"I have crazy hair!", "My hair won't lay flat", "My hair's too frizzy"; words that many curly heads can relate to. Nowadays, people with curly hair want to find some sort of "cure" for the natural thickness and frizz that defines what curly hair is. As of now, straightening seems to be the only cure for untamed curls, but could it, perhaps, be the answer to more frizz?
Historically, straight hair, in the western world, is the most acceptable type of hair. This social ideal has left several millions of curly headed people no choice but to find a way to tame their curls. Of course it is acceptable to straighten hair, but the methods that we, as curly heads, attempt straightening has been altogether wrong on several levels.
1a.) Prep
As with all hairstyles, the outcome of the style starts in the shower. How one washes and conditions their hair before straightening determines how sleek and healthy the hair appears after straightening. Before styling any type of hair, hair must be clean and CONDITIONED! The purpose of conditioning protects the hair from excess damage from heated tools (see 2a), and also to detangle hair before the heated process....we can't straighten tangles, now can we?
1b.) After shampoo and conditioner, a curly headed person MUST use some sort of protective hair serum before the straightening process. Naturally, curly heads have dull hair due to its curl pattern. Straightening serum assures shine and extra conditioning. Hair can NEVER be wet before straightening! Hair can be slightly damp to touch. Wet hair can be damaged very easily by any tool/appliance.
2a.) Tools
The type of tool a curly headed person uses determines the final outcome, of course. Traditionally high-quality, high-heat flat irons have been the best weapon of choice in taming a lion-like mane. In choosing a heated appliance, brands like Sedu and Maxiglide cost well over $75, yet the price is right for gaining good quality straightening. Why? Cheaper brands like Conair and Revlon have some of the same qualities, but do not last long. And after lots of wear and tear, the quality begins to diminish. This results in uneven heat, broken iron plates, and lots of breakage to the hair.
2b.) In straightening the hair, flat-irons alone can't do the job. One must also rely on good daily grooming tools to ensure healthy looking hair. Here are some do's and don'ts in grooming hair while straightening hair:
Do: Comb curly hair with a wide-tooth comb during blow drying. It is necessary to achieve straighter hair.
Don't: Comb with a fine-toothed comb. This will only snag tangles and break hair!
Do: Brush hair with boar-bristled brush to distribute oils and/or product.
Don't: Brush hair while wet, with a plastic/nylon brush, or too often, as breakage will occur!
Do: Blow dry hair with comb or brush on high-heat setting for quicker and sleeker results.
Don't: Waste time on a lower heat setting in an attempt to prevent breakage. Hair will experience some breakage during the process anyway and will break more, the longer one spends grooming the hair. Finish the job quickly and effectively or else....
3.) Chemical Straightening/Relaxing*
Some people would like to disregard straightening tips similar to the one's above, and would like to permanently straighten their untamed hair. This route can be quite expensive and, without proper care (i.e. professional care), can result in easier breakage and thinning, along with several other hair problems. This method of straightening is highly frowned upon by many due to its long-term damage and irreversible results. When cared for properly, this method can prove to be the best way to straighten hair without daily thermal damaging.
3a.) Relaxers - Many African-American people and people of Black descent take this route because of their highly textured hair pattern. The texture of this type of hair will not allow hair to be thermally straightened without breakage. Relaxers are marketed heavily towards Black customers, yet in recent years, many Black customers are moving away from the relaxer treatments, as there are claims of balding, alopecia, thinning, and chronic breakage. Relaxers are made exclusively for the Afro/Caribbean hair types (although other races have been known to use them), and have chemicals that are too strong for Caucasian-type hair.
3b.) Japanese Hair Straightening - This is a new craze for people with finer hair types whose hair cannot withstand the strength of relaxers. Developed in Japan four years ago, this has since has been a revolutionary way to straighten many types of hair. The process costs anywhere from $400-$1200 (even more expensive for longer hair) and is preferably used on Caucasian hair. Afro/Caribbean type curls proves to be too strong for this process. This process works by using thermal and chemical products and must be retouched similar to a relaxer process.
*Note, the chemical process breaks down the curl pattern of the hair. The peptide bonds in the hair shaft are broken down, the same process of Drano breaking down materials in pipes. This process results in pin-straight hair and must be re-touched as "new-growth" or natural hair pattern begins to emerge after about 6-8 weeks, much like hair color.
Thermal or chemical, hair straightening is a big trend in our westernized world. Although there are many methods of straightening, learning better hair care for our natural-born hair is most important before attempting any style of hair. One day, curls and waves will be in style and straight-heads will be trying to mimic us curly-heads. Nevertheless, no matter what one does to the hair, the overall health of the hair is the most important in the long run.
Happy Straightening!