Straightening a Beard

Straightening your beard hair need not be permanent, so you can still go natural when you want.

Similar to the hair on your head, your beard hairs can be straightened. Using strong chemicals from commercial hair straighteners on your beard can leave you with dry, brittle, frizzy hair that's prone to breaking. Yet alternatives exist that allow you to treat the hair on your chin as you would the hair on your head. Even though beard hair is somewhat coarser, you can still get the results you want without damaging the hair.

Things You'll Need

• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Towel
• Straightening serum
• Hair dryer
• Fine-tooth comb
• Straightening iron
• Heat-protecting spray

Instructions

1. Shampoo and condition your beard to remove dirt, debris and product residue from it. Rinse your beard with warm water and pat it with a towel to remove excess moisture.

2. Apply a straightening serum to your beard hairs. Comb through your beard hair to distribute the serum. The serum helps to smooth your hair during the drying process and protects the hair from damage caused by heat-styling tools. Unlike chemical hair straighteners, serums don't change the texture of your hair. They're simply deposited onto the strands to help prevent frizziness and maintain smoothness.

3. Dry your beard a hair dryer while you comb through it. Run a comb through your beard from the roots to the tips. Use a fine-tooth comb so you can easily pull the hairs straight. Aim the nozzle of the hair dryer down on the hair you're combing to lay the cuticles of the hair shafts flat. Work in 1-inch sections if you have a wide beard that spans from ear to ear. Keep combing until your entire beard is dry.

4. Use a straightening iron if your beard is very curly and not completely straight yet. Dampen your beard hair with heat-protecting spray before you use the iron. Hold a 1-inch section of beard hair at the roots, and place it between the clamps of the straightening iron. Slowly move the straightening iron down to the tips of your beard hairs. Work from one side to the other, until all the beard hairs are straightened.

5. Apply some of the straightening serum to your dry, straightened beard hair. The additional serum helps keep the hair straight and keeps frizz at bay.

References

• Style Hair Magazine: Chemical Hair Straightening, Is It For You?
• The Beauty Brains: 7 Sure Ways To Straighten Your Hair