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Straighten Hair without Chemicals

Suketu Mehta
Do you want to straighten hair without chemicals, but don't know how? Read the article below to help yourself in this endeavor.
When it comes to women, an essential physical trait which goes into making them beautiful is their hair. It is also probably the most volatile aspect of a woman's appearance, as it is worn to keep up with the prevailing trends. Straight hair is one such trend. Lots of women (and men too!) are going for this look. A few people are blessed with naturally straight hair, but most of us have to find solace in external forces to get them. Chemically treating your hair is a popular choice, as it is a simple and quick method. However, it is not advisable for long term use, as it can seriously damage your tresses.
Chemically straightening the tresses costs much more as compared to doing it without chemicals. The latter can be done at home using some very basic materials at virtually zero extra cost. Heat is a very important factor in straightening hair without the use of chemicals. Hair straightening irons are available in the market for this purpose. You can also do this with a clothing iron, in case you do not want to spend on any other equipment.

With an Iron

  • You need to apply some milk to your hair. This should be ideally done at least an hour before you shampoo your hair. For this, you need to fill around half a cup of milk in a spray bottle and then spray it on your hair. You can also apply milk with a brush, but that will require someone's help. Apply milk till your hair can't take any more of it.
After this, leave your hair open for 30 to 40 minutes at least. It is not necessary to wear a plastic cap; instead, you can wear an old t-shirt or any old clothes.
  • Once this is done, you can go ahead with your regular shampoo and conditioner. After washing the hair, you can use a blow dryer to dry your hair completely. It is extremely important that you dry your hair completely before using the iron.
For this step, you will need a partner. You can use either a clothing iron or a hair straightening iron. Once your hair is fully dried, you need to kneel down beside the ironing board so that your head and the board is in a straight line.
Your partner then needs to slowly brush out a section of your hair and place it on the iron board. Make sure that this is done carefully with a brush, so that your hair on the ironing table is completely untangled.
  • Now, for the actual ironing, the iron needs to be set at low heat and no steam. Ask your partner to carefully start ironing from root to tip, following the iron stroke with a brush each time to give excellent texture to your hair. Follow this procedure till all the hair is straightened. Ensure that the iron doesn't remain idle or motionless on the hair.
  • In case of using a straightening iron, straighten sections from top to the length of the hair, following it up with a brush to get a long-lasting effect.

Without an Iron

To straighten hair without an iron, you can follow the first four steps from the above instructions. The only change in the fourth step would be when you are blow drying your hair. While blow drying itself, make around 3 to 6 sections of your hair. Take one section at a time and then, while you are blow drying it from top to the length of the hair, keep brushing it simultaneously. Leave the tips of your hair for the end, as it will weigh down the hair and keep it straight even after it has dried.
Another method would be with the use of bobby pins. For this, you need to get your hair completely air dried. Then, brush it backwards so that there is no parting. Start applying bobby pins to your hair from the sides first and then pin the remaining back-hair on either side of your head, using more bobby pins. Wrap something like a towel, cap, hat, or a scarf on it and sleep on it for at least 6 to 8 hours. When you wake up, don't be surprised looking at your lovely straight hair!

Important Tips

There are a few important points one needs to keep in mind so that no undue harm is caused to your hair. Some of these points are listed below:
  • Once you have straight hair, make sure you use shampoos and conditioners meant specifically for straight hair only.
  • Brush your hair regularly, but not too often, as it could harm.
  • Give a proper shape to your straight hair, as it can expose any imperfections on them which normal hairstyles hide. Visit a salon to get a proper haircut regularly.
  • Use the method using the iron only for adults.
Although straightening hair chemically does seem to be a quicker and a less stressful task, straightening them at home is much more fun and much less harmful for your tresses. If at all you get bored of your straight hair, it is easier to change the style in case you haven't gone the chemical way.