Straightening curly hair or wavy hair can be tough,If you're looking to straighten your curly wavy hair weave,there are some important things you need to keep in mind.If you have naturally curly hair,you're probably well aware that it can sometimes take an array of hair styling products and heat tools to create a smooth,sleek look.It's not as simple as quickly blow-drying your strands post-shower or swiping a flat iron over your hair-there's actually a technique to straightening curly hair.Read on to find out more.

How to Straighten Hair With Heat

Techniques vary by hair type,roughly divided along the line of straighter textures like waves and very curly and kinky hair.

Step 1: Shampoo and Condition

"flatter" softly wavy strands (without an s-shaped curl or z-shaped kink) or hair that's nearly straight can use a sudsing shampoo,but it should also be sulfate-free.Condition only the ends of this hair type,Advises,so it doesn't get weighed down.

Step 2: Dry

Curly to Kinky Hair: Squeeze the water out so it's not dripping,but don't towel-dry the hair,Use a dryer with a comb attachment and work your way up from tips to roots,in 3- to 4-inch sections.

Wavy Hair: First,remove excess water with a microfiber towel then add a volumizing spray or mousse,like Pantene Pro-V Style Series Volume Body Boosting Mousse,to the roots.When your hair is 80 to 90% dry (after free drying),it's time to straighten with a brush and blow dryer.

Step 3: Straighten

Curly to Kinky Hair: Once the hair is completely dry,flat ironing is the next step.Effortless glide is one of the first things he looks for in a hair straightener-it's the key to not damaging or burning the hair.Start at the hairline,using a small ¼-inch iron to smooth the edges.For the rest of the hair use a 1 to 1½-inch flat iron.Take a half-inch or smaller section of hair,clamp at the roots and slide the tool down the hair shaft immediately.Using the brush to straighten hair,blow dry one 2-inch section at a time.Gently twist your wrist toward your head while pulling the hair through the brush,keeping the blow dryer about 1 centimeter away from (but not touching) the hair.

Start with slightly wet hair.

You need to brush your hair before you straighten it,and the best time to brush is when hair is still a little wet.If you try to brush out very curly hair when it's dry,you're likely to get a lot more breakage,and not get to the roots properly.

Stop using a round brush.

Blowing out hair with a round brush is fine,but if you're aiming for stick straight hair,opt for a flat paddle brush instead.You'll still get a good body in your hair,but the ends will be straight,not flipped.

How to Straighten Your Hair Without Heat

For those wary of heat styling,you can smooth out your strands with the right tools-and the help of time.

Curly to Kinky Hair: People with naturally curly hair often avoid heat-it can be damaging to curls,which by nature are fragile.But very curly,natural hair can't be straightened without heat.Curls and kinks can be elongated without heat by twisting and braiding,but getting curly strands actually straight without heat is unrealistic.

Wavy Hair:Start with sulfate-free shampoo and condition only the ends.Gently towel dry the hair.Brush hair up into a top knot and secure loosely with a fabric scrunchie.

Section it up.

Work on small sections of the natural virgin hair,again so that you can reach the roots,but also to make sure every inch of the hair is thoroughly brushed,dried,moisturized,and of course,straightened.Use a tail comb to part the hair into layers,starting at the back and pinning the rest of the hair out of the way.

Twist hair into a bun.

If you have fairly obedient,straightish hair to begin with,then this method will likely work for you,though it's not effective on my stubbornly wavy hair.Make a ponytail of damp hair and twist like a rope.Wrap around itself to make a bun and secure with an elastic.Let air dry,then brush out.

You do need a heat protectant.

We're partial to sprays,but heat protectants come in all kinds of forms.Whichever you use,make sure you don't use a hot tool without first protecting hair from damage.

Find the best straighteners.

For ladies with wavy hair extensions,a blow dryer and a brush are enough.But for ladies with thick,curly hair,you'll want a straightener that's hot enough to handle the frizz.It's worth investing in a good pair of straighteners because some straighteners just won't be able to tackle very curly hair.

Don't do it too often.

It's great having the option to alternate between straight hair and your natural curls,but it's best not to overdo it with the straightening irons.Give your hair a rest from the heat as often as possible,because they are quite fragile and prone to breakage.