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It’s always like this for girls: owners of straight hair dream of curls, and those whom nature has rewarded with curls and curls are looking for ways to turn them into perfectly smooth strands. In this article, we will tell you in detail how to straighten your hair at home so as to keep the result for a long time.
Hair straightening at home: 4 popular ways
Shiny, smooth, like silk, strands – this is the result that those who are going to straighten their hair on their own are counting on. We fully approve this desire and, for our part, offer you a kind of collection of ways to straighten hair at home.
Before you dive headlong into learning how to straighten your hair at home, uncover the haircode of your hair by answering the questions in this quiz.
Iron
The easiest and most effective way to straighten your hair at home: strands are placed between two hot plates and pulled from root to tip. However, direct contact with a heated surface is traumatic for the hair.
To achieve a good result and not harm your hair, follow these rules.
Dry your hair with a hairdryer – do not use a flat iron on wet strands. Remember that thermal protection is applied to wet hair (unless otherwise recommended by the manufacturer).
Set the iron to the optimum heating temperature depending on the condition of the hair. For thin, choose the most gentle mode, for curly and hard – the maximum.
Comb your hair thoroughly before styling.
Grab strands of medium thickness with an iron: too large ones do not fit well, and too thin ones are easily damaged.
Let your hair cool completely before fixing with hairspray. A detailed article on how to straighten hair with an iron can be found here.
Plaice
Oddly enough, a curling iron is also suitable for straightening hair at home – a tool designed for the exact opposite action – curling.
But only a large-diameter curling iron can straighten hair, and always with a tongue that will help grab and hold the strand.
Work with a curling iron in the same way as with an iron. Let’s recap the main point:
thermal protection is applied to wet hair;
Dry your hair before using the curling iron.
Hair dryer and hairbrush
As you know, in order to straighten hair for a long time, a combination of two factors is necessary: heat exposure and tension. At home, a hair dryer and comb fit perfectly into this formula. Plus, you also save time by combining the drying and styling procedure, which cannot be afforded when using irons and curling irons.
Instead of the usual comb, use a round brush for brushing, and with a large diameter, as professionals do in the salon.
Stylists advise starting from the bottom layer of the hair of the back of the head (the top one can be collected and stabbed for now).
The hair is straightened strand by strand and each combed before processing.
The brush is placed under the strand at the roots, the hair dryer nozzle is located on top.
The nozzle should literally touch the teeth of the brush – if the distance between the strand and the hair dryer is greater, it will be problematic to smooth and straighten the hair, no matter how hard you try.
Pull the strand, turning the brush away from you, make sure that the hair dryer does not lag behind. The strand should fit between the brush and the hair dryer.
Start the process by drying the roots, for this, the strand mounted on the brush must be lifted so as to give access to the directed stream of warm air of the hair dryer.
Curlers
Curlers will provide hair with smoothness and basal volume.
Curlers can be used for home hair straightening without thermal and, consequently, damaging effect. The main thing is that the curlers are of large diameter. On average, 10 pieces are required.
Here’s how to do it.
Dry your clean hair with a towel so that it is slightly damp but not wet. By pulling wet hair, you risk damaging it.
Apply styling product if you are using it.
Before winding, comb and smooth each strand with a brush or use curlers for this purpose, which in this case replace brushing. Comb each strand from the inside, from the roots to the tips.
Place the tip of the strand on the curlers and twist to the roots, inward.
Once you get used to it, you can comb and curl your hair in one smooth motion.
Unlike the previous method, start the procedure from the top tier of hair, winding them strand by strand.
Leave until completely dry.
Remove the curlers and enjoy the result: smooth hair and basal volume.
The best cosmetics for hair straightening at home
Those who straighten their hair on their own, in addition to gadgets and technical devices, will need care, styling and protection products. We offer a choice of the best, in the opinion of the editors, options.
Thermal protection products
Leave-in care cream Elseve “Length of a dream. No scissors” for long damaged hair, L’Oréal Paris
Contains vegetable keratin, castor oil, panthenol. This leave-in treatment smoothes hair, repairs damaged ends and provides protection against heat damage during hot styling at temperatures up to 180 degrees.
Botanic Therapy “Royal Jelly and Propolis” Revitalizing Cream-Oil, Garnier
Cream with royal jelly, honey and propolis strengthens and smoothes the hair along the entire length, providing protection at temperatures up to 230 degrees.
Complex leave-in cream “SOS Rescuer hair 10-in-1” Fructis, Garnier
In addition to many other “rescue” functions, the cream protects the hair from thermal exposure even at 230 degrees.
Cream for brittleness “Checked with a comb. Ultra Strength”, Elseve, L’Oréal Paris
The cream will not allow harm to the strands during home hair straightening using devices heated to high temperatures.
Hair oil
Oil – a product that can be applied before straightening / drying with a hair dryer as a protective agent, if the thermal protection properties are declared by the manufacturer. More often, oil is used as a final touch, which fixes the result, prevents fluffiness of the tips and brittle hair.
Firming cream-oil “Castor oil and almonds” Botanic Therapy, Garnier
Light oil for weakened hair makes them soft, shiny, smooth, creating a weightless protective layer.
Smoothing Leave-In Concentrate Smoothing Oil-Infused Leave-In Concentrate, Kiehl’s
The light formula with oils is evenly distributed, economically consumed, nourishes, softens, smoothes the cuticle – literally brilliantly copes with its functions.
Hair oil “Extraordinary” Elseve, L’Oréal Paris
Formulated with six essential oils, specifically formulated for color-treated hair, it creates a glossy, protective layer without weighing it down. Suitable for use before blow-drying.
