Never-Fail Hair Straightening Tips: Proper Hair Drying to Protecting Hair from Heat

Ever had those days when you really wanted to wear your hair straight but were limited on time? Maybe you only had 2 to 3 hours before you needed to be somewhere and really wanted that voluminous straight look.

You can get that look without having the final results look like a fuzz ball or a frizzy mess. The items that you will need are moisturizing shampoo, deep conditioner, hair dryer with nozzle, boar bristle brush, heat-protectant spray, hair pins and a ceramic flat iron.

Over the years of not relaxing my hair, I have noticed that aside from finding decent hair care products that work with my hair texture, one key factor to getting a great look is taking your time when blow drying hair. So here are some time saving tips that you can use when you want a straight look but limited on time.

First, wash you hair with moisturizing shampoo and apply the deep conditioner mask while taking your shower. It is important to use a moisturizing shampoo because most curly hair needs moisture and a great percentage of regular shampoos will strip the hair instead of adding moisture. Some great moisturizing shampoos are by Carol's Daughter, Phyto ( which I use regularly) and Motions Moisturizing Shampoo. These brand also carry excellent deep conditioners and regular conditioners. The steam from your bath will work like sitting under a hooded dryer while you have the deep conditioner on your hair. Once you are finished with your shower rinse the deep conditioner out.

Once out of the shower gently blot your hair so that it is damp and not soaking wet. It is important not to roughly dry the hair with the towel, because this will create frizz. When the hair is not soaking wet, apply your straightening product that will aid in the heat styling. These products vary by hair texture and preference. If the finished results that you are looking for are lots of body, you should try Dove's Volume Mouse. If you want a longer lasting hold ( if you hair is prone to frizz once humidity comes into contact with your hair) then I suggest trying Phytodefrissant. Both products work well with my 4a hair texture. At this time you may want to turn on your flat iron so that it is ready to go once you are done with the blow out.

After you product has been applied, the most important work begins. You will need your hair dryer, a good boar bristle , a heat-protectant spray and hair pins( if you prefer to section your hair). Before turning on the blow dryer spray on a heat protectant to the hair. This is important because you do not want to over heat your hair and cause dryness and damage. There are numerous heat protectant products out there and I highly recommend and use regularly Beyond the Zone and ION. Both of these products can be purchased online or at a Sally's Beauty Supply Store.

Once you have applied the heat protectant and it has dried, section your hair into four or more sections. The number of sections depends on the thickness of your hair and your own personal preference on how much hair you can handle at a time. I section my hair into six or more sections because my hair is very thick and I can blow dry faster and more efficiently this way. After I have my sections divided with the blow dry and brush I blow dry each section on medium heat in a slow controlled downward motion. The slow downward motion involved adding tension to the hair with the brush as if you are trying to lengthen the hair with the brush as you apply the dryer nozzle down the hair shaft. The type of hair dryer that I use and like the results is my Conair Turbo Ceramic Hair Dryer.

Continue to do this until all sections of your hair have been straightened and dried. When done right, you will only need to use the flat iron on a low heating setting and the good blow dry will cut the flat ironing time in half. Generally, the flat ironing time should take about ten minutes if your blow out was done well. These tips will get you looking great in less time than normal and the more you practice these techniques the quicker they will become.

Here are the Steps:

(1) Wash and deep condition hair while taking a shower

(2) Blot Hair and apply straightening Product

(3) Turn on flat iron

(4) Apply heat protectant to hair and let dry

(5) Section hair with pins.

(6) With a downward motion apply tension to the hair with your brush , apply the nozzle of the blow dryer to the hair going down the hair shaft.

(7) Continue to do this on all sections of the hair.

(8) Run the flat iron through the hair, to give a finished look.