How I Straighten 4A Natural Curly Hair Using the Blow Out Method

I think I've said it before...but I'll say it again. I have serious ADD when it comes to my hair. Hair color. Texture. Style. All of the above.

Lately I've been hung up on the texture -- probably going back and forth between straight to curly every week. Especially when I first got it cut, because it was a bit shorter than what I'm now used to for my curly hair but I loved how the cut looked straight. As you may notice (I do..) it's grown out a little bit. Just a couple of inches. When I did get it cut, my stylist got my hair straighter than I've ever seen it -- straight to the point where it didn't even feel like my hair anymore. And waves wouldn't even hold. I like a bit of texture even when straight...the tousled look. So I've adopted the blow out method when straightening because it is faster, gets my hair very straight, lasts through the week, and with the help of the right products I haven't noticed any extra heat damage. So when I straighten after a blow out, to give it added volume I add some waves. Also I'm just simply not as great as straightening my hair as she was clearly...which works in my favor because, like I mentioned...I don't love when it is bone straight. 

Anyway - these are the four products I used. One leave in moisturizer, one heat protectant, and one or two of your favorite dry/light oils sealants or serums.

1. Yes to Carrots Leave in Conditioner with Argan Oil

2. OGX Ever Straight Brazilian Keratin Therapy Flat Iron Spray

3. Herbal Essences Wild Naturals Oil Elixir

4. OGX Weightless Healing Dry Oil

As for tools...just the basics for a good blow out and straightening. Some clips, your blow dryer (best with concentration nozzle), a round brush with soft bristles (not hard plastic), your straightener, and a narrow tooth comb.

Hair I started with.

First wash your hair with your favorite shampoo and conditioner. Lately I've been using Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care With Almond Oil Shampoo and Ogx Awapuhi Ginger Repairing Conditioner. 

My towel dried wet hair.

Section your hair into 4-8 sections...depending on how thick your hair is. 

Apply a small amount of leave in moisturizer to each section, concentrating most on your ends.

Then spritz a generous amount of heat protectant spray. These don't leave your hair oily so you don't have to worry much about using too much. This one basically dries like water. 

Work the products through with a brush/comb and detangle each section.

Apply a light amount of sealant, dry oil and/or serum. Lately, I've been loving Herbal Essences Wild Naturals Oil Elixir. It's super moisturizing, non sticky, and really does feel like a 'dry' oil on your hands, skin, and hair, leaving it very soft but not necessarily oily. Just don't go overboard...use sparingly. 

Once the sections are moisturized and detangled, take out even smaller sections and blow each section out straight one at a time. 

Brush out smooth with the round bristle brush. The longer your hair...the wider the brush you should use. 

Smooth out the hair with the brush while blow drying simultaneously. Focusing the concentrator nozzle on the section, and follow your brush with the nozzle as you blow dry. Once the hair is 90% dry, for added smoothness and volume, roll your hair up with the brush, and blow dry for a few seconds while you hold in place (like above). Then unroll gently. 

This is the texture achieved with this style of blow out. 

Do this across your entire head. You may have to play around with different techniques depending on your hair texture and length to get your roots and ends as straight as possible. 

Be sure to section your hair into small sections. The smaller the section, the faster and more easily you'll be able to get that section of hair both dry and straight. 

My results from just the blow out -- it's already very straight! I owe that to my fairly new blow dryer and new products :) I think the non-oily heat protectant is a big help as well. Leaving the hair soft, fluffy but very straight without being oily to the touch. It also smells good! You could rock this textured blow out as a style...but if you want it to last longer, or want to add some soft waves, then straighten over it.

To straighten, I also work in very small sections. Combing each with a narrow tooth comb before going over a few times with my straightener. 

To add waves and texture, curl your wrist while you straighten. Since my hair cut has grown out a bit, I especially like to do this as it kind of masks my now uneven ends. 

My results after straightening! As you can see...I added in some waves. I don't love when my hair is actually bone straight. I prefer texture and volume. I may touch this up to add some more waves and volume every morning -- but it only takes a few minutes. I find that this method paired with these products really does last me through the week. 

Hope that helps! To check out other methods of straightening (besides blow out), try this bantu knot stretching technique I use sometimes before I straighten. Especially for when I had longer hair!

Check out the bantu knot tutorial to get the look above here.

Let me know how it goes!