Have you long envied every girl with a straight mane and wished you could turn your wavy crop into a curtain of silk strands. But if the story of hair damage is keeping you away, here is some expert advice to flaunt your straight tresses without fear.

Straightening the hair involves changing the hair structure with physical methods such as ironing and using chemicals. In ironing, small sections of hair are ironed using a hot iron to smoothen the curls and straighten them. This is a temporary straightening method, since the hair goes back to its original form after the first wash. Use a flat iron or a blow dry and use a flat or round brush for movement at the ends. Those who want to go for a hair makeover in the form of straightened hair can opt for permanent straightening with the help of chemicals. Permanent straightening involves smoothing and re-bonding with the use of chemical solutions and flat iron. There are different types of chemical hair straightening treatments such as the Brazilian and Japanese straightening, chemical relaxers et al.

Styling Tips

Straightened hair can be treated just like you did before, as far as styling is concerned. If the hair feels very dry and frizzy within the first week, it is best to go in for an intense moisturizing conditioning treatment. Always use heat protective products when styling your hair. Not only do they prevent your hair from further damage but also help in holding the style longer.

Excessive styling of the hair can cause thinness and eventually breakage of the hair. The chemical treatments make your hair shaft brittle and prone to breakage. It weakens the internal structure of the bonds and strips away natural oils and moisture from your hair. If not done well or done too often, it causes over-processes hair leading to dryness, loss of shine and split-ends.

Once your straightening treatment is complete, the hair takes up to 48 hours to acquire its new form. Avoid tucking your hair behind the ear or tying it up. Keep it as straight and dry as possible. After 48 hours wash and dry with prescribed products. Styling products are also of utmost importance. Make sure you use the right product for the style you want to achieve. This helps to maintain the style and protect your hair from external factors such as hair irons, dryers and UV rays. Styling products are available in two categories: pre-styling and finishing. Pre-styling products are used before styling your hair, for example, a mousse, thermo-protecting serum or spray. A finishing product could be a serum, gel/wax or spray to add shine or hold.

 

Extra Care

Avoid oiling as you generally need two washes to get it out of your hair, which results in loss of natural moisture.For washing it is very important to use a shampoo and conditioner specifically meant for straightened hair. After shampooing, make sure to squeeze out the excess water before applying the conditioner.

For all other methods except Brazilian straightening treatment, it is best to indulge in a deep conditioning once a month to prevent excessive dryness. A hair spa every fortnight is highly recommended. Although not much can be done about the hair fall problem, getting the treatment done correctly is a sure way of minimizing it. To deal with the coarseness, use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner to help maintain the ph balance in the hair. Once a week, apply a good hair mask for 5-20 minutes depending on the coarseness of your hair. Using a light-weight leave-in conditioner is also a good practice.

When out in the sun, make sure to use a leave-in conditioner or serum on your hair (cream or water-based, as per your hair type). Take a quick tap water shower before hitting the swimming pool or diving into the sea. As hair can absorb a limited amount of water, its best to give it tap water first instead of the chlorinated or salty version. Apply conditioner on wet hair before entering the water and if possible, wear a swimming cap.

For Salon Straight Hair

–       Always blow-dry your hair before straightening. This will smoothen it out and give you a salon finish.

–       Section locks from bottom up to make sure each section is dry.

–       When preparing hair for straightening, always point the hair dryer nozzle down the shaft. This will help to reduce frizz.

–       Select the right product for your hair type.

–       Always use a heat protect product before blow-drying. This will not only protect your hair

but also give incredible shine.

–       Never pull on your hair while straightening. Let it glide through the styler as it will help to

promote shine.

–       If you want to achieve a voluminous straight do, follow the styler with the brush. As the

hair cools, it will follow the shape of the brush and give you a beveled straight.

–       If your mane is dry on the ends, try using a serum on the wet hair before drying. This will

make the ends look healthier.

SHORT-CROPPED

Short hair is a lot of fun when it comes to styling, as you can keep it straight, neat and classy. You can also use any styling product – wet or matte – to add definition, movement and texture. A short haircut that suits your face structure is the best bet. Your hair could be kept wavy or curly, depending on your willingness to style it. You could keep it natural or wear a wet look. You could also gel it down, wear it slightly tousled and textured or even spike it. Other options would be to flatten your hair and wear a few strands on your forehead. You can also keep it messy by usng wax and adding more texture to it or gel it back for a sharp, clean look.

Curls are beautiful and allowing them to fall naturally is the best approach to curls. For daywear you can just add a leave-in conditioner to shampooed, towel-dried hair and allow it to dry naturally. For a more styled evening look, you could use products that enhance movement and reduce frizz. Use a diffuser to dry and add volume for longer lasting, dressed curls. Don’t let your straight hair fall limp ever again. Straight hair is low maintenance, but it does get flat and monotonous. Add some volume to the top by backcombing it into a bouffant. You can also use tongs to add a few curls at the ends. A curling tong is needed to create curls on straight hair. Apply mousse/foam on damp hair that has a good hold factor. Dry the hair and then wrap section of the hair around the curling tong and leave it loose once it’s heated. Finish with a hold spray. Curling tongs come in different sizes so choose its thickness according to the curl size you desire. With the help of a flat iron you can create big, loose curls by randomly picking large sections of hair and wrapping it around the iron. You can also flick the edges of your hair outwards with the iron for a textured look.