How To. Straighten Crazy Curly Hair.

Mesmerized Every Time.
(Yup! New housecoat. Thanks Momsly!!)

I can get my hair pin straight. Even in the rain & the (Rochester, NY) humidity. And, I can keep it pin straight. Before ceramic irons, between blowing it dry & somehow flattening it out, straightening could take over 2 hours. These days, with a high-quality iron & my secret ingredient (must on the secret ingredient!) it only takes about 40 mins. That's between 5-10 days, touch-ups only,  of completely pin-straight hair.

Something feels unnatural.
(No make-up. #futureregrets .)

Thing is, I do not love straightening my hair. Sure, it's super easy. It's even easier than maintaining curly coifs! But, I only feel completely like myself when it's a heap of curly, messy rings. (Cue Arby's fries.) What's more, any style that requires a similarly straight texture, I finagle using a curling-iron-naturally-curly-combo. So, you see, I straighten my hair, only when I know that the humidity is going to kill all of my curls. That's right. I straighten my hair when it's already super humid. Mind blown.

Here's How:

1. Wash: Shampoo & Condition. Sulfate free shampoo. Favorite conditioner. Shower cap, elastic headband, & hair pulled back. (Not pictured, on purpose.)

2. Prime: Leave-in conditioner, oil, or combo.

3. Dry: Allow to completely air-dry. This might mean you style it & wear it curly for 1 day, or  you let it dry over night. Blow-dry for quicker straightening only if you're a professional. We want to minimize damage to the hair. (Also why you must prime in step #2.)

4. Iron: Find a quality ceramic iron. I use a CHI. Separate hair into 6-8 sections. Iron 1" ribbons from these sections, individually. Combine ribbons back into sections & iron separate sections before moving-on to the rest. When finished, iron full head of hair. Choose random sections as though quickly brushing or combing hair, or iron those strands that need more styling.

Cationic Hydration Interlink.
Iron & Shine Infusion Spray. Mustsss.

5. Trick: CHI Shine Infusion Spray. My hair straightens--truly straightens to a naturally straight texture--only when I use this spray. Spray over the 6-8 sections instead of spraying each individual 1" ribbon. I used to do the latter & found that it created too much shine. Spraying in chunked sections has the same straightening effect and just the right touch of gleam.

6. Touch Ups: Most mornings require a thin spray of CHI Shine Infusion and a finger comb to smooth. After particularly rainy or humid days, or about every 3 days in general, run iron through, as though brushing or combing. (See end of Step #4.) Hair stays straight despite being exposed to humidity, but will always begin to frizz or curl when exposed to water. Wear a head scarf, wrap, full coverage hat or any combo thereof when going in to the rain!

7. Styling: Some-up, some-down is my favorite for an effortless, tailored look. Curling iron with a 1" barrel & topped with a humidity-defying spray adds spring. Curling iron with a 2-3" barrel adds body & texture.

Naturally un-styled & unnaturally straight.
This is CHI.

xo.