woman straightening her hair

If you're like me, you're constantly looking for ways to switch up your expect . 1 of my get-to moves is to straighten my frizzy, curly hair. I go from Ms. Frizzle to Malibu Barbie in but a few not-so-brusque hours. Don't get me wrong; I beloved my curly pilus, but having the ability to completely transform the way I look is fun every once 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 job I decided to straighten my pilus, which led my quondam boss to reintroduce himself to the "new hire"—nope, still me! All curly girls know this struggle. The countless, "Wow, you look and then different," or, "You're so pretty with straight hair," or even, "I didn't fifty-fifty recognize you lot" come up flooding in when y'all nail the perfect hair-straightening techniques.

Over the years, I've gotten better at straightening my pilus, but there'south definitely a steep learning bend—especially for girls with tight curls. I would leave the firm with sleek, perfectly straight hair and once I stepped outside, information technology would poof into something out of a nightmare—a very frizzy nightmare. To help all my swain curly-headed girls out there, I've spoken to some of the best hairstylists I know for pro tips on how to get perfectly straight hair at home. Here'due south what they had to say.

ane. Start with completely dry out hair.

I volition never forget the look on my childhood friend'southward older sis's face up as she left the bathroom with a slice of pilus missing because she tried to straighten her hair when information technology was wet. The horror. E'er become your pilus completely dry before straightening. Ever . In that location are different ways to go nigh this depending on your pilus type.

If you have curly hair, blow-drying your hair kickoff is fundamental.

This is something I e'er do but it isn't always necessary. I have extremely tight curls and just a single laissez passer of the straightener won't do. 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 once more with a straightener, I take out the major kinks with a blow dryer starting time. I use a concentrator attachment and paddle brush to get the hair super directly before using my apartment iron." This procedure is much less time-consuming than you might think, and it volition actually save you time later on.

  • Invest in a blow-dryer with a concentrator attachment. Hot Tools makes a corking, affordable blow-dryer that comes with this game-irresolute tool. This paired with a paddle castor or round brush can make a killer combo.
  • Lift a section of hair with your brush from the underside and apply heat from above, sandwiching the hair betwixt the 2 tools.
  • Motion them downwards the length of your hair slowly with the hair inside of the castor bristles and lookout 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 straight or slightly wavy hair, let it air-dry out instead.

It's a different story for girls with naturally straighter pilus. Long Beach, California hairstylist Shannon Murray says, "I always air-dry and then I'm not using extra heat for no reason. If you have typically straight pilus, perhaps a slight moving ridge, there's no reason to add boosted heat, you lot could wash the dark earlier or with enough time to air-dry."

2. Stay away from oil-based thermal protectors.

Is straightening your hair a function of your daily routine? You might desire to stay away from oil-based thermal protectants. "I always outset by using a thermal protector, but nothing with oil. Long-term, using oil to straighten ends up dissentious the hair, even though it looks beautiful the day of," explains Murray.

Using a product that contains less oil but also packs in the same thermal protectants is a great pick for girls who use their straighteners daily. Endeavor adding Alterna Bamboo Shine Anti-Breakage Thermal Protectant Spray  to your daily hair routine to minimize heat impairment.

three. Apply hairspraybeforeyou lot straighten.

Hairspray is non just a post-styling product. Spraying a footling hairspray on dry out pilus before you lot kickoff to straighten keeps it straight for longer, but professionals suggest to keep information technology light. Rea says, "I like to utilise a calorie-free-agree hairspray before I straighten each section of hair—information technology keeps frizz away and helps go on the hair direct for longer. A heavy spray can weigh downward hair and make it feel crispy after flat ironing." Using a spray is a great tip for girls with curly or wavy hair. This will assist fight your curls from coming dorsum in humid weather and even keep your hair straight for days on end. That'south right—start stocking up on dry shampoo now.

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

4. Utilise a fine-molar rummage when straightening.

This is my become-to trick to get my hair sleek and straight, which I learned from ane of my many visits to Rea. "After I've gotten most of the kinks out of the hair with the blow dryer, I always let the comb lead the process," she says. "I start by attaching the rummage to a department of hair and follow with the straightener to brand certain I become every piece of hair perfectly straight, and that manner, I don't have to damage the pilus by running the iron multiple times over each section," she explains.

5. Consistency is key.

Like most things, post-obit a consequent technique when straightening your hair will give yous the best results. " Always straighten from root to ends," shares Murray. "Don't straighten just the ends or from mid-shaft down. Y'all'll end up with unlike textures all over your caput. Consistency is key." In one case yous've found the best technique for your hair type, stick with it. Utilise the aforementioned motions throughout your entire straightening procedure to get the best results every fourth dimension.

6. Focus on your hair's wellness first (stylists dear coconut oil for this).

To become sleek and beautiful locks every time, information technology's important to focus on the health of your hair. Strong and healthy pilus non just looks better, but information technology will permit your blowout to terminal longer. "To keep my clients' hair direct for long periods of time, I encourage them to focus on their hair'south health," says Murray. "I highly suggest kokosnoot oil. Sleep in it, bathe in information technology, swim in it—I swear by it. Apply kokosnoot oil as a treatment once a calendar week and shampoo information technology out in the morning. In a few weeks, your pilus will feel like silk. But do not go out in the lord's day with information technology on. I take all my girls sleep in a braid lathered in kokosnoot oil at least once a week. It seems to be the best, most affordable thing for my clients."

When your pilus is healthy and stiff, information technology can agree up to heat a lot meliorate, giving you a improve, longer-lasting blowout. You'll have to do your hair less, resulting in less damage and ameliorate overall hair wellness for meliorate blowouts. That's all we actually want in life—healthy hair and better blowouts—right?