Straightening Your Natural Hair Sans a Blow Dryer

If I could, I would ... smash-up blowdryers.  I was never much of a fan of them --- even BEFORE going natural.  I always wrapped my freshly washed and conditioned permed hair up with a satin scarf and let it air dryer.  Blow Dryers equaled FRIZZY to me!

Enter March of 2010.  I had been without a perm for four months and had BC'd three months ago.  I wanted to try and straighten my newly natural hair for the first time so I figured I'd blow it dry and then flat iron it.  HUGE mistake.  I watched in horror as my little 3-C coils exploded like fireworks into the air as I attempted to pull, tug and manipulate my natural roots to get them dry.   I threw my blow dryer away on that day ---- and never looked back.

Here's a pic from August of 2010 (about three to four months of hair growth.) I was coming back from my 10-year high school reunion.

Now let's Fast Forward to August 2011.  I've been growing out my natural ( I huge out in the BC style for a few extra months before I started letting it grow in) for about 14 months uninterrupted.
I was ready to straighten it.  I don't straighten my hair OFTEN.  Maybe once a quarter ----seasonally. 

Many of you have asked me how do I straighten my natural hair ---- so here goes.

You will need the following products:
1. Trader Joe's Tingling Tea Tree Oil Shampoo
2. Giovanni Direct's Leave-In Conditioner and Leave-In Spray
3. Jojoba Oil
4. Grapeseed Oil

*Wash your hair with the shampoo and then detangle your hair from ends to root in the shower under the water stream.  Afterwards add a generous amount of Giovanni's Leave-In Conditioner and Leave-In Spray into your hair.  Continue to work it through and detangle by combing hair from ends to root with large tooth comb or shower comb.  Finish up by two-strand twisting your hair (approximately 20-25 twists).   After about two hours unravel the twists and let them continue to arrive dry for the rest of the day.   At night, it's time to straighten.

You will need the following hair styling tools:

1. A flat iron (mine gets no more than 200 degrees hot)
2. A 2 inch barrel curling iron
3. Duck Pins
4. Two combs (large tooth and rat tail)
5. A satin scarf

*Now that your hair is completely dry, take a pair of a two-strand twist out and comb from end to root with the large tooth comb.  After flat iron that piece from mid-point to end and then back from root all the way to end.  Repeat this method until all your hair has been flat ironed.  It's important not use high heat b/c with this method, I have no product on my hair except the Leave-In conditioners.  Use the duck clips to secure hair after you've straightened it.   When you're finish put a quarter size of both oils (grapeseed and jojoba) in your hand and distribute generously throughout your hair paying close attention to your ends.   Lastly, part hair diagonally in 3-inch. sections and curl hair with the 2-inch. curling iron.   Afterwards finger comb or use the large tooth comb to style hair.   That night wrap with satin cap and style as intended in the morning.

VOILA!!

The end results ....



How do you straighten your hair?  Try this method and let me know how it works!