Black women have been loving and embracing their natural curls, coils, and kinks with the rise of the natural hair movement and we have been loving it!
While the natural hair journey is one that takes a while and you don’t want to mess up all your hard work by chemically straightening your hair. Luckily we’ve figured out a few ways you can achieve straight hair without resorting to chemicals. Whether you’ve been natural for some time now or are just starting to eliminate chemicals from your hair care regimen, we’ve got you covered with a few tips and tricks for sleek looks.
Wrap your hair at night
Whether you opt to brush-out, blow-out, or use a flat iron, maintain your straight look by wrapping it at night. Often times, repeated wrapping will make hair even straighter as the days go by, so if you’re wanting an ultra-sleek look, do tight wraps at night to straighten hair without having to apply chemicals or re-apply heat.
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How to:
Use a natural hair safe flat iron
If you’re down to use heat on your hair, research some flat irons that are best for natural hair. While it boils down to personal preference and hair type, at least make sure you’re staying clear from titanium places, as it can be harsh on natural hair. Also, use hydrating and moisturizing products prior to straightening, on top of your oils and heat protectant as to not fry your precious strands.
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How to:
Use tension rollers
We often think of rollers being tools to achieve curls, but they can also be used to achieve straight looks as well. Use tension rollers to achieve sleek strands. While they may have a slight bump to them, you can always brush the curls out and use the wrapping method to get bone straight tresses.
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How to:
Use a pressing comb
Even though it brings back the horrors of the night before Easter, a pressing comb does an excellent job of getting tresses straight. Prep hair the same way you would as if you were going to be using a straightener (moisturizing, oiling, and heat protecting), in order to protect strands. Pressing combs can get roots even slicker than a straightener. If you’re not comfortable doing it yourself, ask your stylist for a silk press using a pressing comb.
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How to:
Blow dry it straight
This method is perfect if you want don’t want direct heat on your strands. Even though you won’t by adding heat directly to hair, still make sure you prep it with moisturizing products, as wet hair is still very vulnerable and prone to breaking during the drying process. Use a brush or comb to detangle hair, and go behind it with a hairdryer.