How to Straighten Hair Using a Traditional Hot Comb

Ethnic hair can be difficult to manage when it is thick and massive, and so straightening the hair has been a method use for quite sometime. Many people straighten their hair using harsh methods such as relaxing and perming the hair. These methods harm the hair and unnaturally alter its texture. People who rely on these methods have seen their hair decrease in the form of breaking off and falling out during brushing and combing. Straightening hair with a hot comb (pressing comb) or a flat iron helps to straighten the hair with minimal damage.

There are two types of hot combs (or pressing comb), the traditional metal comb which you heat on the stove and an electric one in which you plug in the wall to heat. The cons with the traditional hot comb are that it can leave the hair with a burnt smell and it can burn the hair if it is too hot. If you are inexperienced with using the hot comb you can do some damage to your hair and so below I have included simple instructions on how to hot comb your hair using the traditional metal comb.

Hot Combing Hair with Traditional Hot Comb

Before you hot comb your hair you should section your hair off in 4-5 sections depending on thickness.

1. Place heat protecting lotion onto sections of hair
2. Place hot comb on stove's burner on medium heat for 1-5 minutes. It's important that you do not make the comb too hot.
3. Remove hot comb from burner and test it for hotness by taking a piece of issue and touching it with the hot comb. If the tissue turns brown the comb is too hot. You want to blow on the comb and wait a few seconds before applying it to the hair.
4. Once comb is cool you should choose one section of the hair to work on. It is best to start with the hair near the back of the head. Once you choose the section of hair to work on you want to place the hot comb at the hair's roots. When placing the comb near the hair's roots you want to make sure that it is a half inch away from the scalp. Never let the comb touch the scalp. Now, slowly bring the comb down from root to the hair's end. Depending on the texture of hair, you might have to run the comb through the hair a couple of times before achieving a good level of straightness.
5. Once you have straightened that section of your hair, wipe the comb off with a rag or towel and place it back on to the burner and continue straightening hair by running the comb from your hair's roots down to its end.
6. Once hair is all straightened you should disperse conditioner throughout the entire head.

Using a hot comb to make curly hair straight has been a process many African Americans used as early as the 80's. Now, it is more common to straighten hair using an electric pressing comb or a flat iron. There are many risks with using the traditional hot comb; you could burn off the hair, or you could burn the individual's scalp or face if not careful. In some instances the comb becomes loose and falls from the handle, and this can be dangerous as it can land on the person's skin and cause a great burn.

The Instyler is the most popular hair straightening device used by women. The Instyler is unique because it applies heat but straightens hair in a rotating motion, which makes it easier to straighten the thickest textures of hair. Ghd straightener, Chi hair strengtheners and Chi flat irons are also very popular choices.