I have never in my life had my hair straightened. cant afford a salon, help?

[curlytwirly06]

So I want to straighten my hair. I have been natural all my life and worn my hair curly. I have never had it straight before. I am also -within the last 5 years- learning how to fully take care of it. I have tried methods of stretching like curlformers ( utter fail), rollerset with jumbo rollers (also fail). It will not be something I will do but maybe once or twice a year. I just want to length check and not bone straight but semi-straight hair. I have no idea where to start in the abyss of what type of tools to use (minimal to no heat would be preferred but I am not against heat use), something called heat protectants, what stylers to use etc. I have watched many youtube videos but I am still lost. I am also terrified of heat damage. I am a college student with not much spending cash. If you can recommend products, tools, methods, anything I would be so thankful. Also I would also like to note that I have very fine thin hair curlformers, rollers , permrods always come out thin and sticky looking. That probably has more to do with me though...

Pic for reference.

 

[nlamr2013]

If you have fine hair it usually looks sticky and thin when straightened from what I've seen.
As far as getting it straight does your hair stretch easily? If so a wet wrap may work. Where you just wrap your soaking wet hair into a doobie with some setting foam or whatever and if you want some style you can pin curl the straightened hair. I did a wet set once because it is some work but my hair was very straight.

 

[HairPleezeGrow]

I don't have any advice but wanted to say your hair is beautiful!

 

[Lylddlebit]

If you don't know where do start I recommend someone you trust to straighten well for your first straightening. Even when you know where to start practice makes perfect so someone to guide you on what to do in person can be very helpful to you as a baseline to tweak for at home styling. Do you know someone with nice hair who straightens themselves? Would they be willing to help you?

 

[PJaye]

I’m also fine haired and the straightening method that works best for me is the following:

- Clarify – to remove product build up and give yourself a clean working palate. Some good clarifying shampoos are ORS Creamy Aloe and Suave’s Clarifying Shampoo, which should cost no more than a dollar and a half.

- Protein Treatment – it should be light and contain large amounts of keratin and collagen (for strength, elasticity and moisture retention). One of my favorite light protein conditioners is Mill Creek Biotin Conditioner; a 16oz container runs for about $6 at Walmart. Apply, detangle and allow it to process under a cap for at least 15 minutes.

- DC – must be ultra moisturizing, and contain lots of emollients and oil (in order to obtain optimal straightening results). Apply and let sit for an extended period of time, which for me is at least 2 hours. Two good DCs can be found at Sally’s: GVP Conditioning Balm at $7 for 16oz and ORS Replenishing Conditoner at $12 for 33.8oz.

- Leave-in – can be either a liquid or a cream; I prefer creams. Apply a light coating to the entire head (too much product will result in crispy, stiff, badly straightened hair). My favorites are sold by online vendors; however, As I Am Naturally’s Leave-in Conditioner is pretty good and goes for $11 bucks at Sally’s.

- Sealant – must be light and applied sparingly (to seal in the moisture and provide extra protection against heat). Both EVCO and grapeseed oil works well in this capacity; my preference is for grapeseed.

- Prep – fully detangle and allow to air dry in sections, which for me is 6 braids (there is no need to blow dry; this is one of the few benefits of having fine hair).

- Heat Protectant – once the hair is fully dry, apply your heat protectant of choice – do not over saturate (too much product, even heat protectant, hinders the straightening process). The best protectant I’ve ever used is Tresemme Heat Tamer Spray, which is easy to find locally and costs about $4 dollars for an 8oz bottle (serums tend to weigh my fine strands and cause them to become stiff during and after straightening). However, if a serum is your preference, Redken’s Heat Glide is the most effective serum I’ve ever used.

- Straightening – at 350 degrees beginning at the nape using small sections with no more than 2 passes per section. Locating an efficient, inexpensive flat iron shouldn’t be too difficult. There are a plethora of threads and reviews that can point you in the right direction. Also, Sally’s has a few that are a worthwhile investment.

- Maintenance & Styling – this area is largely hinges upon one’s preference. Some prefer to use oils and butters for styling and maintenance purposes, while others (like myself) will opt for a water-based creamy leave-in conditioner. In any case, if you plan on twisting, braiding, etc. your straightened hair, a very nice stand alone product is Camille Rose Naturals Aloe Whipped Butter Gel, which is currently on sale at curlmart.com for just under $13. This product will provide you with moisture, sheen, softness, slip and hold without causing hardness or build up. Although it’s called a gel, its consistency is very similar to that of a cream.

Hopefully, this rather long-winded post proves to be of some help to you. Most importantly, don’t forget to update this thread with details and pictures of your straightening adventure (I love a good update).

 

[curlytwirly06]

I’m also fine haired and the straightening method that works best for me is the following:

- Clarify – to remove product build up and give yourself a clean working palate. Some good clarifying shampoos are ORS Creamy Aloe and Suave’s Clarifying Shampoo, which should cost no more than a dollar and a half.

