Straightening dirty hair with a flat iron will only "cook" oil and dirt in, which will lead to more damage. When you are finished straightening the bottom part, you will let down another layer of hair for strengthening. Remember not to hold the straightener in any area for too long to prevent ridging. Set your hair after a shampoo and conditioning session, working with wet hair. Learn More. If you have bangs, straighten them in the opposite direction to add more volume. For average hair thickness, use medium heat (about 300–350ºF / 150–177ºC). There is always more than one way to create a style and Jessica Pettway opted for the blow-dryer to help straighten her tresses before flat ironing. You can air dry your hair now for about 5 minutes or so. I'm not afraid of ironing my bangs or the sides, it's the top and back I'm worried about. Comb through it once more to remove any last minute tangles, then hold it a little way from the top of the strands with the comb. If you'd rather skip the extra step of washing and drying hair your with a blow dryer, you can easily just continue with the rest of the process. If you want to know how to straighten natural hair with a flat iron to enable you to sport beautiful healthy, trendy hair, you’ve got to do your research beforehand. You don't have to spend a fortune. The kit included the Motions Straight Finish Leave-In Conditioner, Straight Finish Sealer and (sulfate) Shampoo – which I didn’t use, along with a flat iron. Before you straighten your hair with a flat iron, brush your hair to remove any tangles and spray it all over with a heat protectant. Continue this process until you’ve straightened all of your hair. Then you also need to add a moisturizing mask before using your dryer and flat iron. Remember that for your hair to stay its healthiest, it’s … If you are going to straighten your hair using heat, use good products. Basically, the lower the setting, the more times you will go over the hair. Use the lowest temperature you can while getting the results you want. In fact, I recommend not using one at all, as it could save extra damage to your hair and the extra heat isn't needed. Just leave the bottom layers available, because this is where you are going to start with your hair. Professional Hair Stylist. Healthy hair. This pressing comb is one you can use safely and easily at home. Whoo straight hair!!! In this case, 83% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. sephora.com. But if you want curly hair, you need to … For those with extra curly hair, try to avoid going for bone straight hair – aim for a bit of texture, which provides great volume. Learn the top 5 signs someone is lying to you. Be sure not to clamp too firmly, as this will create a ridge at the top of your hair. Leaving the iron in one place for too long will also cause a ridge. I sectioned of small – medium sized parts and added the leave in conditioner, chi silk infusion and heat protection. You know when you wake up in the morning and your hair is going in, like, a million different directions? If you see a lot of steam, or smell burning hair, move the iron more quickly. The blower drier should be about 1500 watts while drying with your round brush. Benefits Of Stretching 4C Hair Type You Can Flaunt Long Hair: Straightening your hair can add length to your locs. Use a Heat Protectant. Straighten, curl, and add volume with this easy to use styling tool. Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Hair stylist & passionate blogger. How to Add Volume to Straight Hair – Step by Step Guide, How to Curl Your Hair With a Flat Iron – Step By Step Guide, Best Flat Iron Curling Iron Combo: Choices for Home & Professional Use, Best CHI Hair Dryer: Learn About All the Best Choices & Features, How to Style Side-swept Bangs with a Flat Iron, Best Quiet Hair Dryers: Avoid Damage with the Right Blow Dryer, Your Ultimate Guide to Best Flat Iron for Relaxed Hair. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Make sure that you did not go over the correct temperature that is suitable for your hair. It is vital as well because it locks in all the straightening processes you have undertaken with your hair, and it protects the hair too from the weather and pollution. For tips on what temperature setting to use for your hair, read on! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. But with the arrival of COVID-19, the stakes are higher than ever. Michael Van den Abbeel is the owner of Mosaic Hair Studio and Blowout Bar, a hair salon in Orlando, Florida. Editor at HairStraightenerLab.com, and a regular Fashion & Lifestyle editor at HuffingtonPost, Lifehacker & Forbes! Try not to get hair products on hair that you have not straightened yet because these products can actually negatively influence your process of hair straightening and can cause damage to your hair. Clean hair makes the whole straightening process better. Smile for that selfie – for a job well done! Your hair will straighten without a heat protectant, you just risk burning it and over time it will probably get dry and burnt. A high-quality one will seal your hair and keep it clean and straight for longer. Rub in a drop of hair oil, about the size of a pea or even smaller. Next, section all of the hair into four sections and secure with For thin hair, use the lowest heat setting. By using our site, you agree to our. 2. For examples, if you wear your bangs to the left, pull them to the right while you apply the flat iron, and flip them back to the left when you're finished. Do I have to take a shower before hand or is it optional? Any products that have silicone in will also contribute towards keeping your hair straight. High humidity in the room might also be the culprit. Mind you, she has naturally straight hair and had never held a flat iron before in her life. If you aren't using heat protectant, use low temperatures only. Wait at least a couple days between straightening sessions. Required fields are marked *. This will help your hair stay straight while