Ways To Straighten Hair - smartesthairstyles.com - Curls and waves are fun and exciting, but can sometimes be difficult to keep clean. So if you are in the mood to change up your look, try straightening your hair! Many people hesitate to straighten their hair for fear of causing damage, but with the right equipment, products, and techniques, you can achieve an amazingly straight look without destroying your hair. To properly straighten your hair with a flat iron or a hair dryer, just follow the steps below!
- Straightening iron
Wash and blow dry your hair. Straightening your hair works best on freshly washed or day-old hair. When washing your hair, match your shampoo and conditioner to your hair type. For thick, frizzy hair, use a smoothing shampoo and conditioner. For thin, flat hair, use volumizing products. After washing, dry the hair gently with a microfiber towel, spray with a heat protection product and then blow-dry with a hair dryer. This will help pre-straighten your hair so you have less work with the flat iron.
First dry the hair roots with the hair dryer and then work on the hair lengths.
Flip your head upside down as you dry your hair to add more volume.
Use a paddle brush to work through tangles and keep hair taut as it dries.
Apply a heat protectant spray. Investing in a good heat protectant spray that you apply every time you straighten is one of the best things you can do for your hair without giving up straightening altogether. The heat protection spray locks in moisture and prevents the hair from drying out and fraying. Apply the heat protectant spray evenly to dry hair, holding the can about 6 inches from your head.
Don't apply the heat protectant spray to your roots as it can make them look greasy.
Heat protectant sprays are available at most drug stores and hair salons. It can be worth investing in a branded product that offers better protection for your hair. Try asking your barber for recommendations.
Divide your hair into sections. When dividing your hair into sections, make sure you straighten your hair properly without letting any strands fly out. The easiest way to part your hair is to separate it into three layers.
Create the first layer by taking the front sections of your hair and sweeping them back with your thumbs to capture all the hair on your parting. Separate this layer by twisting and securing with a hair tie or butterfly clip.
Create the second layer by picking up the hair that is left above your ears and securing it with a hair tie or hair clip.
The third layer is all the hair left uncut, which should be the hair at the back of your head growing around your nape.
If you have very thick hair, you can separate your hair into additional layers. If you have very thin or fine hair, you may not need to part the hair at all, or you can just part it into two sections.
Set your flat iron to the right temperature for your hair type. Most quality hair straighteners give you the ability to adjust the temperature of the straighteners. Using the right temperature for your hair will ensure you get the best results and prevent you from damaging your hair unnecessarily. The temperature your flat iron should be set to depends on your hair type:
For fine or damaged hair, a temperature between 93 and 149°C (200 and 300°F) should be used.
Average thickness hair that is in fairly good condition should use a temperature between 300-350°F (149-177°C).
Very thick or coarse, frizzy hair should use a temperature of 350-400°F (177-205°C).
Use the right technique. Straightening your hair with a flat iron isn't very complicated, but there are a number of helpful tips you can follow to get the best results:
Use the right size strands. For best results, straighten your hair into strands that are 1 to 2 inches wide and no thicker than half an inch. Using much larger sections will not straighten your hair properly, but using smaller sections will take too long.
Keep the hair taut. Hold the section of hair taut with one hand as you clip the flat iron around it and run it through your hair. If it isn't quite straight the first time, don't worry, just pull the straightener through again, but don't do it more than 3 times on the same section.
Begin smoothing about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the roots. This will leave some volume in your hair and ensure it doesn't look too flat.
Use smooth movements instead of jerky movements. Try to run the flat iron over the hair in a gentle, flowing motion. If you flick it, you'll end up drawing horizontal lines across your hair.
Stop when you see steam or your hair starts to sizzle. When this happens, it means your hair is not completely dry. Stop, turn off the straightener and use a hair dryer to dry your hair completely before proceeding with straightening. Using a straightening iron on damp hair is very damaging and will leave your hair in bad shape, so avoid it whenever possible.
Smooth out the next layer of hair. Once you've straightened the bottom layer of hair, unclip the next section and start straightening it using the same technique as before. The top layer of hair should be the last section of hair that you straighten.
Examine your work in a mirror to make sure you haven't missed any sections. It can be easy to miss a strand or two during the straightening process. Don't forget to check the back. If you spot any waves or kinks, just go over them again with the straightener.
You can check the back of your hair by standing with your back to a mirror while holding a second mirror in your hands. You should be able to see the reflection of the back of your head in the handheld mirror.
Use a finishing product. You can use a silicone-based serum to add shine or spritz your hair with hairspray to keep it in place. Just don't add any mousse or water-based product as this will dampen the hair and cause it to become wavy.
- Using a hair dryer
wash your hair This may seem like a no-brainer, but you must wash your hair before blow-drying. Use a smoothing shampoo and conditioner if your hair is thick or prone to frizz, or add volume if your hair is thin or flat.
Apply the conditioner only to the ends and mid-lengths of your hair. Applying it to the roots makes your hair look flat and greasy.
Use a wide-toothed comb to untangle tangles while the conditioner is in your hair. The conditioner makes it much easier and minimizes breakage.
