Things You'll Need:
- conditioner or essential oils
- hot comb
- stove
- towel
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Step 1
Consider your type of hair. It is important to know that the purpose of a hot comb is to straighten thick, curly, textured hair. A hot comb is not to replace a flat iron if you have straight hair. Hot combing uses more heat than necessary for already straight or slightly wavy hair.
Several different sizes of hot combs are available. The appropriate size comb makes hot combing much easier to perform on your hair. The combs all have very thin picks, although, in some cases, picks are closer together than others. The thicker your hair, the more wide toothed your comb should be. -
Step 2
Condition your hair before hot combing. Textured hair generally becomes dry and brittle very easily. Hydrating your hair before using a hot comb will prevent the heat from drying your hair and causing breakage. If you will be washing your hair before hot combing use a conditioner. You can also perform a deep conditioning treatment to your hair before hot combing. A quicker method is to apply a small amount of essential oil throughout your hair, such as rosemary or lavender.
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Step 3
Heat your hot comb on the stove. Refer to the manufacturer's instructions for your specific product for more details. At all times hold the heat-resistant handle so you do not burn yourself. Turn the stove on high and place the bristled part of the comb over the burner. Once the stove has heated up, hold one side of the comb to the burner for approximately 30 seconds. Flip the comb over to hold the other side to the burner for approximately 30 seconds as well.
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Step 4
Test the heat of the hot comb. Never use the hot comb on yourself or anyone else without first testing the heat of the comb. This is important to ensure you do not burn and damage your hair. To test the heat you will need an old towel or wash cloth. Hold the hot comb to the towel for a few seconds. If the towel turns a bit brown that means the heat is to high. In this event you can either wait to allow the comb to cool a bit or you can sprinkle the comb with cold water to speed up the cooling process. If the towel does not change color the heat is acceptable. You are ready to begin hot combing.
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Step 5
Straighten your hair. Your hair must be completely dry before hot combing. Wet hair will burn. Comb small sections of hair at a time. Carefully place the comb as close to the hairline as possible without touching your skin. Gently and slowly comb through your hair allowing the heat to penetrate the individual sections. Continue hot combing through your hair until you have successfully straightened all your hair. Most likely you can hot comb your whole head without having to heat up the comb again. Although, if you notice that the comb is losing heat and not straightening your hair as well, you can heat the comb once again, using the stove.
