How to Straighten Curly Hair Without Heat

Curly hair offers many styling options to please any fashionista. You can wear a different hairdo each day. The great thing about curls is the easy transition from tight curls to loose ringlets or straight styles. The challenge of styling curly hair is preventing heat damage. Curly hair is very fragile because the cuticle remains partly open, leaving hair vulnerable to dryness and breakage. Heat can dry out hair and cause split ends. Avoid heat styling whenever possible. Heat may be the fastest way to smooth tight curls into loose ringlets, waves or straight styles. However, it is possible to temporarily straighten curly hair without heat. Here is a gentle method to straighten curly hair. Dolls are used as models to illustrate the ideas.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Gentle, moisturizing shampoo
• Moisturizing conditioner
• Moisturizing leave-in conditioner
• Setting lotion or gel
• Hair rollers/curlers (plastic magnetic or metal mesh)
• Roller pins
• End papers
• Medium-tooth comb
• Wide-tooth comb
• Spray bottle
• Satin or silk scarf

1. 
   Plastic medium-tooth comb and handmade wide-tooth comb

   Gather your supplies. You need a gentle shampoo, moisturizing conditioner and leave-in conditioner because well-moisturized hair is easier to style. You can find hair rollers (curlers), roller pins, end papers and silk scaves at the beauty supply store and online. You need at least a 2 inch roller to straighten curly hair. Select rollers based on the desired amount of straightening. If you use a 3 inch roller (about the width of a pop can) it can deliver very straight hair. However, 2 inch to 2 1/2 inch are easier to use and more comfortable. Both of these rollers can produce loose curls that may be styled either in soft ringlets, waves or a straight hairdo.

2. 
   2 1/2 inch plastic magnetic roller, 2 inch plastic magnetic roller, 2 inch metal mesh roller

   Determine your roller pattern. This means figuring out how many rollers are needed and the way to fasten them. There are hundreds of ways to roll hair into different styles. Since your goal is to use the rollers to straighten, or loosen curls, focus on a basic roller pattern. Once you understand roller setting, you can experiment with different patterns.For most people, 12 rollers in size 2 inch or 2 1/2 inch work best. You can use fewer 3 inch rollers. Fastening the curler rolled toward the face creates sausage curls that frame the face. A row of curlers rolled toward the face on top of the head, provides hair height. On the sides, curlers rolled up, toward the top of the head, give the hair body. Curlers rolled down, toward the neck, help provide bounce. To curl bangs, you need to roll the curler down, towards the forehead. A basic curl pattern utilizes a combination of these rolling techniques. Determine what works best for your hair.

3. Wash your hair with a gentle shampoo and moisturizing conditioner. Wet your hair with lukewarm water. Pour a small amount of shampoo in your palms and rub the hands together. Smooth the shampoo onto the hair, focusing on the scalp. (The scalp is the dirtiest part of your hair. The older, more fragile part of your hair, the length, does not need much cleaning. The shampoo rinsed down the hair length when you wash out the shampoo is sufficient to clean it.) Apply shampoo only once. Rinse thoroughly. Divide the hair into six sections. Pour a generous amount of conditioner in your hand. Apply the conditioner to a section of hair, starting at the ends. Spread the conditioner from ends to the roots. Repeat on the remaining five sections. Once your hair is saturated with conditioner, untangle the hair with a wide-tooth comb. Rinse out the conditioner.Wrap a towel around your hair to get out the excess water. Remove the towel. The hair should be wet, not dripping. Divide the hair into two sections. Apply a generous amount of leave-in conditioner to each section.Now that your hair is clean and conditioned, you are ready to start the straightening process. The conditioner is important because it smooths and closes the hair cuticle. A smooth and closed cuticle protects the hair from damage and moisture loss and promotes shine.

4. 
   Doll with hair rolled in curlers

   Comb the hair with a wide-tooth comb to make sure there are no remaining tangles. Take the medium-tooth comb and divide the first section of hair you plan to roll. Apply a setting lotion or gel to the hair. Comb the product through the hair. Place an end paper on the hair ends to protect them and keep them even. Starting at the ends, wrap the hair around the roller, like you are winding thread around a spool, until the curler meets the scalp. Roll in the direction based on the desired curl effect discussed in Step 2. Make sure that the hair lays flat and smooth against the curler. If not, undo the curler and roll it again. If the hair does not lay smooth against the roller, you may have frizz and dent marks from the curler. The hair needs to dry smooth and straight in order to properly straighten. Secure the curler with two roller pins. Repeat on all sections of hair. If any of the sections of hair start to dry before the curler is applied, use a spray bottle to wet the hair. During the roller set, all hair should be soaking wet, but not dripping.

5. Air dry your hair in curlers. Drying your hair in curlers overnight may be sufficient if you have thin curls or short hair. Thicker hair may benefit from keeping the curlers in place for an entire day. You can speed up the drying time by sitting under a bonnet hair dryer set to a cool or cold air setting.

6. 
   Doll with a loose ringlet hair style

   Remove the curlers when the hair is dry. Comb your hair and consider the results. Depending on your straightening goal, your curly hair may now be in waves, loose ringlets or very straight. If you want to straighten the hair further, you can wrap your hair. Basic wrap instructions: Part the hair in the middle and divide the hair into two sections. Gently remove any tangles from the hair with a wide-tooth comb. Think of your head as a giant curler. Take the right section of hair and carefully lay it over the top of your head so that the length is now resting on the left section of hair. Take roller pins and secure the right section in place so that the length and ends lay flat around your head like thread against a spool. Flip the left section of hair toward the right. Secure the left section to your head so that the length and ends are fastened on the right. Wrapping hair around the head in opposite directions creates body and bounce while it straightens. Tie a satin or silk scarf around your hair to keep it contained. Leave the hair wrapped overnight for best results.

7. 
   Doll with a straight hair style

   Style as desired once your hair is straightened to your satisfaction. You should now have shiny, soft, bouncy hair.

Tips & Warnings

• Satin or silk scarves and pillowcases can help maintain a straight hair style overnight. The satin and silk materials protect hair health and preserve hairdos because the hair can move freely and will not loose moisture. Cotton and polyester fibers leach moisture out of hair and cause tangles because hair often catches on those fabrics.
• Roller setting and wrapping are worth the extra effort on shampoo day because you can create a variety of hair styles without harsh heat. These hair styles often last for days so you can save styling time daily.
• Plastic magnetic rollers create smoother curls than metal mesh ones. They are also easier to sleep on, if necessary. Hair will dry faster in a metal mesh roller. Try drying the hair 50 percent in the metal mesh rollers and then switching to the plastic curlers for night time to finish drying the hair.
• Wash curly hair only once or twice a week. Condition in between washings.
• If you are maintaining a straight hair style, apply a leave-in conditioner to ends and length daily to keep hair moisturized. Use the type of hair dressings and leave-in conditioners that will not revert the hair into curls.
• Use handmade combs. They are gentler to hair and anti-static. Regular plastic combs have seams that can catch on hair and cause frizz and breakage. You can find handmade combs at salons, beauty supply stores and online.
• You can also wrap hair to straighten it without using rollers. Start with clean and conditioned hair that is soaking wet but not dripping. Follow the wrapping instructions in Step 6 and dry the hair in the wrapped position. Hair is often dry overnight.