii tools.
  • Motility them down the length of your hair slowly with the hair inside of the brush bristles and sentry the kinks disappear.
  • Repeat this all over to remove most of the frizz and curl from your hair before you start straightening.

If you have direct or slightly wavy hair, let it air-dry instead.

It's a unlike story for girls with naturally straighter hair. Long Beach, California hairstylist Shannon Murray says, "I always air-dry then I'm not using actress heat for no reason. If y'all have typically straight pilus, maybe a slight moving ridge, there's no reason to add boosted heat, you could launder the night before or with enough time to air-dry."

2. Stay away from oil-based thermal protectors.

Is straightening your hair a part of your daily routine? Yous might want to stay away from oil-based thermal protectants. "I always start by using a thermal protector, merely nothing with oil. Long-term, using oil to straighten ends upwards damaging the hair, even though it looks beautiful the day of," explains Murray.

Using a product that contains less oil only likewise packs in the aforementioned thermal protectants is a bang-up option for girls who utilise their straighteners daily. Try adding Alterna Bamboo Shine Anti-Breakage Thermal Protectant Spray  to your daily hair routine to minimize rut harm.

iii. Apply hairspraybeforeyou straighten.

Hairspray is non only a post-styling product. Spraying a little hairspray on dry hair before you start to straighten keeps it straight for longer, but professionals suggest to go along information technology light. Rea says, "I similar to use a light-concur hairspray before I straighten each department of hair—it keeps frizz away and helps keep the hair direct for longer. A heavy spray can weigh down hair and make it feel crispy after flat ironing." Using a spray is a slap-up tip for girls with curly or wavy hair. This volition help fight your curls from coming back in humid weather and even keep your pilus straight for days on stop. That's correct—start stocking up on dry shampoo at present.

If you lot're like me, you probably accept little wispy hairs sticking upward all over your head post-straightening. Bring back out the hairspray and endeavour this fun tip from Murray: "A fun tip for at-abode straightening is to employ an aerosol hairspray and a pair of panty hose! Spray the hairspray and then stretch the pantyhose and press them on the area to lay those suckers down."

4. Apply a fine-tooth comb when straightening.

This is my become-to trick to get my pilus sleek and straight, which I learned from one of my many visits to Rea. "After I've gotten almost of the kinks out of the pilus with the accident dryer, I always let the rummage lead the procedure," she says. "I beginning by attaching the comb to a section of pilus and follow with the straightener to make sure I go every piece of hair perfectly straight, and that way, I don't have to damage the hair by running the atomic number 26 multiple times over each section," she explains.

v. Consistency is fundamental.

Similar most things, following a consistent technique when straightening your hair will give you the best results. " Always straighten from root to ends," shares Murray. "Don't straighten just the ends or from mid-shaft downwards. Y'all'll end up with different textures all over your head. Consistency is key." In one case you've plant the best technique for your hair blazon, stick with information technology. Utilise the same motions throughout your entire straightening process to get the best results every time.

6. Focus on your pilus's health first (stylists honey coconut oil for this).

To get sleek and beautiful locks every time, information technology's important to focus on the health of your hair. Strong and healthy hair non merely looks better, but it volition allow your blowout to last longer. "To continue my clients' hair straight for long periods of time, I encourage them to focus on their hair's health," says Murray. "I highly suggest coconut oil. Sleep in it, breast-stroke in it, swim in it—I swear by it. Apply kokosnoot oil as a treatment once a week and shampoo it out in the morning. In a few weeks, your hair will feel like silk. But practise not go out in the sun with it on. I have all my girls sleep in a braid lathered in coconut oil at least one time a week. Information technology seems to be the all-time, most affordable affair for my clients."

When your hair is healthy and strong, it can concord up to oestrus a lot ameliorate, giving you a better, longer-lasting blowout. Yous'll take to do your hair less, resulting in less damage and better overall hair wellness for better blowouts. That'southward all we really want in life—healthy hair and better blowouts—right?