Are you looking for alternatives to using heat to straighten your hair so as not to damage it? Although we adore our curls, straightening our hair is one approach to assessing hair development and occasionally change our appearance.
Consistently using heat for extended periods on natural curls can be extremely damaging to it as it alters the protein component in the hair, which might eventually loosen or alter your curl profile.
How to Straighten Curly Hair: Heat-free Methods
Getting curly hair to straighten without applying heat shouldn’t be impossible. There are methods for getting a straight appearance; the only distinction is that the outcome varies depending on the texture of the hair.
You are off to a good start if you accept that your hair might have a slight wave or curl and not completely straight. To be clear, straightening your curls does not mean that you dislike them. As long as you are not causing damage to your curls in the process, there is nothing wrong with simply trying something new.
Most times, when we can not escape using heat, taking adequate steps to ensure our curls are cared for is the priority. Here are a couple of ways to ensure that :
- To minimize damage while directing your blow dryer, hold it 15 cm away from your hair.
- Make use of heat-protecting products. These items are designed to shield the hair and prevent split ends.
- Use the lowest heat and temperature settings on any product.
- Air dry. Let the air do all the job for you and stay away from heat completely.
1. The Wrapping Method
For this technique, start by washing your hair, and for us, curlies that involve staying clear of sulfate-containing shampoos, after which you condition. Don’t use anything too hydrating because we don’t want our straight hair coming out as greasy and frizz-looking. If your hair is clean and dry, you might want to spritz some water to dampen it.
After thoroughly detangling the hair, twist it back into a tight ponytail to straighten the root. Allow the root to dry for about an hour. After that, take all the pieces in the ponytail and comb them in the direction of the headband before pinning them close to the crown.
You might also attempt this way of wrapping hair; it differs slightly from the one described above. This procedure is performed on damp hair; comb through with a wide-toothed comb instead of a brush because wet hair is more brittle and can break under greater pressure.
Your hair will lay sleek and flat after being combed and parted where you want it to be and after using a leave-in conditioner or smoothing serum. Comb one side of your hair backward behind your ears, fix it with a Bobby pin in the back and repeat on the opposite side. The two pieces you now have at the back should be divided in half, smoothed out, and crossed over before being wrapped around the head in opposing directions. Use a Bobby pin to secure it.
You may leave the bobby pins in overnight while wearing a protective head wrap, or you could wait at least 5 hours before removing them.
2. Blow Dryer at Cool Settings
I know what you are thinking now; what happens to no heat?! Don’t jump to a conclusion quickly; what if we use our blow dryer with as little heat as possible and prep our hair for the process so that it’s not damaging our hair at all?
For this process, give yourself a straightening treatment – protein treatment or deep conditioning. Afterward, section your hair into four quadrants or as many. Sectioning your hair allows for a more concentrative process without strands hovering and making a mess as you blow-dry.
The next step is to apply a heat protectant to each section separately to penetrate all the strands. I suggest using the heat protectant this way rather than all at once because you won’t be able to coat all the hair strands thoroughly.
Keep in mind that your hair’s health comes first. Either use a boar bristle brush, ceramic round brush, or comb attachment to blow-dry your hair from the bottom up. Take a section of hair, scoop it up with the brush, and pull at the roots of the curls with the blow dryer’s nozzle pointing downward. A smoother outcome is achieved by aiming the blow dryer lower to help seal the cuticle.
Work your way through the other sections; you should already see your straight hair, but for some, to smoothen it the more, use a flat iron.
Take a small diagonal section of your hairline, turn on the low settings on the flat iron, grab the section and pull the hair tugging at its root, and using a carbon comb, follow through to the end with the flat iron. Using a regular comb can melt in the process.
Continue taking small sections and repeating the process until it’s finished. Then, take a tiny bit of serum into the hair. Going to bed without protection can let all your hard work go down the drain. So, to sleep, comb your hair as if you were trying to do a ponytail, split it into two parts, and criss-cross to the sides of your hair and drape it in a silk scarf or satin bonnet.
This process gives you sleek and straight hair with no frizz!
3. Twist into a Bun
Take a section of hair from the crown of your head, twist it into a bun, and fasten it with an elastic band or clip. Beginning at the front, grab a section of hair, brush it to the side, and pin it in place.
Continue with the rest of the sections using the same technique, going around your head as you go, and secure with bobby pins. The top bun is taken out, combed through, wrapped around, and secured with pins.
4. Jumbo-Sized Rollers
This is another excellent way of getting those curls to lay straight. Get a super large-sized roller, section your hair from the middle of the front, and ensure your hair has been moisturized and is damp for this process. Take a sectioned hair, comb and attach the ends to the rollers, and tightly wrap around the rollers.
You can air dry afterward, but depending on the length/thickness of your hair, it may take a while, and an alternative is to sit under a hooded dryer for 45–60 minutes. The main focus of the roller setting is to get the hair root straightened and set. After which, you can wrap it around your head with pins.
5. Hair Ties for Straightening
Wet hair should be used for this technique, after which you should divide it into two low ponytails and fasten them with a hair tie. Continue placing hair ties every few inches as you work your way down to your ends. Avoid tying your hair too firmly because this could cause dent marks.
Before going to bed, wrap your hair in silk or satin; untie it to reveal straightened hair when you wake up.