What is the healthiest way to straighten your hair?

By Leah Williams •  Updated: 05/21/22

Straight and sleek hair looks fabulous and it is most commonly achieved with a flat iron or blow dryer. It may seem like a complicated Maths equation to solve but straightening your hair shouldn’t be a mission impossible task.

So, if you’re asking, what is the healthiest way to straighten your hair, here’s what Lucky Curl has to say!

Blow drying with cold air is one of the healthiest possible ways to straighten your hair without worrying about potential damage. However, you’ll need a straightening serum or a leave-in conditioner for straight and silkier finish. 

Let’s look at other tricks, shall we?

6 Ways to Straighten Hair With Less Damage

Hair Wrapping

Hair wrapping is one of the best tricks to achieve straight hair without applying heat. However, not all can pull off this method effectively. So, it’s best to check out some tutorials that suit your hair type.

Separate the top section where you usually part your hair. Use a fine-toothed comb to flat out your hair. Next, bring your hair around to the opposite side of your head from where it falls naturally, and pin it at the side of your head.

Repeat this method for each section and use a hair turban to secure your hair before sleeping at night.

Use straightening products

Shampoo and conditioner or hairspray are straightening products that are designed to calm and relax your hair.

There are various hair straightening choices for you and it is vital for you to experiment with these choices to make styling your hair easier.

Smoothing serums and keratin-packed spray-on conditioners can weigh down and relax your hair naturally.

Deep-condition

Deep conditioning is another effective trick to try to straighten your hair.

You can use a DIY hair mask to achieve shinier and straighter hair. Hair masks are great for restoring protein and can even make curly hair appear more relaxed. Plus, it does not involve any heat styling method which is safe for your hair.

For the best deep conditioning effect, you can use raw egg, manuka honey, or avocado on your hair mask. Also, coconut or almond oil can be used as a deep conditioner to strengthen curly hair.

Apply essential oils

It may sound weird but essential oils can apparently make your hair appear tamer. It gets absorbed quickly into your strands compared to other chemical products and is also effective in straightening your hair.

Some of the best essential oils for straightening natural hair include coconut oil, argan oil, almond oil, and macadamia oil which can all penetrate the hair follicle and repair any damage. It is best to apply these essential oils after blow-drying or wrapping your hair.

Rub the oil between your palms and spread it through your hair evenly. Use a small amount and focus on the ends of your hair. With this, your hair will wear down slightly and hold its style for a bit longer.

Sleep with your hair wet

Tie your hair loosely at the top of your head. Make a bun and secure it with another tie.

However, with this wet hair technique, you make sure to use a satin pillowcase to avoid friction against your hair while you’re sleeping.

As a result, your hair will have a straighter appearance when you wake up in the morning.

Blow-dry with cold air

Blasting cool air into your hair instead of hot air is a method that you should consider to straighten your strands with minimal damage. Use the cool setting of your blow dryer and make sure it is moving continuously from root to tip for better results. By blow drying with cool air, also helps to prevent frizz.

Make sure to keep the blow dryer away from your hair as you do it – at least six inches away! According to a study, keeping the dryer at least 15 cm away from your hair can avoid damage.

Using cool air to dry your hair can cause less damage than air drying alone. Also, this method will only take a few minutes and can surely straighten your hair in an instant!

Final Thoughts

There are several techniques for straightening hair with minimal damage.

It is best to experiment and learn the most important steps to straightening your hair. The aim is to use heat styling and go for healthy ways to keep your hair straight without worrying about heat damage.

And if you can’t really stay away from heating tools like blow dryers and flat irons, use heat protection!

Haircare is vital. In that sense, you should perform due diligence before applying anything to your hair!

If you’re on the search for the best flat iron for damaged hair, check out our top recommendations for top-rated straighteners!

Leah Williams

Leah Williams is the founder of Lucky Curl and has been in the hair care and styling industry for the last 15 years. Since then, she has developed incredible expertise and a deep understanding of how to treat and style the most difficult hair types and is passionate about sharing her knowledge with the readers of Lucky Curl.

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