How To Chemically Straighten Your Hair At Home

Our shared "hair issues" were the starting time major affair my mom and I bonded over.

We would try everything: mayo masques to remove frizz, beer and egg yolks to add smoothen, mini sauce cans to gyre our hair in and makeshift dryers to sit nether. Ultimately, there was petty that ane could do to tame my frizzy, curly mane. The more I tried to manage information technology, the closer I got to simply giving up and gelling it into a bun.

Here I am with curls at 2 years old and now with my straightened hair. — Here I am with curls at two years onetime and now with my straightened pilus. Courtesy of Aly Walansky

As I entered my teen years, we started to toy with at-dwelling house relaxers, the kind you would buy in beauty supply stores. The smell was something akin to rotten eggs and the chemicals were and then strong that my optics would burn down and my scalp would get irritated and bleed. The saddest part was, those silky straight locks never lasted for more than one shampoo. Past the next time I washed and blew out my hair, I'd have more frizz than ever, my hair fried from all the abuse.

With time, knowledge and, well, income, I tried a lot more through the years and learned every bit I went. There's so much I wish I'd known and then that I know at present!

1. Beware of making the damage worse

It seems obvious that chemical straighteners weaken hair, just companies take plant a way to present these treatments as gentler than they really are. "Virtually relaxers use sodium hydroxide (lye) or a close chemical cousin. Don't be fooled by 'no lye' promises," said Victoria Wurdinger of Latest-Hairstyles.com.

I didn't know that then. I believed the boxes that said they were "safe" and workout. All I knew is that I wanted to await more than similar Kelly Taylor from "90210," and less like "Felicity." After getting that initial handling, I felt golden, only information technology really only kickstarted the process of going for root affect-ups every few months. Even pros find it hard to avoid overlapping chemicals on already treated hair. Home users most certainly do.

Any sort of relaxing or smoothing treatment should always be practical to the hairline terminal. Information technology'south the most fragile area and often has the most "baby hairs" (i.due east. breakage!) and nonetheless people don't consider this when applying.

ii. Straighteners are not created equal nor are they 1-size fits all

We often look at advertisements or images in pop culture and want the exact style we run across rather than request what products are right for our hair.

"The best salons and chemical specialists will give you an in-depth consultation," said Diane Stevens, NIOXIN stylist and owner of Cole Stevens Salon in Washington D.C. This includes "analyzing your pilus's elasticity, porosity, texture, density, ringlet pattern in various areas and overall health of pilus before recommending which smoothing system is best."

Permanently straightening hair — That'southward me at ten years old. Niggling did I know that my life would later revolve around my hair. Courtesy of Aly Walansky

I wish I had known from the starting time that I could customize my treatments. Whether you get Japanese (which is stronger) or Keratin (which is semi-permanent and shampoos out over a series of weeks), you tin can mix formulas based on what your hair needs. If your pilus is effectively in some areas, you might want to apply a gentler formula and then every bit non to cause further damage or breakage. Many people don't know that is an option. I didn't and I had a agglomeration of bad experiences because of information technology.

iii. Check the tools beforehand

You may discover that there'southward a certain formula that works best for you and your hair. You may want to do it regularly. Great! Merely if you become to various salons with various professionals, make certain the hairstylist'southward hot irons are not old and damaged. Onetime tools tin can burn your pilus and literally pull the locks out.

Speaking of tools, pay careful attending to instructions for aftercare. With nearly treatments, you aren't allowed to apply estrus tools for at least a few days. I didn't listen once, and thought I was making fun styles with my curling iron. My hair was and then fried past the terminate that I spent the unabridged winter in hats (and tears).

4. Your life volition never exist quite the same again

Real talk: Are yous OK with multitextured hair? Are you lot prepare to straighten your pilus every few months or get for endless touch-ups? Do you lot want to exist like me and embarrass your friends and loved ones past carrying shower caps in public because your frizz is then difficult to manage that you can't even fathom the idea of getting caught in the rain? ALL FOR PERMANENT STRAIGHTENING. This is your new life. It may be fine with you. It'southward my normal. I've been doing this for nigh two decades. Sheesh, I wish I had known what I was getting into, though.

If information technology's your first time getting your hair permanently straightened, ask your stylist to care for a sample piece beginning so yous tin can exam how your mane reacts to the chemicals. "Information technology's a gamble. Hair may take too well or not at all, [it] merely depends on the actual chemical and the history of your hair," said Tippi Shorter, artistic director for textured hair at Aveda Global.

And so, it's rough. Worst case, you destroy your pilus. Best case, your life will stop up revolving around your hair.

(Merely, expect … doesn't your life already revolve around your hair?)

v. Be sure to disclose your hair history with your stylist (and be cautious with color)

True story: I got color for the offset time a few days before my brother'south bar mitzvah. I have naturally platinum blonde hair (what was I thinking?), just I really wanted lowlights to add together dimension. Pair that with a recent at-home straightening experiment that I neglected to tell the stylist well-nigh (a big no-no, merely I was young and stupid) and I have green, frizzy hair in all my brother's bar mitzvah photos.

Make sure you always disclose your hair history with any professional you go to. "Women who get spur-of-the-moment cuts afterwards a straightening ... end up with a 'chemical cut' as a upshot," Shorter said.

And be aware when it comes to colour. "With the newer and more popular non-formaldehyde keratin treatments or semi-permanent hair straighteners, color should be done afterward the treatment," said Henri Borday, master stylist at Mizu New York salon and director of education at Cezanne. If a stylist is using a formaldehyde-based straightener, however, colour should be done beforehand.

Nowadays, you'll probably observe most formulas are formaldehyde costless since they are better for your health. Sadly, they don't piece of work nearly too on your hair.

six. Be prepared to give up other options

I would love to wear my hair curly at present, but natural curls are no longer an choice for me. I have the aforementioned mixed-texture hair. Practise you beloved wearing your hair straight sometimes, and curly others? Certain, you tin can always recreate that with heat tools, but if you want the pick to article of clothing your natural curls, an aggressive-straightening handling isn't right for you lot.

If y'all want more options and more body, consider going with something semi-permanent, like the Keratin treatment instead. If you'd like your natural texture to gradually return, Keratin (often known as Brazilian) is the all-time choice for you. Japanese is way more of a delivery, just has much more than permanent results. That can exist good or bad based on what yous want.

Truthfully, yous may non want to get a straightening handling at all. Chemicals are non your only pick, which is something I wish I understood before I did then much to my hair that I demand extensions to regain my formerly coveted length and volume. There are a lot of non-permanent ways to reduce frizz, like using deep-conditioning treatments or frizz-controlling shampoos and conditioners. The results won't be every bit dramatic, but you'll save time, money and the health of your pilus.

vii. Realize you're making a commitment

Whenever we commence on anything new — dearest, a low-carb diet, a hairstyle change — we're going outside of our comfort zone. That may be awesome, but you should ask yourself a few big picture questions earlier you make this sort of commitment (especially since our greatest relationship may be with our hair). Are y'all gear up to have on the extra piece of work? Are you going to be happier with straighter hair? Or should you just work with what you lot've got?

This is a decision I fabricated for myself, just it remains personal for each woman to decide if they're ready to take the directly-pilus plunge.