How I straighten my 3C Curly Hair & prevent damage
I’ve learned to love my curls, but it wasn’t always this way. I spent all of high school and the better part of university straightening my hair every single day. Naturally I have thick, high porosity hair with mix of 3B and 3C curls- so it requires a lot of maintenance. I completely neglected learning how to care for my curls because I never wore my natural hair. Over the last two years, I’ve started to embrace my natural texture and have learned how to properly style my curls. That being said, sometimes a girl wants to switch things up. When I do straighten my hair, only about once a month, I make sure to do it the right way.
Here are my tips for straightening your hair without hurting your curls.
WASH
When I straighten my hair, it’s important to start with a good base for the best results. I use very heavy products when I style my natural curls, and tend to go four to five days without washing it. To get rid of all the buildup, I use VERB Reset Clarifying Shampoo ($18). It contains sea water to cleanse away product buildup, dirt, oil, and other impurities while aloe vera soothes the scalp and helps reduce flakiness. I follow that with Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair ($36) for extra shiny strands thanks to the blend of oils and B-vitamins it contains.
PROTECT
A heat protectant is like the sunscreen of haircare – it’s the step you don’t want to skip. I love Ouai’s Leave-In Conditioner ($34) because it preps your hair for styling, protects against heat, and leaves my hair feeling silky. I detangle and divide my hair into sections and mist it lightly through damp hair. It promises a frizz-free finish and definitely delivers. Unlike the leave-ins I use when I style my curls, this one is lightweight and doesn’t weigh my hair down.
AIR DRY
To cut down some of the heat on my hair, I like to air dry my hair to about 60 percent before going in with my blow dryer. Once my hair is no longer damp, I go in with a roundbrush and my blow dryer ($25) on the highest heat setting to smooth my hair from root to tip.
STYLE
The most satisfying part of my routine is straightening my hair. I have a LOT of hair, so the first thing I do is part my hair into quadrants (one part down the middle and one part across) and tie each part up in a bun. I section each quadrant into very thin sections and go to work with my flat iron ($60). I find I get the sleekest look when I use the 450-degree setting and pass through my hair a few times. DO NOT go slow or you will burn your hair. I like to comb through each section with a boar bristle brush ($16) while I’m straightening, to help smooth down my flyaways.
SET
At this point, I’ve spent at least an hour on my hair so I want to make sure it lasts at least a week. I spray some Suave Luxe Style Infusion Anti-Humidity Spray ($7) into my hand and finger comb it through my hair. I don’t spray it directly onto my hair because I want to keep my hair soft and flexible. This spray is humidity proof and one of the only drugstore hairsprays that can hold its own against a Toronto summer.
How often do you straighten your curly hair? Comment below!
