Natural Straight Hair Care Tips: A Comprehensive Guide

For years, Black women have straightened their hair using relaxers, hot combs, and other heating tools. However, with the rebirth of the natural hair movement in the early 2010s, heat became the enemy. Many women began avoiding heat, believing that "heat trained" hair was actually heat-damaged hair. Now, the fear of heat seems to be easing, and a growing number of women are embracing the relative ease of straight hair. This article delves into the world of natural straight hair, providing tips and guidance on how to achieve and maintain straight styles without compromising hair health.

What is a Straight Natural?

A straight natural is someone who primarily wears her hair straight without using chemical processes like relaxing or texturizing. This is typically achieved by blowing out the hair and/or flat ironing it. The key difference is that the hair still reverts to its natural curl pattern when washed.

Why Go Straight? Weighing the Pros and Cons

Choosing to be a straight natural comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Understanding these can help you determine if this path is right for you.

Pros:

• Versatile styling options: Straight hair offers a wide range of styling possibilities, from sleek and polished looks to voluminous and textured styles.
• Easier to manage: Some individuals find straight hair easier to manage and maintain compared to their natural curls.
• Avoidance of harsh chemicals: Straightening hair without chemicals eliminates the risk of damage associated with relaxers and texturizers.
• Protective styling: Straight styles can be protective and help retain length when done correctly, minimizing breakage and promoting growth.

Cons:

• Risk of heat damage: Improper use of heat styling tools can lead to damage, leaving hair brittle, dry, and prone to breakage.
• Potential change in curl pattern: Frequent heat styling can potentially alter the natural curl pattern over time.
• Frizz and reversion: Managing frizz and preventing curls from reverting in humid conditions can be challenging.
• External Judgement: Some may face judgment from others regarding their choice to straighten their hair.

It's worth noting that manageability is subjective. If you've nailed your natural hair routine and keep it simple, then manageability is a non-issue. But if you’re struggling, then straight hair could be an appealing alternative.

Is Being a Straight Natural Right for You?

Being a straight natural might be a good fit if you:

Read also: Healthy Natural Hair Guide

• Love your curls but want the option of sleek, straight styles without compromising the health of your hair.
• Struggle with maintaining your curls and rarely wear them out.
• Want a looser curl without resorting to a relaxer.

Does Wearing Your Hair Straight Make it Grow?

Everyone's hair grows on average about six inches a year (though this varies by genetics, lifestyle, and other factors). For the longest time many of us thought Black hair couldn’t grow. But the natural hair movement taught us that Black women can in fact have long hair; we just have to keep it from breaking. You can minimize breakage whether or not your hair is curly, coily or straight. Some people may just find it easier to do when it’s straight. One factor that helps with length retention is keeping your hair adequately moisturized (but not too moisturized). Moisture tends to coat straighter hair more easily since it doesn’t have to navigate the twists and turns of curls. But again, plenty of naturals are able to keep their hair moisturized. The big question is can you?

Will a Silk Press or Being a Straight Natural Damage My Hair?

The short answer: it depends. It comes down to:

• How you prep your hair before applying heat.
• How you protect your hair during the process.
• How frequently and at what temperature you apply heat.
• How you maintain your hair afterward.

High heat, frequent use, and no protection can damage your hair’s structure, leaving it brittle, dry, and prone to breakage. (The opposite of what we want). However, there are ways to minimize these risks, which I’ll cover below.

Degrees of Straightness: Choosing Your Style

When it comes to straightening natural hair, there's a spectrum of options, each with varying levels of heat and risk:

• Stretched hair: Achieved without heat by braiding, twisting, or threading.
• Tension blowout: Using a blow dryer while holding sections taut.
• Blowout: Blow-drying with a brush.
• Light press: Blow-drying and flat ironing at low heat.
• Silk press: Blow-drying and flat ironing with higher heat for bone-straight results.

No heat stretching has zero risk. Using a blow dryer on your hair is a form of indirect heat, so it’s less risky. While using a flat iron is a form of direct heat, which is relatively more risky.

Read also: Make Your Wig Look Real

The method you choose will depend on the level of straightness you’re trying to achieve. If you’d like your hair silky bone straight, then a silk press would be the way to go. Whereas some people might prefer a “fluffy press”-straight with a bit of kink-which can be achieved with a light press. And then there’s the kinky blow out look, one of my personal favorites, which gives more volume.

How to Safely Press Your Hair: A Step-by-Step Guide

Even though there are safe ways to straighten your hair, a good question to ask yourself is how much do I want to keep my curls? Take the time to really think about your answer. Many straight naturals don’t mind the change in curl pattern.

Whether you're aiming for lightly straight or bone straight hair, the steps for a safe silk press are generally the same.

