My Technique For Straightening Natural, Ethnic Hair
Here are the steps:
Wash
Before I shampoo, I put conditioner in my hair and detangle with a large tooth comb. Once the hair is tangle free, rinse the conditioner out and proceed to wash. Use a natural moisturizing shampoo if you have ethnic hair. Massage the shampoo into your hair and scalp. Repeat if necessary.
Deep Condition
Once the hair is clean and the shampoo is rinsed out completely, apply conditioner. My favorite conditioner is ABBA because it is mostly natural. Comb the conditioner into the hair with a wide tooth comb. Apply a splash of water to evenly distribute the conditioner. Cover with a processing cap and either apply medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with cold water.
Moisturize
CHI silk infusion is the best product for softening kinky, curly hair. I use a quarter size amount of CHI and a small amount of Hair One Olive Oil.
Blow-dry
This is what determines how straight you want your hair. For silky, bone-straight hair, use a barrel brush. Blowdry small sections of hair on the medium setting. I also like to use a heat concentrator on my blowdrier.
Flat Iron
By this time, your hair should be soft and have flow. I use just enough coconut oil to coat my palms then I work it through my hair. To straighten your roots effectively, pull the section you're working with. Also, use a small tooth comb in front of the flatiron to detangle and straighten more effectively. This technique has been working for me for years and the results are always the same.