Towel dry your hair. After getting out of the shower, wrap your hair in an absorbent microfiber towel and leave it on for a minute or two. Then unwrap your hair and use your towel to gently blot or blot your hair to remove excess moisture.
Do not rub your hair with the towel as this will cause your hair to break.
Remember that you are not trying to towel dry your hair, it should still be fairly damp when you are done towel drying.
Comb out any tangles. Use a wide-tooth comb or paddle brush to part and comb your hair. Be sure to be gentle as damp hair is very delicate. Remember to work up from the ends rather than down from the roots as this will cause less breakage.
Defining your parting while your hair is still wet will help it stay more natural after it has been dried and straightened.
If your hair is very tangled, try spritzing it with a detangling mist or leave-in conditioner.
Apply some product. Apply a small amount of smoothing serum or cream to the ends and mid-lengths of your hair and massage in. This makes your hair particularly smooth and supple after drying.
If you can find a straightening product that contains a heat protectant, all the better.
Again, avoid applying these products to the roots as they weigh down the hair.
Use a good hair dryer. A good hair dryer is essential when trying to blow dry your hair straight. The more power and heat a hair dryer can provide, the easier and faster you can straighten your hair. If you do need to invest in a new hair dryer, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Perfomance. The wattage of a hair dryer is an indication of how strong an airflow is. The higher the wattage you can achieve, the better. Most salon hair dryers are around 1800 watts, although 2000 watts may be required for very thick or curly hair.
Speed and temperature controller. Having a hair dryer with adjustable speeds and temperatures is a huge bonus as you use different settings to achieve different styles. For example, a cool setting can be used to finish your hair with a blast of cold air that will help set the style while adding shine.
Weight. The last thing you want is a heavy blow dryer tiring your arm when you've just finished blow drying. Look for a hair dryer that weighs less than two pounds. The weight should be stated on the packaging.
Attachments. When blow-drying your hair straight with a hairdryer, you definitely need a nozzle attachment that concentrates the airflow and prevents hair from frizzing. Check if your hair dryer comes with a nozzle attachment or if you need to purchase it separately.
Roughly dry your hair. Turn on your hair dryer (on high speed and heat if possible) and begin roughly drying your hair. Focus on drying your roots by lifting and separating your hair with your fingers. You shouldn't be using a brush yet.
Make sure the blow dryer is pointing down to keep your hair straight and frizz-free. It should blow hair down from the crown of your head, not up.
You should continue to roughly dry your hair until it is about 60% to 80% dry, but no more.
Divide your hair into sections. It's a good idea to divide your hair into sections before you finish blow-drying, as it helps you focus on smoothing out one layer of hair at a time. Part your hair into three layers - one at the crown of your head, one in the middle and one at the nape of your neck. Use butterfly clips or hair ties to keep the top two layers out of the way for now.
If you have bangs, leave them and dry them first before drying the bottom layer. This is because bangs dry quickly and are harder to straighten once dry.
Use the right kind of hairbrush. The type of hairbrush you use when blow-drying your hair will affect how your hair looks. If you want to add volume while straightening or add a slight curl or swing to the ends, use a thick round brush. But if you want poker straight curls, a paddle brush is your best option.
Use proper technique to blow dry hair straight. Pick up a section of hair between two and four inches wide and hold it taut with the hairbrush. Keeping hair taut while drying is the most important technique to achieve straight hair.
You also need to make sure you are directing the airflow downwards - the hair dryer nozzle should point towards the ends of your hair when drying. This keeps the hair cuticle down, giving you a smoother, sleeker result.
Once you've completely dried each section of hair, finish with a blast of cool air to set the style and add shine.
Let down the next section of hair. Once you have completely dried the bottom layer of hair, remove the butterfly clip holding the middle layer. Dry this layer of hair using the same technique as before. Once the second layer is completely dry, let down the third and final layer and finish your blow-dry.
Once your hair is completely dry, it should look smooth and sleek. If it's still a little wavy, you may need to dry it further, actually using the brush to straighten the hair.
And if all else fails, use a flat iron to go over particularly stubborn spots.
Apply some finishing product. To set your style and add a little extra shine and control to your hair, apply a pea-sized amount of the finishing product to the ends and mid-lengths of your hair. A shine serum or shine spray will both do the trick. If you're worried about your hair falling flat or losing its shape, spritz with a light coat of hairspray and hold the can about 6 inches from your head. This will ensure your hair stays straight all day (or night!) long.
- Keep hair straight
Avoid spraying water or adding mousse. The water content will cause your hair to immediately frizz or frizz again. However, use a hairspray if you live in a humid area. Your hair is prone to frizz due to the extra moisture in the air.
Have an umbrella ready. Rain will undo all your hard work and leave you in a frizzy mess. Also, remember to carry a headband with you in the summer to keep the sweat off your bangs. If you go jogging or walking, consider putting your hair in a ponytail.
Consider using a curling iron to add subtle curls or do cheeky flips. Even if you love the straight look, you can smooth out the ends of your hair with a curling iron or brush the front sections out of your face.
Understand that if you wash your hair, it will go back to normal. Don't worry, all you have to do is repeat the smoothing process again! Just don't straighten your hair too much as this will cause your hair to become dry and damaged. Try to save the straight look for special occasions!