1. Strengthen Your Hair First: Use a bond-strengthening treatment to fortify your hair before applying heat.
2. Wash with a Moisturizing Shampoo: Applying heat to your hair strips it of moisture. So, prior to getting a silk press or any other style that requires heat, you want to give your hair as much moisture as possible.
3. Deep Condition: Apply a deep conditioner with a balanced pH (around 5.5) to replenish moisture and elasticity. Use a heat cap while conditioning to enhance penetration.
4. Leave-In Conditioner: Apply a lightweight leave-in conditioner for an extra layer of moisture.
5. Heat Protectant: Use a heat protectant or blow-dry cream to shield your hair against heat and reduce frizz. Seal with a lightweight oil for added shine and moisture retention, if the protectant isn’t an oil.
6. Blow-Dry Carefully: Take your time when blowing out your hair. The straighter you can get your hair when blowing it out (indirect heat), the less heat you’ll need to apply with the flat iron.
7. Flat Iron with Low Heat: Use the lowest heat possible that achieves the desired result with only one or two passes of the flat iron. A good rule of thumb if you want to keep your curls is to stay below 400 degrees. The chart here has temperature guidelines from FHI Heat Pro. On the other hand, if you want to change your pattern then you can go higher. But going too high can lead to this happening.
8. Work in Small Sections: Ensure even heat distribution and thorough straightening by working in small sections.

Additional Tips:

• Incorporate a protein treatment into your routine every 3-6 months if your hair needs extra strengthening. Protein treatments help restore and maintain the structural integrity of your hair.
• Stay away from color if you can. Adding heat to chemically colored hair is asking your hair to do a lot. If you care about not deteriorating the structure of your hair too much, then you may want to choose one or the other. (It’s possible to do both, but I’d work with a seasoned pro for that).
• If you’re straightening your hair regularly, consider using the double flat iron method. This involves using a lower temperature on the mid-lengths and ends of your hair-which are older and more heat-exposed-and a higher temperature at the roots.

Maintaining Your Silk Press or Blowout: Longevity Tips

The key to maintaining a silk press is wrapping it at night with a silk bonnet. Doing so helps keep it stretched, moisturized and smooth. If your hair is long, using a net will help. See below! Some vloggers recommend changing the direction of your wrap every two days or so-wrap to the left for two days, then to the right for two days. This minimizes the risk of shedding or breakage that might occur from repeatedly brushing in the same direction.

Additional tips for silk press longevity:

• Avoid additional heat: Resist the temptation to touch up your hair with heat between washes. Instead, use heat-free techniques like pin curls or wrapping to maintain the style.
• Trim seasonally: Trim your ends every season to keep them healthy and prevent split ends from traveling up the hair shaft.
• Deep condition regularly: After every wash, deep condition your hair to restore moisture and repair any minor damage from styling or environmental stressors.
• Use anti-humidity sprays sparingly: Some people use anti-humidity sprays or silicone-based serums for extra frizz protection but those products tend to have endocrine disrupting ingredients you want to avoid 👀.

Keeping Your Silk Press Moisturized

A silky silk press can be kept moisturized simply by wrapping it at night-no extra products! Alternatively, keep your silk press moisturized by applying a pea size amount of leave-in conditioner to the ends of your hair, followed by jojoba oil-which can be applied to your scalp as well with less frequency. She does this at night, right before wrapping, allowing the hair to set overnight.

Read also: Natural Shampoo for Oily Hair: A Guide

Working Out with a Silk Press

Working out with straight hair was one of the big concerns for me, as I work out six times a week and SWEAT my arse off in the process. (Thanks Jillian Michaels). However, LA Pilates instructor Mo Jo, who appears to usually have her hair straightened, managed to keep her hair straight after five workouts in one week. Here’s what she does:

• Puts her hair in two buns (I prefer to use hair ties vs pins)
• Uses a wicking head band that TIES
• Keeps the head band on till her hair is dry

Tools and Products for a Silk Press

Here are the tools and products needed to do and maintain your silk press. These recommendations are based on products that came up repeatedly online and advice from our stylists.

Tools:

• Blow dryer: If frizz is a big concern and you’re in the market for a new dryer, you may want to go with an ionic dryer.
• Thermal hat for deep conditioning
• Flat iron: Ceramic flat iron for a relatively lighter press or…Titanium flat iron if you want bone-straight hair but be careful-improper use increases the risk of heat damage.
• Hair net: Perfect for wrapping and securing long hair at night.
• Sweat wicking headband that ties for workouts.
• Ionic paddle brush and a round brush and/or…… a blow dry brush: a great alternative if handling a blow-dryer and brush simultaneously is tricky. For wet hair, I start with a tension blow-dry (no brush or comb) before using attachments. Then I use the paddle brush on already stretched hair. And then go in with the round brush for more refinement.

