For many women, changing their hairstyle is a form of self-expression, one that heavily depends on the look they are going for on any given day. Just because someone is born with curly or wavy hair doesn’t mean that they’re bound to sport this look for the rest of their lives! Luckily, there are a plethora of products and techniques out there that can straighten all types of hair in no time. If like many women, you have a fascination with sleek straight hair, you’ll be glad to know that you don’t have to spend a fortune to straighten your hair like a pro. Continue reading for some great tips that will help you get the results that you desire without compromising the health of your precious strands.
Prepare Your Hair Correctly
To straighten your hair right, it needs to be prepared well. Starting with the current health state of your hair, you have to make sure that it’s well-nourished and can stand the woes of straightening. Try to eat a well-balanced diet that is rich in protein, you need biotin and iron to fortify your hair and support its elasticity to hold shape and bounce back after regular straightening. Next, you have to consider how and how often you wash your hair. According to hair experts, the frequency of washing will vary according to your hair type. However, as a general rule washing your hair twice a week is more than enough to keep it clean without stripping away its natural oils essential for protecting your hair from the damages of straightening. Finally, schedule regular trimming appointments preferably every six weeks to get rid of the brittle ends that can compromise the efficacy of your straightening efforts.
Choose the Right Straightening Products
This is the most important tip to keep in mind if you’re looking for pro-level straightening results. Not all straightening creams are created equal. Furthermore, what might work for someone else won’t necessarily work for you, and vice versa. That’s why research is crucial at this stage to understand your hair type and be able to find the finest creams that will provide optimum results. To better understand what you should be looking for, think of the common problems that you usually struggle with after straightening your hair. For most people, it’s completely losing their natural hair texture after straightening it. To avoid such problems, look for straightening creams labeled as temporary and choose ones that are rich in moisturizing ingredients to prevent your hair from breaking and drying out.
Perfect the Application Technique
Now that your hair is well-prepped, and you found the best straightening product for your hair type, it’s time to think about perfecting the application process. First of all, your hair should be freshly washed and still semi-dried before applying your straightening cream.
- Using a wide-toothed comb, brush your hair gently to get ready for any tangles or knots.
- Carefully scoop a handful of the product and start applying it to your hair from roots to ends. Remember that it’s recommended to start slow and build up as you wish instead of drenching your hair and wasting product.
- Once you make sure that your hair is completely covered, take the comb again and carefully brush it through to evenly-spread the straightening cream.
- Section your hair into 4 or 8 parts according to its thickness then grab some bobby pins to secure the sections in place.
- With a wide round, brush unroll each of the sections from the bottom-up and start blow-drying. Don’t pull on the hair but also make sure you’re brushing tight enough to tame the frizz and the fly-aways for best straightening results.
- Keep on brushing and blow-drying until your hair is completely dry. Some straightening creams work best when you repeat the blow-drying process more than once so make sure you carefully read the instructions beforehand.
Thoroughly Follow the List of Do’s and Don’ts
Caring for your hair after using a straightening cream is extremely important if you’re looking for quality results. Some of the do’s include using sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner to maintain the straightening effect and ensure it lasts for a long time. Better yet, you can limit your shampoo washes to once a week instead of twice. As for the don’ts, avoid subjecting your now sensitive hair to sunlight and pollution. Wrapping a scarf around your strands is a good idea if you want to keep your hair intact for as long as possible.
Straight hair will never go out of style. If you’re not born with it, using temporary straightening creams is a great solution to mix things up and experience what it feels like to have a sleek look. The above tips will help you take your hair straightening game to a whole new level and achieve great results similar to those of a professional hairdresser.
