A Curly Girl’s Guide to maintaining Straight/Flat ironed Hair
Once in a blue moon I decide to straighten my natural hair. Before I started embracing my curls I would always wear my hair straight because it was the only way I knew how to handle it. But when the natural hair movement started to take off I was inspired to embrace my curls and all its untamed glory.
Nevertheless from time to time I ‘flat iron’ my hair - if it’s one thing I love about my natural hair it’s the versatility. In August I celebrated my birthday and went to the salon. I was so surprised to see how much my hair had grown. This year I managed to limit myself to only straightening my hair 3 times which is quite impressive seeing as I used to straighten it every month
However, with great straight hair comes great responsibility and maintaining it through the elements can be a real pain - so I've come up with a few tips to help keep your hair frizz free for longer.
1. Hair serums and oils We do not want our hair to revert so i would avoid all hair heavy duty creams, butters and puddings while your hair is straight. However serums will help keep those fly-aways at bay and keep your hair looking silky and shiny.
I like to use Mizani Thermasmooth Guard Serum, it smells really good and does a decent job of repelling humidity. Alternatively a light weight oil like argan oil would also be helpful.
Mizani Thermasmooth Guard Serum 100ml £12.40
2. Wrap your hair This tip is imperative. When you go to sleep make sure you wrap your hair around your head, this will keep it from frizzing up and make sure that your hair stays flat.
Although you can also put it in a low bun but this might put a wave in your hair.
3. Protective styling This is probably the hardest one for me as I want everyone to see my long hair blowing in the wind - but when the air and humidity gets to it you’ll be looking like chaka khan in no time.
So whenever you can, put your hair away. Whether it’s braids, buns or even a ponytail it’s best to keep your hair tucked away.
4. Edge Control This tip is more for when the frizz has kicked in. Gel can be a great way to help smooth your edges.
However stay away from water based gels like eco styler as this will make your hair revert. I like to use Keracare edge tamer, as it has very good hold and won’t leave any flaky residue.
Keracare edge tamer 115g £8.48
Even as someone who has been natural their whole life. I still struggle with maintaining straightened hair. The longest I can probably get away with is 1 month and even that is a stretch. Perhaps it shows that natural hair just isn’t meant to be altered. Even though it’s nice for a short while I wouldn’t trade my coils for anything else.
