In conflict: we want a smooth, silky mane, but at the same time we don’t want to expose our hair to damaging styling heat. If you still don’t want to miss out on the iconic look à la Jennifer Aniston, we warmly recommend the following gentle tips for straight hair.
1. the day after
For less damage, do not straighten until one day after washing! On the same day, a protective layer of grease has not yet built up, and the heat is all the more damaging to our head of hair. So it’s literally better to sleep on it for another night.
2. deep fryer
Never apply oil to the hair before straightening! Although hair oil is ideal for moisturizing and adding shine to the hair, it should always be used after the straightening process. In combination with the heat, the oil has the same effect as a boiling hot deep fryer, and we are happy to do without it on our heads.
3. brush ahead
All too often we see wavy and curly hair being straightened just like that. Stop that! Because if you don’t brush and detangle your mane thoroughly first, you risk unsightly hair breakage. The easiest way to do this is to run the brush through your hair and then apply the straightener directly behind it. In this way, we not only reduce broken hair, but also achieve an even smoother result.
4. cool down
It should be clear that heat protection is a must. However, the right temperature is also important when smoothing. The hair does not have to be grilled at 220 degrees like a burger patty. It usually takes less heat than you think: simply start at a lower level and increase it later if necessary. But be careful: above 200 degrees, the cuticle can be damaged even in healthy hair.
5. hands off
Never ever tie your hair up immediately after straightening! Shortly after styling, our hair is still malleable as it has not yet completely cooled down. Hair ties, hair clips and the like can therefore still cause a lot of damage during this period and leave unsightly creases. If you are impatient, you can also use a hairdryer: The look can be cooled and set more quickly on the cold setting.
6. fix it
As with make-up, we naturally want to set our final result thoroughly after the hard work: We use water-repellent hairspray to do this so that our look can withstand high humidity and fog and we don’t look like we’ve reached into a socket after a few hours.
