Trying to make your hair look straight, stunning, and healthy can seem like a challenging task, especially without the use of heat and chemical straighteners. However, these methods have several adverse effects, as they can rob your hair of its natural oils, leading to split ends, breakage, and hair loss. In more severe scenarios, they can also result in scalp burns and, if used continually, ruin the texture of your hair.
Whether you find it difficult to style your hair or just want it to look different, there are tips for straight hair without using heat or other chemicals. Take a look at how straighten hair naturally below:
Brush Your Wet Hair till It Dries
You might have heard that brushing wet hair is bad for your hair. However, with these simple steps, you can avoid damaging your hair and also manage to straighten it out in one go. Here’s how it works:
- Wash and condition your hair and towel-dry
- Using a comb, slowly brush out each section of hair at a time until you have a straightened mane
- Allow hair to sit for five minutes
- Repeat the combing procedure every five minutes until the hair is completely dry
Make sure you focus on small sections at a time. The result will be smoothed and straightened hair with a frizz-free texture.
Wrap Your Hair Overnight
This strategy is another hack that works excellently to straighten hair. The steps are as follows:
- Wash and condition hair
- Blow-dry with the cool setting on the hairdryer (this causes less damage than using a hot blow dryer or air drying alone)
- Repeat process until hair is slightly damp (about 70% dry)
- Separate hair into partitions
- Comb out, wrap around, and pin up on the head with a roller hairpin
- Secure your hair with a satin “hair wrapping” scarf or hair turban overnight
Make sure you are moving the blow-dryer continuously from root to tip and that you keep the dryer at a distance of about six inches away from your hair. With this method, you reduce the chances of frizz formation and are bound to wake up with sleeker, smoother, and shinier hair than before.
Apply Smoothening Cream or Serum
Smoothing cream or straightening serum is another convenient means of keeping your hair hydrated, nourished, and moisturized. It helps you get smoother, sleeker hair by repairing damaged cuticles and keeping your hair hydrated and shining with a beautiful polished look. Smoothing cream or serum helps prevent your hair from breakage, dry strands and protects from damage due to UV rays, pollution and stress.
It also softens your hair and gives it a manageable texture. You can use the serum on wet or dry hair, However, because it is more bendable for straightening hair when wet, we recommend applying it on wet hair. This strategy involves the following:
- Wash hair before applying smoothening cream or serum
- Towel-dry and brush hair lightly to remove tangles and knots
- Apply product, spreading from root to tips
- Run fingers through hair to spread product evenly and apply again if necessary
- Blow-dry hair by sections and brush down till it is completely dry
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Roll Your Hair
Although it seems counterintuitive, hair rollers can help you to straighten hair. Your hair texture or length doesn’t matter with this method. With large plastic hair rollers, you can achieve smooth flowing hair with a polished finish. This is how it works:
- Wash and towel-dry hair
- Apply straightening serum through hair from roots to tips and brush your hair down
- Partition hair into sections and wrap each around the roller, winding away from the face
- Clip the top layers up and wrap the rollers around the hair from the ends up to the hairline
- Secure with a clip to ensure that hair stays in place
- Repeat the process until all your hair is in the roller
- Blow-dry or air-dry the hair until completely dry before taking rollers out
- Brush hair and apply smoothening cream if desired
Please note that this is a temporary straightening process, and if your hair is wet, it will retake its wavy or curly form.
Keep Your Hair in Ponytails Overnight
This method helps to straighten out curly hair to achieve a smooth flowing look. After washing and conditioning your hair, squeeze water out from and towel-dry your hair. Spray on holding spray and partition your hair into sections. Run a comb through your hair to remove knots and tangles and smooth out your hair. Fasten the top of each section of hair with a hair tie or elastic band. Attach additional hair ties or elastics every inch or two down the ponytail till you get to the bottom of the strands. Repeat the steps for each section of hair. Ensure the hair ties or elastics are fairly loose and not too tight to avoid leaving an indent when you remove them. Let the hair out of the ponytail when you wake up in the morning.
Keep Your Hair in A Bun
Like the ponytail method described above, this technique helps to straighten hair and prevents curling as your hair dries. This method is especially effective if you have obedient, flexible, and less curly hair. Follow the steps below:
- Wash and condition hair normally
- Pat down and squeeze hair dry with a towel
- Avoid rubbing hair to prevent frizz and static
- Gradually work down the hair and comb the whole length to remove all knots
- Twist hair around like a rope and fix it into a bun
- Bun can be one or two at the sides of the head, depending on which is more convenient
- Secure the bun with an elastic band and wrap the whole hair with a silk scarf to prevent frizz and let your hair breathe
- You can also secure your hair with bobby pins based on your sleep position
Use A Natural Straightening Mask Regularly
Hair masks help nourish and moisturize your hair, preventing moisture from escaping and locking in vitamins and antioxidants to strengthen your hair and reduce frizz. In combination with other methods of straighten hair , it works to effectively enhance the results you get. There are several recipes for creating a DIY natural straightening mask to relax and straighten your hair. Some of them include:
Banana-Honey Mask
Banana provides hydration and moisturizing effects, while honey protects the strands with an antibacterial layer. Mash up one ripe banana and then add in a tablespoon of honey. Blend the mixture until you have a smooth and even paste. Apply and spread the mask over the whole hair and scalp evenly. Wash out your hair thoroughly after half an hour with shampoo and brush dry.
Milk-Honey Mask
Milk contains proteins that help to strengthen and straighten hair and also repair damaged hair. It is a natural straightener with soothing properties and, when mixed with honey, provides an effective hair straightening mask. Mix a cup of milk (cow, goat, almond, or coconut milk) and a tablespoon of honey. Apply the mixture on your hair and allow it to soak into the hair to the scalp. Wash out after an hour and brush dry.
Milk-Egg Mask
Eggs are natural straighteners and are great for nourishing and strengthening the hair. It helps to replenish the hair’s protein content and keeps your hair in shape. Need a natural hair moisturizer? Eggs also work as a moisturizer and will help retain your hair’s natural sheen. It is one of the most effective masks to condition your hair and straighten it out naturally. Crack open an egg and mix 2 cups of milk with it in a bowl. Apply the mask over your hair and scalp and let it soak in for 10 minutes. Squeeze and wrap your hair in a plastic cover for another half hour. Rinse well and brush your hair dry.
Other natural masks involve blending celery leaves and straining the juice to spray on your hair; warming castor oil to massage into your hair; mixing lemon juice with coconut milk to soak into your hair.
Conclusion
The methods and hacks described above will help to strengthen and straighten hair without using heat. They are also essential to nourish and moisturize your hair and help retain its strength and health. It is important that you first know your hair well before you begin to try out the solutions. That way, you can pick the hacks that are most suitable for you. You can then experiment with a combination of some of the above methods to achieve the hair style you want.