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How to Straighten Curly Hair

Do It Yourself Hair Straightening

Mar 14, 2009 Clea (Hariklia) Simos

Tired of having the same hair style day in and out. Here are tips on how to straighten your hair at home without the help of professionals.

Depending on how tightly curled your hair is, there are different techniques to get your hair temporarily straight at home. They do require some practice and a little patience to get right.

Blow Dry

If your hair is a cross between wavy and curly, one route you could take is the good old-fashioned blow drier.

Wash and towel-dry you hair and get out some of the moisture.
Apply a small amount of straightening cream that you can find at the drug store, however it isn't necessary.
Brush your hair out and leave a two-inch piece down at the bottom and secure the rest of your hair up at the top of your head with a clip, preferably in a bun.
Using a large round brush take half of the hair that is down and put the round brush underneath and turn it to allow the hair to catch on to it.
Use the blow drier in one hand and position it above the round brush with your hair and move the two together down the hair shaft and repeat until dry.
Then move onto the other piece of un-dried hair hanging down and repeat.
Once done, keep bringing down sections of your hair, little-bit by little-bit, till the whole head is dry.

Blow Dry and Flat Iron

Before you go out and get a flat iron make sure it is only about an inch wide, the large widths don't allow good straightening closer to the scalp. Also make sure it is not the type with steam, they don't straighten like the ceramic flat irons do. This technique of using a blow drier with a flat brush and a flat iron is great for people with unruly-tight curly hair.

First use a large paddle brush and a blow drier to dry your hair.
After the whole head is completely dry and you look like lion, secure your hair up in a bun with a clip, leaving down a two-inch piece from the bottom back of your head.
Make sure your flat iron is heated, the higher the heat form the coarser the hair.
Take half of the hair down and using a moustache comb, comb the hair and then hold the hair with the comb about two inched from your head and then clamp the hair straightener above that.
Move both the comb and the straightener down at a medium speed along the whole hair shaft right through over the ends.
Repeat this with the other piece and once done take small sections down from your bun until the whole head is finished.

Practice these techniques of hair straightening and soon what used to take close to an hour-and-a-half can be accomplished in about half an hour even with very long hair.

The copyright of the article How to Straighten Curly Hair in Hair Care is owned by Clea (Hariklia) Simos. Permission to republish How to Straighten Curly Hair in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Blow Drier, Flat Iron, Round Brush, Paddle Brush