How to Straighten Hair – Complete study report

How to Straighten Hair – Complete study report

Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. The human body is almost covered from hair. As there was a time when we needed protection from cold and outside particles, so the human body started growing hairs. Now, as we have enough protection for our body.  So the human body now isn’t fully covered from hair. Hair grows everywhere on the external body except for mucus membranes and glamorous skin, such as that found on the palms, soles of the feet, and lips. Hair plays a very important role in looks, a man or a woman becomes more attractive with fluent, shiny, dense hairs.

As time passed by, there are lots of different hairstyles have evolved. Everybody seems to be so obsessed with their hair growth that hair care products and hair transplant industry are taking up the whole world on a new level. Lots of products for hair care, changing hairstyles, and trying different methods for hair are common. 

Types of hair

There are many different kinds of hairs due to genetics, climate, and cultures on earth. There are many factors that determine your hair type, like density, greasiness, elasticity and curl pattern, etc.

1.   Straight hair – the straight hair lies flat from the root to the tip. With soft and silky texture straight is extremely shiny. The amount of oil secretion is very heavy in straight hair. It does not possess any curls.
2.   Wavy hair – you can also call them normal type of hairs as they are neither straight nor curly, they fall somewhere between the two. They might be flat from the roots to even near the bottom, but you can notice curls at the lower ends.
3.   Curly hair – If your hair strands follow ‘S’ pattern, they are definitely curly types. With a higher density than straight and wavy hair, they are more prone to frizz and get tangled very quickly.
4.   Kinky hair – The curls resemble ‘Z’ shape. They look rough and coarse but actually are very fragile and soft. They have high density with extremely tight curls. Kinky hair are prone to breakage and damage if not properly taken care of.

Curls and Waves hair

Curls and waves are fun and exciting, but it can be hard to keep clean and damage-free. On the other hand, straight hairs are easy to clean and damage-free. Straight hair is stylish, pretty, and convenient. So if you are in a mood to switch your hairs to straight, there are lots of tools and techniques like heat and chemical straighteners. But these really can damage your hair, over time they dry them out, split the ends.

Many people are reluctant to straighten their hair because they are afraid of the damage. But with the proper products, equipment, and techniques, you can bless yourself with straight hairs without causing damage to them. Also, there are many natural methods which can help you get straight hair. But with the natural techniques, you won’t get pin straight hairs, but you will have healthy hair that’s more or less straight with volume. 

HOW TO STRAIGHTEN HAIR WITHOUT HEAT

We are often asked how to straighten hair naturally or how to straighten the hair without heat so after a lot of research we have tried to assemble all the ideas which can bring the best results for you. Using heat on your hair can leave them dry with split ends. The more use of the heat on the hair, the more chances of damage there are. So there are some other tips and techniques you can try to get your hair to straighten without damaging them.

–    APPLY ESSENTIAL OILS

Coconut oil, argan oil, almond oil, macadamia oil are some of the essential oils. These essential oils can penetrate your hair follicles, sealing, and repairing the cells inside. Apply a dime-sized amount on the ends of your hair. It will give them a smooth, shiny texture, and a good scent. It will also weigh your hair down slightly to hold the hairstyle.

–     USE BEST PRODUCTS MEANT TO STRAIGHTEN HAIR

There are lots of products like shampoos, leave-in conditioners, hairsprays that are meant to calm and relax your hair. Smoothing serums and keratin packed spray-on conditioners can coat your hair, weighing them down and relaxing your curls.

–    WRAP YOUR HAIR

Hair wrapping is the most popular techniques used by people who do not want to use heat on their hair. You will need roller pins (bobby pins) and hair wrapping scarf. Separate the top section where you part your hair and use a comb to comb it out flat. Holding hair tout, bring the hair around to the opposite side of your head from where it falls naturally and pin it tightly. Repeat this for each section of your hair and secure with a hair scarf before sleeping.

–    KEEP BRUSHING YOUR HAIR UNTIL COMPLETELY DRY

Brush wet hair down and pull them tight with your hand every few minutes until it dries. Finish the style of with oil or pomade on the lower ends to smooth them out.

–   MAKE A NATURAL HAIR STRAIGHTENING MASK

Mix one cup of whole milk or coconut milk with one teaspoon honey. 

Let it soak into your scalp and hair for 1 hour before washing off.

Or

Mix 2 cups of whole milk with one egg. 

Soak your hair for 10 minutes. 

Squeeze out and wrap a plastic cover for 30 minutes.

Rinse out gently.

These natural hair straightening mask, when used regularly, can give the best results for smoothening, and keep the hair relax and straight.

HOW TO STRAIGHTEN CURLY HAIR

While having curly hairs is fun and exciting, but we get bored sometimes and want to have straight hair. There are many products and techniques which can help you get straight hair. A flat iron is used to straighten the hair from last many years. More and more technology is used to produce flat irons to minimize hair damage. There is a step by step guide we are providing you for how to use a flat iron to straighten curly hair.

