Monthly Archives: June 2020

Hair/June 1, 2020

5 Ways to Straighten Your Hair Naturally

Straight hair is stylish, pretty, and convenient, especially for winter time. The problem, however, is that many of the tools used, such as heat and chemical straighteners, are bad for your hair. Over time, they dry it out, split the ends, and you end up with straight hair that’s not nearly as attractive as it once was.

Fortunately, there are some other methods for encouraging curly or wavy hair to straighten out naturally, without using heat or chemicals. You won’t get the pin-straight look from the iron, but you’ll have healthier hair that’s more or less straight with volume.

Brush wet hair until it dries

After washing your hair, let it air dry completely, but continue to brush it every five minutes. Pull out and hold each section of hair for a few seconds to encourage it to straighten out.

Wrap wet hair tightly

When your hair is wet, comb and divide it down the center. Comb the left portion all the way over to the right and wrap around the back of your head, securing with bobby pins. Flip the right section over the left side, wrap, and pin in the same way. Let it air dry completely. You can wrap in a silk scarf and sleep on it to reduce frizz.

Roll your hair

Use large hair rollers to roll sections of wet hair and secure them tightly against your head. Let dry completely. This is important, because the slightest bit of moisture can make the curl or wave come back.

Use overnight hair hands

Divide damp hair into one or two low ponytails. Fasten with a soft hair elastic, then add additional elastics every inch or so down the ponytail, in order to hold it together. Make sure the elastics are fairly loose so that they won’t leave a noticeable mark on your hair. Go to sleep and let it out in the morning.

Twist hair into a bun

If you have fairly obedient, straight-ish hair to begin with, then this method will likely work for you, though it’s not effective on stubbornly wavy hair. Make a ponytail of damp hair and twist like a rope. Wrap around itself to make a bun and secure with an elastic. Let air dry, then brush out.

Hair/

Tips to Protect Color-Treated Hair

Before your hair is colored, make sure it’s in the best possible condition. If your hair is dry, or if you have a lot of split ends, you’re not going to get an even, natural looking result after coloring. Futhermore, you’re putting the health of your hair at risk by adding chemicals. Do a deep conditioning treatment once a week for several weeks leading up to your hair color, and make sure to get those split ends snipped beforehand. This will ensure that your hair is healthy enough to take on the color.

Here are some tips on protecting your color-treated hair:

Your Shower To-Dos

Keep the water temperature warm or lukewarm—a hot shower can expand the hair cuticle, allowing pigment molecules to escape—and don’t feel compelled to shampoo daily if you don’t have to, since detergents can prematurely fade dye. Color-treated tresses should only be cleansed and conditioned with “color-safe” products, which are brewed to prevent leaching pigment from your pricey dye job.

Prep for Your Appointment

You don’t have to get all gussied up for your colorist, but do wash your hair within 24 hours of arrival. Most pros only cleanse your hair postcolor, so sweat, sticky styling products, and even spray tanning can tamper with how well the pigment molecules adhere to your hair shaft. A messed-up mane can also prevent your colorist from gauging your hair’s true tone, making it more difficult for her to find your perfect new hue. Make it easier on everyone and suds up before you sit down.

Lock In Your New Hue

After you color your hair red or brown, hold off on lathering up for 48 hours, since it takes about two days for dyes to neutralize. You want to ensure the dye fully deposits and settles properly without being disturbed by shampoo detergent. If you’re going blonde—which typically entails lightening locks by stripping out color rather than adding it in as you do with reds and browns—you only have to wait 24 hours.

Protect Your Investment

You wouldn’t leave the house without sunscreen, right? So apply that same UV vigilance to your hair. “UV light degrades proteins in the shaft, which weakens strands,” says Jeni Thomas, a senior scientist at Procter & Gamble. Color-treated tresses are also more porous, leaving them extra vulnerable to oxidative damage from the sun, thermal heat, and environmental pollutants like smoke and smog. To safeguard your strands, spray on a broad-spectrum color protector that shields against both UVA and UVB rays before venturing al fresco.

Keep Brassiness at Bay

Colored hair can act like a sponge, unintentionally soaking up pigments from everyday products, so it’s important for blondes and brunettes to be vigilant about avoiding orange-colored shampoos, conditioners, and styling products. If you’ve already detected a hint of hibiscus, try L’Oreal Paris Brass Banisher ($10), an ammonia-free gloss that counteracts carroty colors by depositing ashy undertones. Sunning, swimming, and showering can also strip your new shade—protect your investment by spritzing on a UV-protective spray, using a shower filter, and rinsing tresses with fresh water before diving into the pool, which limits absorption of color-changing chlorine.