Mission: Straighten Curly Hair

While natural texture is reigning supreme right now, we know there is a time and a place for curls to be tamed into sleek-haired submission. Minimize damage, maximize strand sexiness with this straightening checklist.

Pretox masque

Whether you flat iron every time you wash or just on occasion, you need to moisturize your hair first, and regularly. Try a deep conditioning masque to load up your hair full of moisture.

Make a cocktail

You’ll need a few products to do the job. First, never apply a flat iron directly onto the hair. Use a heat protectant that coats strands with a protective formula and then add your styling products on top. Depending on your exact hair type, generally this will include a styling balm or smoothing cream, plus a product for anti-frizz.

Dry it first

Your hair needs to be completely dry before putting a flat iron near it. Blow out your lengths first with a metal barrel brush, as this heats up inside the barrel, allowing you to get a sleeker finish, faster.

Choose your right tool

Use a ceramic flat iron to ensure it runs smoothly and gently over the hair shaft, not pulling it down and creating damage. For thick or truly curly hair, a wide iron allows you to cover more of the hair surface in one pass, decreasing the time you are exposing hair to heat and opportunity for frizz.

Use a specialized multi-day product

If you’re in a situation where you’ll be sleekifying multiple days in a row, instead of rewashing and applying additional heat over and over again, use a specific product to keep hair straight longer. John Frieda’s 3 Day Straight works to keep hair coiffed and frizz-free longer than repeating the iron process.