Tips for Hair straightening at Home

Everyone has a different hair texture. Curly, wavy, fine hairs were once predefined genetically; but now, you can change your hair as you wish. There are so many hair stylers available in the market. Some might go for hair salons to style their hair. While others, prefer to do it at the comfort of your home. It is economical actually. However, doing something without the right professional knowledge can cause more harm. So if you are one who uses flat iron or hair curler at home, make sure to do it the right way. Here are few tips and tricks that can make your home hair straightening method easier and effective. With simple ways you can make your straightening last longer as well. Moreover, these tips will help in protecting your valuable tresses from heat.

Prepare Your Hair Overnight

First of all, prep your hair. This is very important. You need to take care of your hair from the day before you are going to style. Use an overnight hair mask to condition your hair. Try to find our previous posts about fenugreek hair mask which is effective in cooling your hair and preventing hair loss. You can also try fruit packs  or egg hair treatment for deep conditioning. Since we use coconut oil in this mask, it will strengthen your hair strands. However, if you are the one who has no time for messy hair mask, you can try to use any store brought hair treatments. Check our previous post about hair treatment creams.

Detangle and Moisturize Before Shower

It is essential to prep your hair beforehand or else you will end up damaging your hair. After the deep hair treatment overnight, take some good time detangling your hair. This will help in getting your hair messed up in the shower. Also, I personally use aloe Vera gel over the hair before every hair wash. Since I have a dry frizzy hair, this helps in softening my hair. For fine hair ladies, you can skip this. If you think why not giving an additional layer of softness to your strands, then just go for it. I swear it works wonders. Always use fresh aloe Vera gel as I have them in my garden. If you are not able to get it fresh, you can try organic gel from a reputed manufacturer.

Clean and Condition Your Hair

You should start straightening at home with a clean hair. Always rinse your hair with cold water. Warm water might make it dry sometimes. Also choose the right kind of shampoo for your hair. I personally use L’Oreal Smoothening Shampoo, which makes my hair super soft without drying. It is a must to use a conditioner. Most often it is said that always go for the same range of conditioner as of the shampoo. But I do not believe the same. It’s just a marketer tactic. Do what your hair needs. I always experiment with different products. Sometimes, I use dove conditioner, which is a mild one. Earlier I had a sting with Pantene conditioner and will never go back to it. For straightening, you can use a product that claims to straighten and moisturize the hair. Since my hair and skin are sensitive, I prefer herbal products. For conditioning, I use hibiscus powder. See the review of Banjaras hibiscus powder in my earlier post. It does the job of conditioner. I even skip the conditioner.

[Also read : How to Make Soapnuts Shampoo for Hair]

Moisturize and Dry the Hair

After taking shower, I usually apply my Aloe Veda Silk & Keratin Hair Protein Cream, which provides the needed keratin to the hair. I use it in damp hair to lock in the moisture. This helps a lot while styling. I do not blow dry my hair. But if you need to do, use it sparingly along with a heat protectant.

Once your hair is dried completely start with your hair straightening. Remember that you should never straighten your hair when it is damp. It will lead to breakage of hair bonds. Prefer to start your straightening after 4-5 hours of shower.

Hair Straightening using a Flat Iron

Now comes the important part – flat ironing/hair straightening. I use Remington hair straightener. It works just like a breeze. You have to use ceramic coated plates for quality results. It might be little expensive than regular ones but the result will outweigh the cost. It is undeniable that styling products damage your hair. You can only try to reduce the damage. Using heat protectant is a must. Here are the primary tips you need to know about hair straightening at home.Start with heat protection spray. Never skip it or you will end up damaging your precious tresses. I use Berina heat protectant spray, which you can purchase here. Also you can use homemade heat protection spray.Use a clean comb to spread the spray evenly. It is preferable to use a hair brush while straightening, as it will hold your hair well.Choose the right temperature for your hair. If you have very fine hair, use low temperature, and for every curly hair, you will need the highest temperature. For my wavy, frizzy hair I use medium temperature.Section your hair into small strands and never go too many times on one strand. You can go over 2-3 times over a strand but not more than that. Also you should not leave the flat iron at one place in the strand for a long time. This will cause hair burns. Keep moving in a slow pace.The trick is to go hand in hand with your hair brush and flat iron. This will make your hair styling easier and perfect.Initially, while using heat protection spray, you might see some steam coming. Do not panic, it’s not your hair burning but just the heat protection spray evaporating due to heat.

Final touchups

Once done straightening for the entire hair, make sure to let it cool down. Do not go into any hair style or bum until the hair is cooled down or else you will lose your straightening effect soon. You can also finish it off with cool air blow drying. Applying serum is a must. Not only does it add shine to your hair, it keeps the straightening in place. It will also control your frizz considerably. I previously used L’Oreal deep smoothening serum and now using the Matrix deep smoothening serum. Both of them are really very good choices.This is the entire hair straightening routine that I go through personally. It does well to my hair and I find no breakage or hair burns. Try it out and be cautious while using styling products at home. If you find it not working for you, choose a professional salon to do the job.