Have Beautiful Silky, Shiny, Straight Hair

Whether it’s for work, school, or a night out with friends, sometimes we want to rock a mane that is silky and straight. It’s completely possible to achieve straight, silky, glossy hair at home, and for a fraction of the salon cost. Whether you're starting with curly or straight locks, all you need are a few tools and products to get your hair looking fantastic.

Steps

Shampooing and Conditioning

1. Wash your hair. Wash and Condition-Your-Hair your hair with sulfate-free products. Sulfates (such as sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate) are chemicals that are often included in shampoos and conditioners. However, they are very damaging to the hair. They are harsh irritants that can negatively affect not only your hair, but also your skin, scalp and eyes. Check the list of ingredients on your current shampoo and conditioner products. If sulfates are listed, replace them with sulfate-free products.
   • Avoid products containing alcohol, which are very drying to the hair.
   • Avoid clarifying shampoos and conditioners. These products strip moisture from the hair and can result in limp, lackluster hair.
2. Choose smoothing products if you have wavy, curly or frizzy hair. For sleek and glossy results, you'll need to start the transformation to straight hair in the shower. Look for shampoo and conditioner products that advertise as "smoothing." Check for ingredients like Argan oil, coconut oil and Moroccan oil. These oils will help smooth out your natural waves or frizz.
   • After you apply the conditioner, run a wide-tooth comb through your hair to evenly distribute the product. Leave in for a few minutes before rinsing it out.
3. Towel dry your hair. Carefully squeeze out any excess water and then pat your hair with the microfiber towel, starting at the roots and working your way down to the tips. Avoid using terry cloth towels, since their tiny fibers can cause your hair to become frizzy. Instead, use an old T-shirt or a microfiber towel.
   • Avoid rubbing or scrunching your hair as you do so.
   • When you use rough motions to towel dry your hair, it can cause your hair to curl up and become wavy.
4. Detangle your hair. Use a wide-tooth plastic comb to get any tangles out of your wet hair. Start at the bottom and work your way up toward the roots, working in small sections. When finished detangling, apply a small amount of leave-in conditioner, avoiding the inch or two closest to the roots and focusing on the ends.
   • Comb through your hair a few more times to make sure the conditioner is evenly distributed.
   • After detangling, allow your hair to air dry until it is about 80% dry, then blow dry it until it is completely dry.
   • Blow drying wet hair can be incredibly damaging to the hair shaft. It can also cause your hair to become unnecessarily frizzy and unmanageable.
5. Use deep conditioners or hair masks once per week. The straightening process is damaging and can wreak havoc on your strands. If you have wavy, curly or coily hair and you’re straightening it regularly, the process is even more damaging. No matter what your hair type is, you should deep condition your hair at least once per week to minimize damage and keep it healthy.
   • Deep conditioners and hair masks are very similar, but a mask usually works on strengthening hair while a deep conditioner creates more “slip”, meaning that the hair strands become smoother and easier to detangle.
   • Hair masks usually include ingredients like proteins, amino acids, natural oils and lipids, which can help to strengthen your hair.
   • Hair masks and deep conditioners can be purchased at beauty supply stores, drug stores, or grocery stores. Masks are also a popular thing to make with ingredients you may already have at home. Simply search online for “hair masks to make at home” and thousands of results will be at your fingertips.