Tools needed to straighten the hair

–    A high-quality hair straightener, choose the advanced iron for minimum hair damage, a ceramic plated will distribute the heat evenly. If you have very coarse and unruly hair, ceramic might not be the best thing for you. Titanium straighteners are the best choice for coarse, thick, curly hair because of how effective it conducts heat. Because titanium gets very hot, try to use the lowest heat setting.

–    Heat protector spray

This product will make sure it the heat won’t damage your hair. There are some products which provide nutrition too as they contain argon oil. Thermal protectant is must if you style your hair regularly. Curling, straightening, crimping, tongs, curling rods, etc. use a very high temperature. The heat protector sprays protect hair from getting damaged as they form a layer on hair strands. If you do not use heat protector spray before styling, it can lead to frizzy, coarse, dry hair with split ends and breakage. Always use heat protectors on wet hair as it ensures that each hair strand is coated.

–    Hair clips, these clips will help you make separate sections of your hairs, which will save you time and damage.

–    Wide toothed comb, wider combs cause less friction than narrow ones. To remove tangles in the hairs even after conditioner you must comb your hair from a wide-toothed comb.

–    Setting spray, setting sprays will help you keep the styling for long so that your curls won’t get bouncer even after hours you have straightened your hair.

1.   Prepare your hair to get straight.

We all know that there is no shampoo or conditioner which can give you straight hair. But hair smoothing products can help you retain moisture in your hair. If you try flat iron on already dried out, hairs can cause so much damage to them leaving behind dull and rough hair. Brush the hair conditioner evenly with a paddle brush and rinse them gently without rubbing or pulling. Do not pat dry vigorously; it will enhance the natural curls, pat them dry downwards gently. Choose a towel with microfiber cloths as they help to promote sleek strands.

2.   Rough, dry your hair.

Blow-dryer is the culprit known to cause much damage to the hairs when used with improper technique. How you use the blow-dryer makes all the difference when you are trying to get a sleek finish. If you use a dryer when out of the shower just rough dry until 80% is finished. Always keep the nozzle down. It may frizz the hair. The rest 20 % is up to you; you can choose to naturally let it dry or blow it out for smooth finishing. It will help the hair get the right shape and direction.

3.   Choose the right brush.

A nylon brush would generate the static charge itself so always stay from plastic brushes. Wood brushes can be used for best results.

4.   Wait until the hair is bone dry.

.    Choose the right brush.

Wait until the hair is bone dry.

Hair should be bone dry when you try to straighten them. If you see steam stop and evaluate the situation. It could be that the product build-up is causing this. Always cross-check the products before you try flat iron. You must not apply anything to dry hair, which is just different from when you try to curl the hair. Because the iron clamps down on the hair, the product can’t go anywhere. That means you are boiling the product into the hair follicles, which is terrible and bad if it contains alcohol.

5.   Use a heat protectant.

There are many thermal protectants out here in the market. Make sure to use them on damp hair, some products protects your hair up to 450 degrees and resist humidity, so it reduces frizz. If you have thicker or coarser hair, you can also use argan oil to moisturize and add shine to your hair.

6.   Keep an eye on the temperature

You won’t be letting your hair get damaged under too much temperature. There are some flat irons which use ceramic plates and can control the temperature. So always avoid keeping your hair under much heat. An advanced flat iron is made with the latest technology to let you not have to iron the same area twice.

7.   Section by section

Just do not try to iron your hair randomly and in a hurry. The iron won’t be able to get all the thick part, and as we told you earlier, you do not want to repeat iron on the same place twice. Create sections so that you can track your progress. It is better to make four sections to make it smooth and easy. Sectioning will save you the precious time and also help you not to damage your hair by mistake. 

8.   Always hold your hair taut

Pulling your hair taut is the key to straighten the hair. If you focus and pull your hair tight, you will have to iron from the root to the end. Otherwise, if you keep your hair loose, you might have to repeat ironing many times resulting loss of shine and moisture. Curly styles will find it necessary to pull straighten and repeat for a few times.

9.   Apply finishing products.

Let your hair cool down first before applying any finishing product. Applying a finished product on your hair will moisturize and bring the shine in the hair. Without going for a finished product may leave your hair straightened but without glow and shine.

10.   Choose a flat iron with advanced technology.

If you are into using flat irons, make sure you have the best product out there to minimize the hair damage. Do not fall for cheap products; always buy a quality product. If you have very coarse and unruly hair, ceramic might not be the best thing for you. Titanium straighteners are the best choice for coarse, thick, curly hair because of how effective it conducts heat. Because titanium gets very hot, try to use the lowest heat setting.

