Trends have definitely followed super-straight hair. Celebs like Reese Witherspoon and Rachel Bilson are seen sporting the style all the time, so I thought it’d be helpful to share some tips on getting it at home with no salon blowout and no split ends.
Step 1: Get a Chi. It is absolutely your best friend. I know they’re expensive, but you’ll use it constantly, and it can straighten even the kinkiest curls.
Step 2: On freshly washed, towel-dried hair, apply a heat protecting spray like TRESemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Protective Spray ($4.75). This will protect your hair moderately from the terrible heat-related damage you’re about to put it through. Comb the product through with a wide-toothed comb to avoid breakage and tangles. Dry your hair with a blow dryer slowly, moving the dryer from root to tip about 6 inches away while combing through the section you’re drying. We want to start with the straightest hair possible. Note: in order to avoid further heat damage, it’s better to air or towel-dry while combing, but we’re assuming time is a factor. In general, keep hair dryers away from your roots; that area gets tons of heat from your head so it’ll dry quickly by itself.
Step 3: Take a front section of your hair about 1 1/2 inches wide and start your trusty Chi as close to the root as you can get it. Clamp the Chi down and move it evenly and slowly down the hair. Move that section forward and continue doing this with new sections of hair backward around your head. Try not to move or touch the straightened hair much, as it is still pliable while it’s hot and may change shape. On the back of your head, you may find hair difficult to reach: simply pull it gently upward from the crown and hold it straight up while you straighten, then put it back down with the straightener slowly.
Step 4: On any sections that maintained a non-straight shape (this applies mostly to you, curly girls; the Chi’s so amazing this will rarely happen to wavy types), spritz quickly with your heat tamer, comb, and Chi again. Spot touch up any imperfect sections this way.
Step 5: Once your hair is perfectly straight, try to leave it alone while it’s still hot. Then, style as usual. If you want to maintain the razor-sharp straight bangs the Chi gave you or separate them a little further, use a lightweight gel like Got2b Playful Texturizing Creme Pomade ($5.99) and comb that gently through with a slightly finer comb or your fingers, and re-Chi as necessary. Now, enjoy your super-modern, super straight hair!
top image source: esthersonline.com
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