Products:

• Strengthener: Many people swear by Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector for strengthening hair before applying heat. However, it has a “poor” rating on Yuka (which rates product ingredients for health concerns). I’ve used Olaplex once and it seemed to work great. But I’m going to try BONDIBOOST Rapid Repair Bond Builder + Hair Mask next time. It costs the same and has a “good” Yuka rating.
• Your favorite moisturizing shampoo
• And your favorite deep conditioner and leave-in conditioner
• Heat protectant

While I’m not recommending specific shampoos and conditioners, I do suggest sticking with products that work for you. Just be sure to check the ingredients! And note that mixing and matching brands isn’t always ideal since they’re often formulated to work as a pair.

Natural Alternatives for Straight Hair Care

In the world of hair care, straight hair often seems to get all the attention, but not always the best kind. There are countless products on the market aimed at making straight hair shinier, smoother, and sleeker, but many of these products contain chemicals that aren’t great for the environment-or your hair in the long run. If you’re a homesteader committed to natural living, you might already be looking for alternatives that align with your values. Fortunately, there are many natural ingredients you can use to achieve fantastic results without compromising your health or the planet.

• Lemon Juice: For greasy hair, lemon juice’s acidic nature helps break down oils in the hair and restores the scalp’s pH balance. It’s also excellent for removing dandruff and adding a natural shine to your hair. To create a lemon juice rinse, simply mix equal parts lemon juice and water. Apply this mixture to your scalp and hair after shampooing, let it sit for a few minutes, and then rinse thoroughly. This easy treatment can help keep your hair looking fresh and grease-free.
• Egg Whites with Lemon Juice: A mixture of egg whites with lemon juice can serve as an effective natural shampoo and conditioner. The lemon juice helps control oil, while the egg whites add protein and nutrients to your hair. If the thought of egg in your hair is off-putting, you can add a few drops of essential oils like lavender or tea tree to mask the smell. This DIY solution leaves your hair clean, shiny, and full of life.
• Coconut Oil: For coarse hair, coconut oil is a natural solution that offers deep hydration, making it ideal for this hair type. Coconut oil is rich in fatty acids that penetrate the hair shaft, helping to repair damage, reduce frizz, and make hair shinier and softer. To use coconut oil, warm a small amount between your hands and apply it to the ends of your hair, working your way up to the scalp. If your hair is particularly dry, you can leave it on as an overnight treatment, wrapping your hair in a towel or using a shower cap to avoid staining your pillow. Wash it out in the morning with a mild shampoo. This simple treatment can make a big difference in the texture and appearance of your hair.
• Honey and Apple Cider Vinegar: A DIY honey and apple cider vinegar mask is perfect for those with long, thick straight hair. Honey is a natural humectant, which means it helps retain moisture in the hair, while apple cider vinegar helps balance the scalp’s pH and removes excess oil and dandruff. To make this mask, mix 1 ½ tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 2 tablespoons of honey. You can also add ½ a tablespoon of olive oil to make it easier to apply. Apply the mixture to your scalp and hair, focusing on the roots. Leave it on for about 20 minutes before rinsing thoroughly with warm water. This mask will leave your hair soft, shiny, and free of buildup.
• Banana and Papaya Hair Mask: For dry hair, bananas are rich in potassium, which helps soften the hair, while papayas are full of vitamin A, which strengthens the hair and promotes growth. To make a banana and papaya hair mask, simply mash one ripe banana and half a papaya until smooth. Apply the mixture to your hair, focusing on the ends where hair tends to be driest. Leave it on for 20-30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with warm water. Your hair will feel softer and more manageable after just one treatment.
• Castor Oil: Castor oil is a powerful ingredient that has been used for centuries in hair care. It’s known for its antimicrobial properties, making it effective in fighting off scalp infections. Castor oil is also rich in omega-6 fatty acids, which help improve blood circulation to the scalp, promoting healthier hair growth. Its thick consistency makes it a great choice for hydrating and straightening hair naturally. To use castor oil, apply a small amount directly to your scalp and massage it in. You can also use a wide-tooth comb to distribute the oil evenly through your hair. Leave it on for at least 30 minutes, or overnight for a more intense treatment, before washing it out with shampoo. Regular use of castor oil can help reduce split ends, add shine, and improve the overall health of your hair.

Embracing Natural Hair Care

Switching to natural hair care can be a rewarding experience, especially for homesteaders who value self-sufficiency and sustainability. By using ingredients you already have at home, you can create effective hair care products that are free from harmful chemicals and better for the environment. Plus, there’s something satisfying about taking care of your hair with homemade recipes that connect you to the natural world.

tags: #natural #straight #hair #care #tips

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