How to straighten hair men

Not only women, but men are also looking forward to looking attractive and work on their grooming to look best. And when it comes to look attractive or look appealing one must possess shiny, and trendy hairs.

If you want to have a straight hair look, you can use blow dryers for a short period, or if you wish to have straight hair for longer periods, you can also use flat irons. These tips below can help you out.

Blowouts

–    Wash and condition your hair properly as soothing conditioners can help you out achieve straight hair.

–    Apply argon or coconut oil to provide moisture and shine to your hair.

–    Comb your hair as straight as possible from the ends and blow-dry to add some heat to them.

–    Blow-dry each section with the help of a comb.

–    Apply a smoothing serum to your hair.

Flat iron

– Wash and condition your hair gently to ensure cleaning of any dust or any other particle. Brush the hair conditioner evenly with a paddle brush and rinse them gently without rubbing or pulling. Do not pat dry vigorously; it will enhance the natural curls, pat them dry downwards gently

– Dry out your hair thoroughly naturally. You can choose to naturally let it dry or blow it out for smooth finishing. It will help the hair get the right shape and direction.

– Apply a heat serum to your hair. Thermal protectant is must if you style your hair regularly. Curling, straightening, crimping, tongs, curling rods, etc. use a very high temperature. The heat protector sprays protect hair from getting damaged as they form a layer on hair strands. If you do not use heat protector spray before styling, it can lead to frizzy, coarse, dry hair with split ends and breakage

– Comb and flat iron your hair section by section. Make about two to four sections; it will let you straighten your hair easily and won’t let you iron the same area twice by mistake.

– Comb your hair to style it the way you want. Always use a wide-toothed comb to ensure you do not damage your hair trying to solve strangles. Always try to avoid plastic combs as they produce static charge which can cause hair to move in any other directions. 

Common straightening mistakes

While you are putting all your time and energy into trying to get your hair to straighten. But even after all this effort you are not achieving what you have wanted in the first place is because there might be some mistakes you are doing unknowingly.

1.   Applying too much or little product.

Applying products before and after treatment matters a lot. Also, do not leave the products to settle on top. Use a comb to properly it each part of your hair.

2.   Too large sections.

Making hair sections too large won’t help you save time; it will make you sometimes use the iron more than once. This can damage your hair and shine.

3.   Forgetting to clean your iron.

Use some rubbing alcohol to remove residues if you do not want to cause damage to your hair.

4.   Not drying out hair properly.

Occasionally irons are marketed to use on wet hair straight, but we recommend you first to dry out your hair properly naturally or by using blow dryers.

5.   Choosing the wrong temperature.

The right temperature will help you avoid damage and enjoy the style for a more extended period.  

           For fine or damaged hair, choose below 300°F (148°C),

           For normal hair choose between 300°F and 380°F (148°C to 193°C)

           To coarse hair, choose 350°F to 400°F (176°C to 204°C).

Home remedies for naturally straightening hair

1.   Eggs and olive oil mask.

Eggs & olive oil provides nutrition and shine to your hair as well as they are proved to straight your hair temporarily.

–    Beat two eggs and one teaspoon olive oil together.

–    Massage gently on hair and scalp.

–    Wash it off after one hour.

2.     Castor oil mask.

Castor oil is well known for treating skin infections; also, it nourishes your hair and may help you out to straighten your hair.

–    Warm the castor oil.

–    Gently massage on to the hair and scalp thoroughly.

–    Wrap a warm towel around your hair for about 30 minutes.

–    Wash it off with a gentle shampoo.

3.   Banana, yogurt, olive oil, and honey mask.

This hair mask is power-packed with natural conditioners, vitamins which help the hair to stay relaxed, smooth, shiny, and straight.

Mix

–    Two over-ripe bananas.

–    Two tablespoons of pure honey.

–    One teaspoon olive oil.

–    One tablespoon plain yogurt.

–    Make a smooth paste.

–    Coat your hair with this mask and cover with a shower cap.

–    Let it stay for 30-40 minutes.

–    Wash off and pat dry.

All these home remedies you may try only twice or thrice a week. These should not be used daily. There is no certain time for results as each one is different and there are different types of hair. So have patience and continue to work on your hair and see what works best for you.

Conclusion

Getting straight, stylish, and shiny, and healthy hair is not impossible for anyone. No matter what type of hair you are blessed with, you can always try and experiment with the techniques we have shown you above. Each time you try out, you will get to know you better. But if you don’t feel confident you must seek professional advice from a good saloon, they will help you get what you want without causing damage.

Curly hair is the results of genetics, length of hair, products you use. Styling your hair, in the same manner, can help you achieve the desired styling but do not try to overdo it as it may result in damage of your beautiful hair.

No matter what technique you use to straighten out your hair, you must first have the proper knowledge. Otherwise, you may damage your hair very severely.