- Protein Treatment – it should be light and contain large amounts of keratin and collagen (for strength, elasticity and moisture retention). One of my favorite light protein conditioners is Mill Creek Biotin Conditioner; a 16oz container runs for about $6 at Walmart. Apply, detangle and allow it to process under a cap for at least 15 minutes.

- DC – must be ultra moisturizing, and contain lots of emollients and oil (in order to obtain optimal straightening results). Apply and let sit for an extended period of time, which for me is at least 2 hours. Two good DCs can be found at Sally’s: GVP Conditioning Balm at $7 for 16oz and ORS Replenishing Conditoner at $12 for 33.8oz.

- Leave-in – can be either a liquid or a cream; I prefer creams. Apply a light coating to the entire head (too much product will result in crispy, stiff, badly straightened hair). My favorites are sold by online vendors; however, As I Am Naturally’s Leave-in Conditioner is pretty good and goes for $11 bucks at Sally’s.

- Sealant – must be light and applied sparingly (to seal in the moisture and provide extra protection against heat). Both EVCO and grapeseed oil works well in this capacity; my preference is for grapeseed.

- Prep – fully detangle and allow to air dry in sections, which for me is 6 braids (there is no need to blow dry; this is one of the few benefits of having fine hair).

- Heat Protectant – once the hair is fully dry, apply your heat protectant of choice – do not over saturate (too much product, even heat protectant, hinders the straightening process). The best protectant I’ve ever used is Tresemme Heat Tamer Spray, which is easy to find locally and costs about $4 dollars for an 8oz bottle (serums tend to weigh my fine strands and cause them to become stiff during and after straightening). However, if a serum is your preference, Redken’s Heat Glide is the most effective serum I’ve ever used.

- Straightening – at 350 degrees beginning at the nape using small sections with no more than 2 passes per section. Locating an efficient, inexpensive flat iron shouldn’t be too difficult. There are a plethora of threads and reviews that can point you in the right direction. Also, Sally’s has a few that are a worthwhile investment.

- Maintenance & Styling – this area is largely hinges upon one’s preference. Some prefer to use oils and butters for styling and maintenance purposes, while others (like myself) will opt for a water-based creamy leave-in conditioner. In any case, if you plan on twisting, braiding, etc. your straightened hair, a very nice stand alone product is Camille Rose Naturals Aloe Whipped Butter Gel, which is currently on sale at curlmart.com for just under $13. This product will provide you with moisture, sheen, softness, slip and hold without causing hardness or build up. Although it’s called a gel, its consistency is very similar to that of a cream.

Hopefully, this rather long-winded post proves to be of some help to you. Most importantly, don’t forget to update this thread with details and pictures of your straightening adventure (I love a good update).

I wish I could hug you! Thank you for your suggestions. I am going to see if I can find them right away. Also I was wondering what type of flat do you use? For a flat iron that I am going to be using twice a year and would like not to have heat damage, which do you suggest? Also what price should I expect to pay and not get ripped off for a no good product? Thank you so much!

 

[AgeinATL]

I know you said that rollersetting was a fail, but I am curious as to what you used. If your hair is fine, no need to pile on a ton of product. I strongly suggest rollersetting first because it minimizes the changes of heat damage from using the blow dryer. It also helps tremendously to stretch and smooth the hair, making it easier to flat iron and you have to do less passes (which also minimizes heat damage). If you want more texture, you can do larger sections when flat ironing.

As someone above suggested, with fine hair, be sure to clarify first. It helps to add volume by removing any film or dirt that could weigh the hair down. After you DC, rollerset the hair with a light leave-in and water. Be sure to keep the hair taut, make sure the hair is thoroughly saturated with water before you roll and make sure that your hair is completely dry before removing the rollers. We aren't looking for neatness or to have salon-looking hair after a rollerset. It is JUST to stretch the hair to make it easier to flat iron. Once you remove the rollers, apply a bit of heat protectant and flat iron in large sections using the 'chase method'. For larger sections, people use a boars bristle brush or a denman. As you chase, be sure to keep the hair taut as it also helps with smoothness. If you aren't very good at traditional rollersetting, you can also try a ponytail rollerset (search youtube).

Good luck!

 

[bydebra]

I learned how to straighten my hair by paying attention to what stylists did to my hair. Later, when I started a healthy hair journey, I modified my methods. With your texture, a roller set will straighten your hair. Mo Knows Hair is very close to your texture, at least by the look of your pictures, and she pretty much breaks down the roller wrap straightening method as recommended above. I love roller sets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUmeAWhZs2U

I can't imagine straightening my own hair if it had never been straightened before...good luck.

 

[curlytwirly06]

Thank you ladies for your help! I will update you in a few weeks when I take my braids down and try to straighten my hair.