Although it is undoubtedly the time for waves and texture in the hair, straightening hair is still a must for many, either daily or for specific occasions. Women with curly, wavy or just plain dull hair have an infallible ally in straightening irons to control the frizz of their hair and change their “look”, from curly to straight, whenever they feel like it.
Although irons are the most effective method to achieve flawless straightening, we all know the long-term effects that continued use of this tool can have on the hair. That is why we have proposed to find other alternatives to control frizz and straighten hair at home.
Straighten Hair Without Irons And Without Heat
From the most traditional (and effective) solutions to the most creative, these ideas will allow us to take a break from straightening irons from time to time:
“Toga”
The traditional alternative to heat straightening tools is popularly known as a “toga.” Generally speaking, it is a straightening method that consists of wrapping the entire mane around the head. It can be done on both wet and dry hair.
Thus, after washing and detangling it, we can leave it slightly damp to wrap it around the head, either strand by strand (holding them with hairpins) or with the entire mane in one section. In case we use hairpins, it is best to opt for those that mark the hair as little as possible (such as those of the models). If we want to avoid the use of hairpins (especially to avoid discomfort when lying down), we can resort to a hairnet and/or a handkerchief.
In addition, with a comb or a natural bristle brush we will help ourselves to collect all the hair until it is well polished. Otherwise, it will be marked once we undo the “toga.”
It is an ideal method to perform at night and take advantage of the hours of sleep to achieve that ideal straightening.
Curlers
Another option for cold straightening your hair is to use giant rollers. Only if they are large will we achieve the smoothed effect. Otherwise, if we use small curlers, we will get kinky hair.
To straighten hair with large rollers we must have wet hair (after washing it, remove excess moisture with the towel) and let it dry without undoing the rollers. We will hold the sections of hair with the help of hairpins regardless of whether we wind the hair inward or outward.
Straightening Brush
This hot styling tool became quite a find upon its launch a few years ago. It is an electric brush with heat that smoothes the hair by combing it section by section. The result is not as polished as that obtained with the irons, although the straightening brush is not as aggressive on the hair.
With Dryer
Wavy and coarse hair can be effectively straightened without much fuss with the only help of a blow dryer and a brush. You don’t even need to use a styling brush to control frizz and leave a smooth finish. It is enough to dry the hair bypassing the brush through the entire mane until it dries completely.
We can apply a serum or hair oil on the tips to achieve a better result and give shine. The result will not be comparable to that of the irons, but we will obtain a natural straightening in less time and without attacking our hair so much. For this, it is also important to use the dryer at a medium temperature.
With Rubbers
A homemade trick to straighten hair without irons or heat is to gather the hair to the side with wide fabric scrunchies or elastic headbands so that it is covered over its entire surface. The idea is to have a stiff ponytail without spaces where the hair can be seen to achieve that soothing effect. To get the hair to take shape, the idea is to dampen it slightly or, if it has just been washed, partially dry it with the dryer.
Straightening with Treatment
In addition to the tools and tricks, we can use specific products and treatments for straightening similar to those used in beauty salons but applied at home. They are keratin-based treatments that achieve smoothing effects in the short and medium-term and are ideal for very frizzy hair.
Although this type of treatment, among which is known as Brazilian straightening, provides a long-lasting straightening that allows you to do without the plates for a season, it is generally necessary to use heat tools (dryer or plates) to apply them.