Styling Your Hair

1. Use a smoothing serum. Before you blow dry, apply a smoothing serum product on your hair. Use the product sparingly – it only takes a small amount, especially if you have thin hair. Start at the roots and work the serum down to the tips. Always apply the serum from roots to tip for the smoothest, shiniest results.
   • Try to use a serum product that lists Argan or Moroccan oil in the ingredients.
   • Avoid serums that have alcohol listed in the ingredients, since alcohol can severely dry out your hair.
2. Use an ionic blow dryer. These blow dryers will dry your hair incredibly quickly and cause very little damage to your hair cuticle. As you’re using it, the blow dryer releases negative ions, which force the cuticle of your hair to lay down flat. A flattened hair cuticle results in straight, frizz-free, shiny hair.
   • If you have wavy, curly, very thick or frizzy hair, an ionic blow dryer is even more essential. These hair types usually take longer to dry, and since the ionic dryer shortens drying time, you will cause less hair damage.
3. Blow dry your hair with a flat paddle brush. Buy one that has a combination of boar hair and nylon bristles, which will give you silky, shiny strands. These brushes are the best kind to use during the drying process. Place the paddle brush under a section of hair, then angle the blow dryer so that it's hitting the hair that's on the brush. As you move the brush down the section of hair toward the ends, move the blow dryer along with it as well so that it remains connected to the brush at all times. Do this to each part of your hair.
   • Always point the barrel of the blow dryer downward. This will blow air in the direction of the hair cuticle, rather than blowing against it and causing damage/tangles.
   • After your hair is dry, turn on the blow dryer’s cool setting and blow the cool air onto your hair for about one minute. This will make your strands extra shiny.
4. Apply a heat protectant spray to your hair. Heat protectant products won't completely prevent damage caused by straightening your hair with a flat iron, but they can certainly help to limit it. Spray one of these products all over your hair before flat ironing.
   • Be sure to get the underside as well as the top.
   • To make this easier, flip your head upside down and then spray the underside.
   • Heat protectant sprays are often formulated for different purposes, such as flat ironing or blow drying. Select one that is made for flat ironing your hair. These can be purchased at beauty supply stores such as Ulta.
5. Set your flat iron to the appropriate heat setting. To minimize damage, be sure you're using the right heat setting for your hair type. Fine hair should be straightened on a low setting. If you have curly or wavy hair, use a medium setting. For thick to coarse hair, use a medium-high setting.
   • If possible, invest in a high-quality ceramic flat iron. These salon-quality tools are worth the extra money if you plan to straighten your hair often. A high-quality ceramic flat iron could last for years.
   • The ceramic plates on the iron will straighten your hair quicker than other types of flat irons, causing the least amount of damage.
6. Flat iron your hair. After you spritz the heat protectant on your hair, separate your hair into small sections and run the flat iron over each one. Start near the roots and slowly move toward the ends. Avoid ironing over the same section of hair more than two or three times, which causes damage. Be certain that your hair is completely dry before you start flat ironing it.
   • Listen for a sizzle – if you hear one, stop flat ironing your hair immediately. This means that your hair is still wet and needs to be dried more.
   • Use your blow dryer for a few more minutes until your hair is thoroughly dry.

Setting Your Style with Products

1. Tame fly-aways with a small amount of smoothing serum. Use a tiny dab of serum to smooth down any fly-aways or frizz. Concentrate on the ends of your hair, since they tend to dry out the fastest. Make sure you use the product sparingly – your hair can end up looking greasy if you use too much.
   • After applying the serum, wait a few minutes before moving on. This will give your hair time to cool down completely.
2. Set your hair with hairspray or finishing spray. Once your hair has cooled down, lightly mist a hairspray or finishing spray over your entire head. This will set the hairstyle. Another technique would be to spray the product onto the bristles of your flat paddle brush and then gently brush your hair with it. This can help to prevent any stickiness that the product could potentially cause.
   • If you hear any sizzling when you spray on the product, this means your hair hasn’t cooled down sufficiently. The sizzle sound means you are causing damage to your hair.
3. Experiment with additional products. Your hair’s texture and length, as well as the climate where you live, will play a role in how your straight style holds up throughout the day. Think about using an anti-humidity (or anti-frizz) cream or spray if you live in a particularly humid area. Try styling cream if your hair is short and needs a little more weight to keep the curls from springing back up. The cream will lightly weigh the hair down and prevent this from occurring.
   • Experiment with a shine spray product, which will specifically add shine to your hair but use them sparingly. These are often silicone-based products and will need a special shampoo to remove the residue.
4. Try to make the style last for another day or two. Instead of going through this time-consuming process every day, aim to do it every other day or every three days. In between washings, touch up your limp roots and remove oil with a dry shampoo.
   • Use a flat iron to spot-straighten any strands that have re-curled overnight.
   • If you using smoothing and straightening tools and products on a regular basis, you run the risk of damaging your hair. Make sure to use deep conditioning treatments at least once per week to repair any damage.

Tips

• Trim your split ends regularly.
• Avoid terrycloth towels, which can make your hair frizzy.
• Always brush your hair gently.
• Always use heat protection products before using a flat iron on your hair.
• Right before you get out of the shower, turn on the cold water and let it run through your hair for a few seconds. This will close the hair follicles.

Related Articles

• Brush Your Hair
• Style Your Hair
• Wash Your Hair
• Style Curly Hair

Sources and Citations

• Videos provided by Marianna Hewitt

See also

• Keep Your Hair Straight with a Perm As a Black Girl
• Straighten Your Hair Without Heat
• Straighten Your Hair Overnight
• Straighten Hair Without Frizz
• Straighten Your Hair
• Straighten the Back of Your Hair
• Straighten Your Hair With Hair Bands
• Make Hair Straight with a Curling Iron
• Straighten Hair Quickly
• Have Smooth and Silky Hair

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What links here

• Have Smooth and Silky Hair
• Get Beautiful Hair
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• Get Shiny, Bouncy Hair
• Get Very Soft Hair
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• Make Your Hair Look and Smell Good
• Straighten the Back of Your Hair