Go From Curly to Straight Hair

All of us curly haired girls have all dreamed of straight hair. We look at our frizz and imagine sleek straight strands. Especially on those humid days when you feel more like a lion mane is on your head instead of human hair.

Straight hair just looks so glamorous and sleek. For a night out or just for a change, its nice to go from curly to straight every once in awhile. And if you are like me, nobody has seen your curly hair in years!

The steps that I will show you can have you being like me and straightening your hair all the time. People actually think I have naturally straight hair. Only my parents and rest of my family know different.

Some people will say its too hard to do and takes forever. And I am here to tell you that is not true. Yes, if you hair is ESPECIALLY curly and full it could take awhile. And the first few times will take you a long while since you don't have practice. But after years and years, I can straighten my very long, full curly hair in about 20 minutes, sometimes less!

The first step is obviously washing your hair. You can use any shampoo really. Right now I am personally digging on Finesse Clean + Simple Shampoo for Dry or Color Treated Hair (since mine is both). But any shampoo will do. My best advice? Find one that will clean your hair but won't leave too many chemicals behind. Also, make sure to use one for your hair "type," which ranges from dry, normal, oily, color treated, etc.

After washing your hair (and it's your call if you want to rinse and repeat) you need to use conditioner. YOU NEED TO USE CONDITIONER! Curly hair is naturally very dry and you need conditioner so your hair can soak up the moisture which will make it easier to straighten later. A good conditioner for curly hair? Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner. If your hair is somewhat limp or lacks volume, then only apply to the ends. If you hair is very dry or extremely frizzy then apply all over but still concentrate the most amount on the ends.

Once your step out of the shower, towel dry your hair GENTLY. It should remain damp.

At this point, you need to assemble your hair products. There are so many things you can use to put in your hair before straightening. But do you want to know the mecca, king of all kings, product to use, especially for first timers who have very curly hair?

John Frieda Frizz-Ease

John Frieda is, in reality, hair stylist to famous celebrities like Madonna. But the man has invented the empire of helping curly hair turn into straight hair. He is #1 at this. His products are expensive but amazing. He has shampoos, conditioners, mousses, hairspray, etc. But the product you should use to put in your wet hair before straightening is the Frizz-Ease Hair Serum. Best one of the 4 they have is the original formula.

You might balk at the prices for his products when you see them in the haircare aisle at CVS or Walgreens but for beautiful, sleek straight hair there is nothing better. Open up the wallet because it will be worth it.

You have clean hair and have put some serum on it to give it that sleek, shiny sheen. Now comes everyone's least favorite part...drying the hair.

Seriously, your hairdryer is your friend, not your enemy.

Make sure you have a decent hairdryer. Doesn't have to cost you much. Conair makes some great ones you can pick up for under $20 at your local drugstore.

Two important rules when shopping for a good hairdryer: make sure it has low and high settings as well as a "cool" air shot and make sure it comes with a "concentrator" which is the black attachment that makes the air come out of the dryer in a way that concentrates it on one section of hair at a time.

Before you start drying your hair, separate it into sections that you will dry each individually. This will make it easier to have that smooth, sleek straight look. The thicker your hair, the more sections you should have. I usually only do 2-3 sections but my hair is only slightly thick and wavy. If your hair is very thick and coarse, you may need 5 or 6 sections.

The best way to hold the hair in sections is using hair claw clips. My favorites are the ones from Goody, just buy a pack of these at your local drugstore and keep them around for hair drying time.

The brush you use to dry your hair is very important. Find the biggest, roundest brush you can get. One with natural boar bristles if possible. The Conair Tourmaline Round Brush is a perfect example of what you should use. Wrap a section of hair around the brush and start hitting it with the hairdryer pointing downwards to avoid frizz. Keep brushing the hair down while hitting it with the blow dryer until you have a straight section of hair.

You can choose to use a flat iron or not. If you want to go super, sleek straight (like Gwyneth Paltrow) then you will need one even if you have fine or thin hair. Its impossible for anyone to do it with just a hair dyer and trust me that even Gwyneth's hair stylist used one on her.

You should still use the iron after drying your hair with the hairdryer. There are many irons out there that say you can go from wet to straight but even if it's true (and I am skeptical) putting a hot iron on wet hair is a great way to DESTROY YOUR HAIR. Just don't do it.

I keep a flat iron around for the little hairs here and there that are stubborn. And you know we all have them. Best advice? Buy a cheap flat iron and keep it around for any emergency hair straightening situations.

You can go straight but still have volume by using the brush to dry the ends with flips or slight curls. Another trick for volume? When you are done, flip your hair upside down, and dry the hair with the brush upside down for a few minutes.

Make sure your new straight style stays nicely in place. A neat trick is to use that "cool" shot on your hairdryer and aim it at your hair for a few minutes. The cool air sets the hair.

A great after styling product to use to make sure you do not have fly away frizzies and your hair stays super shiny is John Frieda Secret Weapon Flawless Finishing Creme. There is a reason they call this product Secret Weapon and when you apply it to your hair after drying you will find out why.