Having straight hair makes your life a lot easier. No bad hair days or hours at the stylist before that dinner party. But the bad news is, long-term use of straightening methods which rely on heat, chemicals and so on, will make your hair dry and brittle and result in split ends. To put it simply, they damage hair severely.1 Allergies on the scalp and hair loss are some other side effects of long-term use of heat and chemicals on hair.
There are, however, quite a few methods to straighten hair naturally. It might not be easy or permanent, but it is not harmful. At least not when done the right way.
Here are 9 ways to straighten your hair naturally, keeping it healthy and shining at the same time.
1. Brush Wet Hair Till Dry
Brushing your wet hair while drying can make it straight. After a bath, you will need to brush your hair every five minutes till it is completely dry. You can also pull out and hold each section of hair for a few seconds in order to help straighten it out. Keep in mind, however, that you need to condition your hair really well before wet brushing or wet combing. This is because the process of wet brushing or combing increases chances of hair damage. The use of a conditioner, however, greatly reduces this damage.2
2. Wrap Wet Hair Tightly
Another method is to wrap wet hair tightly around your head. But before that, divide and partition your hair and comb the left side over the right and the right side over the left like you would do in a combover. You can secure the hair using pins. Then wrap a silk scarf around the head and sleep on it. This will help reduce frizz and leave your hair looking smooth and straight.
3. Use Hairbands Overnight
For this procedure, you need to dampen your hair, then divide it into two low ponytails. Tie up each ponytail with a hairband. Then add additional hairbands every inch or so down the ponytail. Make sure the bands are not very tight. Go to sleep with these hairbands on. When you let your hair loose in the morning, it should be noticeably straighter.
4. Coconut Milk
The intense moisturizing effects of coconut milk is believed to help straighten hair. It also gives hair a beautiful shine and luster. Apart from helping to straighten hair, coconut milk has various antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties that can help rid the scalp of any infections.
Mix one cup of fresh coconut milk and the juice of one lemon in a jar. Place the jar in the refrigerator for a few hours until there is a creamy layer on the top. Massage your hair and scalp with this cream, and leave it on for 20 minutes. Cover your head with a shower cap and wrap a warm moist towel around the cap. Leave it on for about 30 minutes. Then shampoo and condition your hair. Make sure you comb your hair when it is still wet and allow it to air dry.
5. Diluted Milk
Milk is another kitchen ingredient that is considered to have moisturizing properties. It is also believed that the protein in milk helps fortify hair shafts, making it smooth and frizz free. Mix half a cup of milk with half a cup of water. Transfer this to a spray bottle. Comb out any tangles in your hair, spray the mixture all over the hair, and comb it again. Allow the hair to absorb the milk. After about 30 minutes, shampoo and condition your hair.
Alternatively, you can mix one tablespoon of honey in one cup of milk. Mash three or four strawberries and add them to the mixture. Apply this mixture all over your hair, wrap your head in a towel and leave it on the hair for two hours. Then wash with a mild shampoo, comb your hair to remove tangles, and allow it to air dry.
6. Eggs And Olive Oil
Eggs make the hair stronger and shinier. Olive oil keeps the hair moisturized. Together, these ingredients help straighten your hair naturally.
Beat two eggs in a bowl and add four tablespoons of olive oil. Apply this mixture thoroughly on your hair and scalp. Then comb out the tangles with a wide-toothed comb. Wear a shower cap and leave the mixture on your head for half an hour. Rinse the hair and wash it with a mild shampoo.
7. Fuller’s Earth
Fuller’s Earth can help straighten hair naturally. The easiest way to use Fuller’s Earth is to add some water to it and make a paste. Then apply this paste all over your hair and scalp, fully covering the roots of the hair. Now run a comb through your hair, leave the paste on for an hour or so, and then wash it off with warm water.
Another method is to mix one cup of Fuller’s Earth with one egg white and two tablespoons of rice flour. You may add enough water to make a paste that is of a thin consistency. Apply this mixture on the hair and comb with a wide-toothed comb. Leave the mixture on for one hour, then wash off with water. After this, spray milk all over your hair and leave it for 15 minutes. Then shampoo and condition your hair.
8. Aloe Vera
Mix half a cup of aloe vera gel with half a cup of warm olive oil. You can also add six drops of sandalwood oil and rosemary oil to this mixture. Then massage the mixture into your hair and scalp, cover the hair with a shower cap, and leave the mixture on the head for about one or two hours. Then rinse it off and wash hair with a mild shampoo. The gel can easily penetrate the hair strands to keep it well moisturized, smooth, and straight.
Another method is to boil one cup of water and add three teaspoons of flax seeds to it. Let it boil on a low flame and then allow it to cool. Once it cools, add two tablespoons of aloe vera gel, one tablespoon lemon juice, two teaspoons castor oil, and two teaspoons honey and stir. Apply the mixture on damp hair and leave it till it dries. Then wash with warm water and allow it to dry.
9. Banana And Honey
For this, you will need one banana, some honey, half a cup yogurt, and two tablespoons of olive oil. Mash the banana; add honey, yogurt and olive oil to it and mix. Apply this to your hair, wrap a towel around your head, and wait for an hour. Wash your hair with water and allow it to air dry.
These are some of the natural ways to relax your hair and make it fall smooth and straight. While how far these methods help straighten your hair depend a lot on how frizzy your hair actually is, they guarantee smooth hair with no side effects.
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