Care products
To avoid the negative consequences of straightening strands at home, it is necessary to focus on restoration in care using intensive products for damaged, dry and brittle hair. Look for keratin, proteins, oils in the composition – they will help smooth the hair, help restore its structure, smooth the cuticle, which will subsequently facilitate styling.
Nourishing hair mask with olive oil Olive Fruit Oil Deeply Repairative Hair Pak, Kiehl’s
The oil-enriched formula will give dry, damaged hair the beauty, smoothness and lightness of silk in minutes.
Express mask with a complex of prokeratin, reconstructing the surface of the hair, Dercos Kera-Solutions, Vichy
It has a restorative effect on the hair cuticle. Vitamin B5 in the composition prevents damage. Express mask makes hair stronger and smoother.
Mask for damaged hair “Total recovery 5” Elseve, L’Oréal Paris
Restores damaged hair, smoothes the cuticle, adds shine to the strands and stimulates its own protective properties.
Mask for damaged hair Fructis SuperFood “Papaya. Recovery, Garnier
The formula includes papaya extract and is silicone free. The tool can be used in three ways. Use as a restorative mask is the best option for those who straighten their hair at home.
Want to know exactly what extra care your hair needs? Answer our test questions.
How to straighten hair at home with improvised means
To be honest, we ourselves became interested in how to straighten and straighten hair at home without the use of devices and special devices. It turned out that such methods exist.
Toga
This Latin American technique of drying and straightening hair at the same time is suitable for long hair. With its help, even stubborn curls are smoothed out. We describe in general terms how this is done. If this technique interests you, we advise you to look for a video with step-by-step instructions.
You need to wash your hair and dry your hair with a towel. Important: they must be slightly damp!
Comb the strands with a brush or detengler.
Wrap your hair around your head in one direction.
Secure with invisible (or hairpins) in several places.
Wait until the “design” dries.
Mesh
“This method is suitable if you have a short haircut and you don’t strive for volume,” says Evgeny Sedoy, expert creator of Garnier.
Use when washing the products from the lines to smooth the hair.
Dry your hair with a towel and comb through.
Put on a hairnet
Let your hair dry naturally.
Rubber bands
For this styling, you will need soft rubber bands.
Wet hair comb and divide into 2 or 4 sections (depending on the thickness of the hair).
Make a regular low ponytail from each section, securing the hair with an elastic band.
Place the next elastic band directly under the first, and then roll it down 5-7 centimeters.
Continue until you get to the ends.
Wrap your hair with a silk scarf.
After your hair dries, remove the elastic bands and comb out the strands.
Folk art
At home, you can straighten your hair with a mixture of coconut and lemon.
Here is an exotic recipe for the most effective, in our opinion, folk remedy for hair straightening.
You only need two ingredients (coconut milk and lemon) and a little patience.
Mix 100 ml of coconut milk with two tablespoons of lemon juice.
Leave the mixture in a closed glass jar overnight in the refrigerator.
By morning, the mixture will separate into two fractions – a denser fatty, reminiscent of whipped cream (it will float to the surface), and a liquid one.
Divide your hair into sections and comb each one.
First, apply the oily fraction to the strands, carefully removing it from the jar with a spoon.
Apply the product with smoothing movements from top to bottom, avoiding the roots.
Just pour the remaining liquid part on your head, distributing the composition with your hands.
Pin up your hair and hide it under a shower cap or plastic bag.
Leave it like that for an hour.
Wash your hair as usual. The use of a mild shampoo is encouraged.
Use a conditioner.
Dry your head with a towel, preferably microfiber or cotton, so you don’t disturb your cuticles and your hair stays smooth.
Brush through wet hair gently.
Let your hair dry naturally.
Comb dry hair with a brush from crown to ends.
Try this recipe and don’t say you don’t know how to straighten your hair at home.
What else you need to know about home hair straightening FAQ
We have collected the most relevant, in our opinion, questions on this topic.
Is it possible to permanently straighten hair at home?
No matter how much you would like the opposite, it is impossible to straighten your hair forever, even if you do it in a salon, at home you should not count on a more or less long-term result. Let’s be realistic, the effect will last until the first shampooing, and even less at high humidity.
What is the best way to straighten hair at home?
The fastest and most reliable way is to use an iron or a hair dryer, that is, the thermal effect at the time of stretching is the most important component of success. In this case, the use of protective equipment before styling is strictly recommended, unless, of course, the hair is dear to you.
How to straighten hair at home?
In order not to burn or dry out your hair during the straightening process, remember the following rule: hot surfaces (iron, curling iron) are used only on dry hair, and a hair dryer with brushing is used on wet hair. After applying a protection or styling product, thoroughly comb the hair with a brush to evenly distribute the product. And follow the step-by-step instructions given at the beginning of this article.
Can I use oil under the iron?
It is possible, but only special ones designed for thermal protection, with the appropriate marking. Natural, and many other oils for hair and scalp definitely do not belong to this category. “Intensive hair repair oils are not recommended for thermal protection, as they can cause damage to the hair.” Maria Nevskaya
How to straighten hair permanently?
You can straighten your hair so that it really lasts a long time and maintains smoothness, only in the salon. If you want to do without keratin and “chemistry”, you will have to act on your own and limit yourself to home remedies. Use smoothing shampoo, balm/conditioner and mask. And in order to keep the result of hair straightening as long as possible, use before styling products that combine styling and thermal protection (gel, spray, cream). After straightening, fix the result with varnish, apply wax or oil to the ends of the hair so that they do not fluff.