As much as we love the feeling and elegance of a halo of curls blowing through the wind, every once in a while it’s fun to switch it up and rock straight tresses. After all, that is the beauty of being a woman; being able to wear many different looks and styles. But we’ve all been there: It’s late afternoon and you’ve decided to sit outside Cranberry’s to enjoy your lunch. And to top it off, you’ve forgotten your clips, hair-ties, headbands, and emergency-fix Frizz Ease in your dorm so you’re forced to accept any twists and turns the day may bring. After the first bite of your Caesar salad, it happens. The damp mid-winter air starts to perform its usual tricks on your tresses. Suddenly, you feel your bone-straight locks expand—which you’ve taken hours to perfect—to the point where your peripheral vision is completely distorted by an uncooperative ring of curls and ringlets. This is why we prefer to reserve styling our mane with a flatiron for the fall and winter seasons. There’s less humidity in the air-which means less frizz. Need we say more?
Get The Straight Look
The Hair Prep
Give yourself a hot oil treatment before you straighten your locks. This is a great natural technique that works to give enrichment to damage, add moisture, and give a glossy finish to your hair. For best results, heat some oil and apply it on the scalp, then leave on for 15 to 30 minutes, covering your hair with a plastic cap or warm towel.
The No-heat Straightener
Try to use the least amount of heat as possible. To avoid using a blow-dryer, whenever you know that you are going to wear your hair straight: wash your hair the night before, condition, and section your hair into medium-sized parts, twist your entire head in double-strand twists. Hair should be dry in the morning and your curl pattern will be stretched out and appear its true length.
The Mane Process
For bone straight results without having to go over a section multiple times with your flat-iron, which can be quite damaging and drying to your hair shaft, take a fine tooth comb and smooth it down the length of your hair with the iron following directly behind so as you comb your section, you’re flat-ironing at the same time. Remember to always apply a heat protectant serum before using any heat on your hair. This works to prevent damage and also acts as a light leave-in conditioner.
The Post-straightening Finish
Go dramatic with your straight hair look by adding some extensions. Gluing in extensions for this look works great for fast and easy results. First, measure the length of your tracks to the width of your head and cut accordingly. Next, apply glue to the edge of the track and wait until tacky, then stick directly on top of your parted section of hair. Take your blow dryer on a low heat setting and position the nozzle on the track for about five seconds to speed up the drying process.
Do you feel different in completely straight hair?