Have you ever picked up your flat iron and wondered, is this really for the greater good? I straightened my hair every day for years growing up, and the heat damage is evident and lasting. You may want straight hair, but you don’t have to compromise the health of your locks by subjecting them to a couple hundred degrees via flat iron.
Here are five ways that you can straighten your hair without using any heat, from someone who has found better solutions.
- Straightening hair products
-
There are shampoo and conditioning products that are formulated to straighten hair. These products are extremely moisturizing, which weighs down any curls to produce a straighter final product. After the shower, continue to add moisture with a smoothing cream or serum.
Coconut oil is also a popular choice that leaves hair shiny while also straightening.
- Jumbo hair rollers
-
When you think about rollers, you probably picture a Marilyn Monroe-type ‘do with springy curls. However, jumbo rollers can actually be used to straighten long hair. You can wrap damp hair around their wide diameter, and be left with a straight final product—all while feeling like a movie star on set as you wait for them to dry.
- DIY hair mask
-
Applying a natural hair mask can straighten your hair during the long game. There are various recipes for DIY hair masks, but I’ve found success with coconut oil personally.
Once every two weeks or so, I apply unrefined coconut oil to my hair for about one hour. After the treatment, I wash and condition my hair as normal. While the majority of hair remedies take a while to show any effects, I was able to see the benefits of the coconut oil mask after the first treatment. The whole process leaves my hair with a straighter texture, packed with moisture that I can feel. I started using coconut oil about six months ago, and I’ve noticed a net decrease in split ends over time.
The natural hair mask may be the key to not only straighter hair, but healthier hair.
- Blow-dry with cool air
-
Blow drying with hot air can result in damage, just like using a flat iron. But switching to the cool air setting and brushing through your hair section by section can produce straight hair, sans the heat damage. As a bonus, cool air won’t cause the frizz that hot air does. Keep in mind: your hair will dry significantly slower without the hot air, so be sure you’ve allotted additional time to get ready when trying out this method.
- Wrap hair overnight
-
Wrapping your hair overnight is low maintenance, since the magic happens while you’re fast asleep. To prepare, dry your hair most of the way using cool air. Then, wrap the hair around the head and secure with large bobby pins (3″ work best).
For extra security, you can wrap a scarf around the head (silk is the most smoothing on the hair) and head to bed. In the morning, you’ll wake up with sleek, rather effortless straight hair.
Using heat on your hair regularly can cause damage that takes years to repair. Consider using any combination of these methods to straighten hair without heat, and your future self will thank you.