We need to make sure that there is minimal heat damage to our hair so we don’t cause any long term breakage. Curly hair is naturally more difficult to straighten because it is often thicker and sometimes it can be dry, so you need to make sure your hair is as protected as possible before adding heat. Want to do right by your curls? Check out our hair brush for curly hair.

Here's our Step by Step on how to Straighten curly hair

1) Prep to impress

Preparation is key with any hairstyle and straightening is no different. First, wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner - do not skip the conditioner as that helps with tangles and the general upkeep of the ends of our hair. If you need more details see our article here on how to wash afro hair. You can use products of your choice for this step, though it would be wise not to use a curling enhancing product if your goal is straight hair.

2) Rough dry

You would be surprised at how many people skip this step, often because they don’t know about it and sometimes because we can’t be bothered to make that extra bit of time. Before going in with the hair dryer, rough dry your hair with a shirt or towel. T-shirts work better due to the softer material being less harsh on the hair, preventing breakage. It is not a good idea to go straight in with the hair dryer, give your hair a rough dry first to absorb any excess moisture.

3) Moisturise

It is important in any regime, not just for your skin. Whilst your hair is damp, add some product, a good choice here is usually a detangling spray for curly hair. Remember a small amount goes a long way here.

4) Blowdry

Now for the full dry, dry your hair using a blow dryer as required depending on your hair type. A helpful guide can be found here.

5) Detangle

Now your hair is dry, detangle it fully - you might find one of our brushes or combs helpful here. We recommend our detangler brush for curly hair to get the best result and care for your curls. Make sure there are no knots left so that when you straighten your hair, you can glide straight through.

6) Utilise heat protectant

Do not skip this step. How do you expect your hair to react to heat with no protection? It would be like pulling out an oven tray without a glove - you would get burnt. Your hair is the same. It is a precious part of us and you do need to add a layer of protection to avoid the hair splitting and breaking.

7) The fun part

Ready to learn how to straighten curly hair? You can now straighten your locks but, before doing so, it’s helpful to use straighteners that enable temperature control so that you can be sure not to overdo it. It is also useful to section your hair so that you can take your time and ensure you have covered it all. Your hair type and length will depend on how many sections you will need. When straightening your hair, start at the root and let the tool guide you down before moving on to the next.

8) Hairspray

A little goes a very long way here, the reason this is suggested is to get rid of those wispy bits that might appear or sometimes if there’s static. Hairspray, held away from the hair can neatly ensure every strand is together. Don’t spray too much or too close or your hair will go from neat, to crisp!

Important tips when you want to straighten curly hair:

1) Avoid putting your hair up after straightening: firstly, what would be the point of straightening it, just to tie it up? Secondly, hair is impressionable when warm and so you will encourage it to mold into shape around a hair band, meaning if you take it out later, you will have a huge kink right across the middle.

2) Complete your straightening with hair spray: it will change your life! It hides the wispy bits and static and for shorter hair, can help make your hair sit exactly where you want it. Another fave tip of ours is to lightly, and we mean, very lightly, spray a comb and then brush through your hair with the comb. That way, every strand is covered. But to ensure you do not spray too much, spray from at least 30cm from the comb.

3) Do not skip heat protectant: we’ve told you why above but this is so, so important that we needed to repeat it!

4) Ensure your preparation is done to perfection, follow the steps above!

5) Use a lower heat setting on your straighteners, to ensure your hair is not damaged in the process.

While it's possible to straighten curly hair, it's best to avoid doing it frequently, as it can damage your locks. The tips that we have set out are important for all types, but curly hair does need that extra bit of T.L.C because it is often known to be thicker, coarser and dryer and so adding heat must be done with caution. Curly hair is such a blessing that you do not want to risk frazzling your locks to the point of no return. Curly hair can be straightened but the best approach is to not do this too often but there is no reason why you cannot enjoy the change of style, following the tips above.