Straighten Up

Try as I might, I cannot get my naturally wavy hair to straighten as smooth as a stylist can in a salon. I blow dry quickly first, then use ceramic straighteners but sometimes it still goes a bit frizzy. So I do it again and that seems to make it worse! What could I be doing wrong?

Richard Kavanagh says:

The main thing you need in order to stop your hair going frizzy is moisture. And the paradox of this is that when you’re straightening your hair and want it to be really smooth, you want to remove as much moisture as possible. Often when hair is going frizzy it is dry, and the cuticle layer is rough and open.

The best way to get that smooth salon finish is to make sure your hair is thoroughly moisturised and in good condition by using a salon recommended moisturising shampoo and conditioner. I like Redken’s All Soft range for deep moisturising. Then, before you blow dry add a smoothing balm to your damp hair, something that is soft and oily feeling will help control the frizz, but be careful, too much oily product can ruin a good hairdo as quick as you look at it!

Roughly blowdry your hair using your hands to get most of the moisture out and then using a large, pure bristle, brush, blowdry section by section starting at the nape and working your way to the top of your head. Work in horizontal sections approximately 2-to-3cm thick and around half the width of the back of your head. The bristle brush will smooth and polish the cuticle layer of your hair making it shiny and easier to flat iron.  Once you have blowdried your hair thoroughly, work from nape to crown again and from your ears to the top of your head using the same sized horizontal sections as when you blowdried.

Lightly mist each section with a heat protecting iron spray like Redken Iron Silk 07 and flat iron from scalp to ends with a gentle smooth slow motion. It should require only one pass of the iron if you’re using a quality straightener. If it’s still not quite as smooth and shiny as you’d like, give it another go with the flat iron before moving onto the next section.