it dries, especially if it's naturally … Here is the list of flat irons you can choose if struggle with, how to straightening damaged hair. Even with those odds against us, my hair turned out great! A mistake can burn your hair or skin or, possibly, add a crimp to your hair. If there is excess hair falling out of the iron, open the iron and try again with a smaller amount of hair. Electric Hot Brush Round. If your hair has been dyed before, you will need a straightening shampoo that’s got sodium lauryl sulfate in it and sodium laureth sulfate to keep your colour well. That ultimately leads to straight, sleek hair. This will make it less effective. Take your time. If your hair is prone to damage, don’t take the risk of ruining it further; know which temperatures apply for your kind of hair type when you want to straighten hair with flat iron. Don’t leave the straightener in one place for too long, as it can burn your hair. Apply anti-frizz product. Work from the top down. This will avoid damaging your hair. Look on the packaging of the straightener and see if it says anything about the kind or thickness of hair it straightens. IMHO, if you're looking to really straighten your hair, it's best to start the process in the shower (yup,… Pay extra attention to the very back of your head. References If your hair is very thick you might have to go a few times. Apply the setting product of your choice to each section of hair before rolling. After washing and conditioning, apply hair straightening serum. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has been viewed 200,847 times. Below are 6 tips on how to flat-iron/straighten your 4C hair while limiting hair damage. ", "Helped very much with straightening my hair.". A slow, thorough job will last longer than a quick fix, but will have much better effects. If you have super curly hair, you might want a higher temperature and for wavy hair, not as high. Finish with shine. Kinky hair follicles are more flat/elliptical compared to curly and wavy follicles, which tend to be elliptical or oval. Hair spray is added to the hair. Expert Interview. How to straighten your hair with a flat iron simply means two things; using the best products and using the best flat iron. LIMIT HEAT. It is normal to see steam coming from your hair and the iron. If the irons are too cold, then you're to go over the same sections of hair over and over again. Straightened 4c hair without heat. This will add shine as a starter. When I'm done straightening the lower part of my hair, how do I do the other half without ruining the top half? Evenly distribute throughout all the hair strands. How do I know what kind of hair straightener I need? Remember, good hair speaks louder than words!, This is helpful thanks a lot please I need a straighter thanks, Your email address will not be published. Once again, it is not just … I then combed through my thick 4b 4c hair with a paddle brush to make sure all of the products on my natural hair were evening distributed. Heat will damage healthy hair but the damage is more severe on already damaged hair. You can use hair ties or clips to separate parts of your hair and let each section down to straighten one at a time. If you smelling burning hair though, turn the settings down straight away. The best flat irons for natural hair, 4C curls, coarse hair, damaged hair, afros, and edges, including straighteners with steam and teeth for a silk press on Black hair and more. You can certainly straighten your … That means you're going to damage the hair through constant heat, and it's going to look lifeless. No matter how much you use heat protectant & conditioner, this will damage your hair over time. For tips on what temperature setting to use for your hair, read on! Wash your hair, then blow-dry or allow it to air dry until slightly damp. Sleeping With Flat Ironed Hair. Next step is to put up all your hair, holding it back with a hair tie or clip. This article was co-authored by Michael Van den Abbeel. Check out my video below to see how I used the Motions Straight Finish kit to flat iron my hair. It means you will probably start straightening about an inch away from your scalp. If it doesn’t suit your hair, try and pick another good brand that you might be familiar with. How can I protect my hair when I straighten it? We've been helping billions of people around the world continue to learn, adapt, grow, and thrive for over a decade. Using low heat or passing the iron through your hair too quickly can cause this. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. My hair is 3C/4A, shoulder length, and I used the flat iron on 360 for us both. For in-between type hair, the medium heat setting will be suitable. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. He has been cutting, styling, and coloring hair for over 17 years. If you haven’t got time to wash your hair, even a dry shampoo can be used. 1. Depending on your hair type, different temperatures will work. Michael Van den Abbeel. Your hair is not burning; this is just the heat protectant evaporating a little. Straight hair is more round. You will repeat this until your whole head of straightening hair process leaves your hair straight and sleek. Blow-dry your hair, not with a hair dryer, but a blow-dryer. Set your curly hair straightener on the lowest heat setting possible; remember, the goal is to only have one or two swipes of the flat-iron straighten each section of hair. Even on a once-per-week regimen, heat styling is still never actually good for your hair, so you'll need to consistently keep track of your hair's health. You'll need total access to the lower layers of hair. This process will leave you and your hair looking glowing, healthy, achieving the WOW factor from those who see you and touch your hair! But assuming you are in possession of a high-quality flat iron, but you are not sure how to straighten hair with a flat iron, whilst at the same time protecting it, here are a few steps to guide you carefully through the process.