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When considering having your hair straightened, you probably have tons of questions. To help walk you through the process so you can make wise choices, we have provided tips for Straightening Hair. First, people of all ethnic groups commonly have their hair straightened. For some, they are born with unruly hair and need the hair straightened to make it more manageable while other people simply prefer a smoother, sleeker look to keep up with trends.
Regardless of the reason why you want to have your hair straightened, it is important that you start by understanding that you will be having strong chemicals applied to your hair and if not done right, permanent damage could be done. This is why we have put together valuable tips for Straightening Hair.
Although it might be tempting to straighten your own hair with an over-the-counter product, we would highly recommend you go one-step further and have a professional do the straightening for you! The goal is to have a positive experience that results in magnificent-looking hair, without damage. While the process of hair straightening is not necessarily a difficult one, a specific technique needs to be followed.
Without knowing how to use this technique, things could go wrong. For this reason, the professional can start by performing a strand test on your hair. This will help him or her determine how strong your hair is, the texture, elasticity, and porosity. With the strand test, the professional will know whether it can handle the chemicals used, and if so, what type. This test involves the hair being pulled to determine how elastic it is and then a small amount of relaxer is applied to see how the hair reacts. If every thing goes according to plan, then the hair can be straightened. Additional tips for Straightening Hair include information on the three primary steps involved:
- Protective petroleum cream might be applied, as a means of shielding the scalp. Additionally, this cream will help against hair that has been relaxed or damaged previously. The one thing to remember is that this cream must be applied to loose, soft, natural curls.
- Once the hair has processed, the chemicals are then rinsed with warm water and a neutralizing formula is applied. This will help the process oxidize, as well as restore the pH in the hair.
- Finally, a special conditioner is applied to help the hair relax.
If you have hair that has been damaged from overuse of hairstyling tools or other types of chemicals, then it is possible that your hair will have to be conditioned before the straightening process can begin. What chemical hair straightening does is rearrange the structure of your curly hair so that it becomes straight.
The three chemicals typically used include sodium hydroxide, which is very serious and harsh, ammonium thioglycolate, which is less intense, to guanidine hydroxide, which has no lye in it and the most gentle of the three options. Again, since these chemicals are just that, chemicals. Therefore, misuse can not only damage the hair follicles, but the scalp and skin as well.
Keep in mind that when hair has been chemically Straightening Hair, it typically requires special care to ensure the hair does not dry out. For instance, you will need to use a deep conditioning treatment a minimum of twice a week. Additionally, a quality detangling produce used with a wide toothed comb would be needed.
Now, keep in mind that while you might see various products on the market that say they can straighten your hair without chemicals, the bottom line is they do not work. You could use a flat brush or flat iron, along with smoothing gel to straighten your hair but this would be temporary and probably not be as straight as you might like. Another option would be to use a blow dryer to straighten the hair. However, these methods will only last until the next time you wash your hair, caught in the rain, or end up in a humid environment.
Although you might want your hair straight, another option is to love the wave or curls you were born with, using the temporary methods for an occasional different look. Just remember that many people with straight hair wish they had waves or curls so not everyone is happy, regardless of the type of hair.
The most important thing is to make sure your hair is not damaged! Beautiful, shiny hair that is curly is much more attractive than straight, over processed hair. Just be smart about your choices! We hope these tips for Straightening Hair has given you valuable insight.
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