Black Hair Straightening Methods

Black hair straightening is an extremely popular method of hair styling. However, you should be aware of some potential problems that can occur due to straightening your hair on a regular basis. You should first pay attention to your own hair and evaluate your hair type and texture.

black-hair-straigthtening You'll be able to determine the best method for straightening your hair based on the level of curliness and coarseness. If your hair is medium curly and a silky texture, then you’ll need a different level of straightening that someone with kinky curls and a coarse texture.

Hair can be permanently straightened with a chemical or temporarily straightened with some form of heat. Many people with curly hair opt for heat straightening with a blow dryer, hot comb, and more popularly a flat iron and even rollersets using a hooded dryer.

One of the frustrations with black hair straightening is how easily the hair can sometimes revert. Reversion is when straightened hair returns to its curly state.

Usually you want this to happen when you’re ready but many times it happens when you’re not ready such as humidity in the air or even coming from the shower. You’ll suddenly realize your hair is not as straight as it initially was and has become frizzy and poofy. Unfortunately, the only way to avoid reversion is to have hair permanently straightened with a relaxer.

Check out these articles to learn more about relaxing hair as a method of straightening:

How Often to Relax Your Hair

Avoiding Relaxer Scalp Burns

Relaxers for Black Hair

If your hair is curly and silky, more of a 3a hair type, you can probably easily get away with just straightening your hair with a blow dryer and a round brush.

Here is a summary of various methods you can use for black hair straightening:

Straightening with a Hot Comb

With this method, a heavy metal comb is heated over the stove or special hot comb stove. Once it’s hot, it is run through a section of the hair combing through in an effort to straighten the hair. This method has been throughout time and typically was used with heavy grease that offered a really greasy look to hair. However, nowadays, this method is still being used but with better techniques, it is possible to not have the greasy look.

Still, I do not recommend this type of straightening. In my opinion, I believe it is the most damaging to the hair.

Flat Ironing

Flat ironing hair has become extremely popular in the last decade. This method is used by all nationalities and various hair types for all different types of styles. Most typically though, it is used for straightening hair. For black hair straightening, I highly recommend this method.

The best flat irons are those with a true ceramic coating and typically cost upwards of $80. Flat irons straighten the hair by smoothing out the cuticle. The result is typically a very smooth and silky look with lots of body. The best styling product to use when flat ironing is serum since it offers some heat protection and helps the hair hold in some moisture.

Blow Drying

Blow drying can be used on its own to achieve a straight hair style depending on the state of your hair. For example, if you hair is relaxed or only a medium curl, you can easily achieve an optimal level of straightness by simply blow drying your hair. When my own hair was relaxed, I never did anything more than blow dry it for straightness.

You can also use a blow dryer with a comb attachment or either a round brush to help the hair become even straighter and bouncier. One negative thing about blow dryers is that they can sometimes zap the moisture out of your hair in the process of straightening it.You should try to use some of the new ionic blow dryers on the market which are designed to help the hair hold in the moisture.

Rollersetting

Rollersetting is accomplished by sectioning your hair and applying rollers. You then allow your hair to dry under a hooded dryer. Using the right styling tools along with a good technique, you’ll be able to achieve black hair straightening with a minimal amount of heat.

Here is an article that gives step-by-step instructions on rollersetting your hair.

Conclusion

A few things to keep in mind when using heat on your hair is that you want to minimize it as much as possible. You should not apply heat to your hair more than once a week and that is the absolute maximum. It's better to only use heat every 2 weeks.

If you are roller setting your hair with the help of a hooded dryer, you are probably fine using that every week since it is not direct heat like that of a hot comb or flat iron. Also pay attention to how straight you prefer your hair. Sometimes you can take a break and only strive to achieve a medium level of straightness versus and optimal level of straightness for a special event.