hair straightening?

Question

I'm a teen guy who hates my natural curly/wavy hair & I'm wanting to get my hair chemically straightened. I'm planning on doing it at a profesional salon, is it worth doing?

Believe me I've tried smoothing shampoos & they only do minor help.

Answer 1

Depends what kind of straightening procedure you are going for. I would recommend shying away from anything that has relaxer in it (if you are white). I tried this salon treatment from a company that rhymes with Boreal and it made my hair crap. I am white and my hair is naturally curly (like loose big curls) and it made it smell like sulphur for the first couple of weeks. Plus it completely ruins the structure of your hair it makes it coarse and very, very brittle and dry. Expect your ends to feel like doll hair that has been brushed way too many times. I would recommend Japanese hair straightening method, people swear buy it, but it is expensive. It should be cheaper if you don't have a lot of hair (it's ~$400 CDN for a girl). If you don't have an odd head shape then you should go for the Justin TImberlake, he has naturally curly hair and he just shaves it, looks good on him. Good luck.

Answer 2

It is SO worth doing.

It takes about four hours to perm, but it lasts for a whole six months, or even more. In the beginning, you don't EVER have to comb your hair, as soon as your wake up or after your hair dries- wah la! Straight hair, all the time, no matter what. It looks completely natural, and no one will be able to tell.

I love how my hair looks like-I've gotten two straightening perms and am definitely getting a third. Hair is a surprisingly a big factor on impressions, from others and yourself, and I could honestly say that getting that perm was one of the best gifts ever.

Straightening through perms or an iron is practically the same thing- results-wise and damaging-wise; but instead of daily ironing though, it's only once, for a long, stress-free, burn-free time :)

Answer 3

With most products on the market today you can't permanently relax or straighten your hair if:

* it has been permanently coloured/tinted with a high volume strength peroxide or bleached. Even if only a little is left in the ends of your hair you will need to have it cut out first! Semi or non-permanent colours do not effect the ability to straighten hair chemically.
* you swim in chlorinated water a lot (salt water is fine, in fact it's good for it!).
* you have fine blonde hair. It can be done but can look dry and damaged and frizz easily.

Best results with chemical straightening are found with:

* Strong dark hair
* Grey hair

What's involved?

The process and the associated treatments and cut, will take from 2 hours for short hair to about 5 hours for really long hair. " A treatment is always necessary to restore moisture and sheen, and a cut is needed to remove dry ends and because a cut that works on curly hair never works on straight". It will cost between $AU80 and $AU200 and then you need 'at-home' products to go with it. "For me take-home products are the most important area of the whole straightening process, if you don't use all the right shampoos, treatments and blow-dry protecting sprays it doesn't last and can look dry and frizzy" says Belinda.

'At home' care:

* It is very important not to wash your hair for 2 days following a chemical straightening process as washing prior to this can cause the curl to come back.
* You will need a specially designed shampoo and conditioner.
* A once-a-week treatment is also a part of keeping your hair in good shape.
* Always use a thermal protector when blow-drying to prevent heat damage from your hairdryer.

Up keep:

Depending on the length of your hair, every 2 to 3 months is the average time between straightenings. If you decide to grow it out, i.e. go back to curly, some curl will return overtime to the straightened hair but it will only be completely gone when it's cut out. If you decide to colour your hair again, you will have to wait until the straightened hair has been cut out as the colour over the old straightened hair is damaging. You can however, use a semi/non permanent colour with no problems.

At the end of the day, choosing what you want is what it's all about and we hope these tips will help you make the right decisions about how to go about it.


What does it involve?

Straightening is a way of chemically altering the structure of your hair so as to break the bonds that keep it curly, then reforming your hair in a straighter or less curly form. The process is very similar to having a perm (not that you would have had one if you have naturally curly hair but your friends might)!

Firstly, a lotion is applied for anything from 5 to 30 min on average, this is then rinsed away and a second lotion applied for another 5 to 10 min. Finally lots of conditioners are applied. Times vary depending on products used and this information is given only as a guide to help you feel more comfortable. However if concerned, don't just sit in the chair like a stunned mullet expecting the hairdresser to work out telepathically that you have a problem. Speak up!

You will need about 2 hours salon time to get this done and a haircut will need to be added to that. The cut should not be missed as the shape that worked in the past was for curly hair and your new straighter hair will not suit the old shape.

Get your hairdresser to recommend aftercare products or consult our Diagnosis section. Chemically straightened hair will need more intense products to keep it healthy than it did before.

hope this helps! good luck. :D

Answer 4

If you really hate the way your hair looks then yes, because it will most make you alot happier. Actually I know some guys who have gotten their hair chemically straigtened at first I thought it was kinda wierd for a guy to do that but now it seems normal. If you have really short hair then probably not if you are planing on cutting it when it gets a little longer because then the roots will grow out and it will pretty much be like you have never gotten your hair straigtened. I hope this helped.

Answer 5

I've personally never had my hair chemically straightened, but I've heard that it can be extremely damaging to your hair. My advice would be for you to buy a good flat iron. I've got a Remmington Wet 2 Straight, and it works great on my hair. (my hair is extremely curly too..). It only costs about $29 and it's well worth it...it's pretty much the only thing that will straighten my hair.

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000BH3D7E

Answer 6

Hi,
Buy a "ceramic" straightening rod for yourself. After taking head bath, dry your hair naturally or with a dryer. The rod I am talking about is like a pair of tongs. Grip a section of hair, simply put it in rod and just slide it once. You will get good variety in Target store.
It is very quick. Recommended usage: Twice a week.

Answer 7

it's like a perm, hard on your hair and temporary. Also could not work the first time. I would just use a smoothing shampoo and conditioner, then gel or mouse in your hair. get a very tight toothed comb and blow dry hair in sections at a time. Time consuming but the more you do it the faster you can get done. I do it almost everyday.

Answer 8

Yes do it, since you are a guy and can wear your hair very short if need be then give it a try you have nothing to lose. If you hate it, then just cut it short and you'll be done with it.

Answer 9

Frankly, naturally curly hair is hot on guys. That's no joke.

Answer 10

well...i like curly haired guys but if you realy dont like it then go for it

but its kind of bad for your hair and you will have to do it every once in a while