How to Straighten African American Hair – smartesthairstyles.com – If you are fed up with your current style and ready to switch to a straight, elegant look, you have many different options to choose from. You can use a silicone flat iron, blow it out, or work a flat iron through the curls. Dry straighteners are also something to consider if you want a permanently straight style. If you want more information on straightening your hair, read on.
- How to Straighten African American Hair with a Cream or a Hairdresser
Pick a good cream. Silicone creams and other hairdressing products are made with oils like petroleum and lanolin, or silicones like dimethicone or cyclomethicone. This might be the easiest way to straighten your hair, but it’s important to choose the right product. Some creams and conditioners make your hair look weighed down or greasy. Read some reviews before deciding which product to pick up in store.
Oil-based products are gentler on your hair than silicone-based products, but all creams and hair dressings wash out with shampoo and won’t cause long-term damage like other straightening techniques.
Get your hair wet. Creams and hair dressings should be applied to damp hair for best effect. Wash your hair, rinse and pat dry with a towel to prepare for cream application.
Smooth in the cream or when styling. Depending on the length of your hair, put a generous amount of cream or conditioner in the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together, then apply to your hair, working from roots to ends, making sure each strand is covered.
As you work the product into your hair, use your fingers to pull the strands straight down. This will help your hair lose its curl as the product takes effect.
Use a wide-toothed comb to pull the cream or conditioner through your hair.
Let your hair dry. There is no need to use a hair dryer or flat iron; The oil or silicones in your hair product prevent your hair from frizzing as it dries. Allow your hair to air dry completely, then style as usual.
- How To Straighten African American Hair with Blowing it Out
Condition your hair. Any hair straightening method you use that requires your hair to be straightened with heat, it is important to condition it a few days beforehand. Heating dry hair will cause it to become brittle and may even break. Use a good deep conditioner on your hair about 2-3 days before you want to straighten it.
Olive oil or coconut oil based deep conditioners are great for your hair. Consider using these chemical-free options.
You can also use a good quality silicone-based conditioner a few days before straightening your hair.
Get your hair wet. Don’t wash it, instead wet your hair when you’re ready to straighten it and blot with a towel until damp but not dripping wet.
Brush out the first section. You will blow dry your hair piece by piece. Start with one section and use a round brush to brush it straight, starting at the roots and working towards the ends. Make sure it doesn’t get tangled.
Apply a heat protectant. Sweep it all over your hair, from roots to ends, to protect each strand from the damaging heat of the blow dryer. This also helps keep your hair straight for longer.
Dry the first section. Take your brush and position it at the roots of the section of hair you are blowing out. Turn on your hair dryer and position it right next to the brush at the root of the hair section. Move the brush and blow dryer through the hair section to the ends, slowly drying and straightening the hair at the same time.
Don’t move down the hair shaft too quickly; You want to do it slowly so the hair has time to dry.
Use either the warm or hot setting on your hair dryer for the best effect.
Proceed with brushing and drying sections of hair. Repeat the process section by section until all of your hair is dry and straight.
- How To Straighten African American Hair Using a Hair Straightener
Start conditioning early. Straightening irons are particularly harmful to hair because they emit direct heat. That means you need to condition your hair a few days or even weeks in advance to get it ready for the hot iron. Use a good conditioner a week or two before when you wash your hair and do a deep conditioner a few days before straightening to leave your hair soft and heat-ready.
If you want, you can do a deep conditioner on the day you want to straighten your hair. Just make sure to rinse it all out before you start straightening.
You can also blow dry your hair before straightening if your hair is particularly frizzy. Follow the steps of the previous method and proceed directly to the flat iron technique.
Get your hair wet. Go ahead and get it wet so you can dry and straighten it with your flat iron at the same time. If you used the blow dry method first, don’t wet it again.
Apply heat protection. Work it in from roots to ends as direct heat on your hair can cause damage. Products containing Moroccan oil and Argan oil are great for your hair and will leave you with a smooth, shiny finish.
Comb out a section of hair. Choose a small section that you want to straighten first. Use a comb to comb it out straight and then smooth it out with your fingers.
Straighten the hair. Close your straightener around the section of hair at the roots. Pull it up the hair shaft until smoothed and dried to the ends. If the hair is still curly, go over it again with the flat iron.
You can gradually apply more heat protectant serum if your hair seems like it’s drying out.
Don’t go over the same hair shaft too many times. This can cause your hair to become brittle.
Continue straightening your hair in small sections. By doing a little at a time, you have control over how much heat you apply to your hair, reducing the risk of damage. Take your time and go over each strand of hair until your entire mane is straight, smooth and shiny.
- How To Straighten African American Hair Using Chemical Flat Irons
Get a hair relaxing treatment. Hair straighteners work by treating your hair with an alkaline agent that breaks down the hair follicles to straighten them. This treatment is effective and permanent. The downside is that it can also be expensive, and the chemicals can cause long-term damage to your hair and even your skin.
Do your research to make sure you go to a good salon to relax your hair. Harsh chemicals in the wrong hands can wreak havoc on your hair.
Do not straighten freshly washed hair. Go several days without washing first so your hair has natural protection from the chemicals.
You can also get a texturizing treatment, which is similar to a relaxing treatment but with less harsh chemicals and a softer, wavier effect.
Try a keratin treatment. Keratin treatments last about 6 weeks, after which they wash out. They leave hair looking smooth and sleek, but some treatments contain formaldehyde. If you’re concerned about using chemicals on your hair and skin, skip this one.
Consider Japanese hair straightening. This technique has become increasingly popular in recent years. It is a sulphur-based treatment designed to be less aggressive to the hair and has a lasting effect. If you are interested in this treatment, be sure to go to an experienced cosmetologist.
