if it's not one thing it's another (straight hair tips)

Let me start off by saying that even though I love my hair straight I just cannot commit to getting it permanently done that way. I'm a big chicken when it comes to changing anything about my hair period, so requiring myself to wear my hair straight every day? With no deviation or hope of reprieve? Uh .....no. No thank you.

The other big thing to keep in mind is that I am lazy when it comes to my hair. I want to use the least amount of product with the smallest amount of effort to achieve the greatest effect. I don't have hours of time for upkeep - I do it once and I need it to last me a few days at the very least. 

But ok - to move on to what you're probably actually interested in. Nothing changes with how I do my hair  (shampoo/conditioner-wise anyway, except that I do brush my hair)

1) Work in a leave-in conditiioner.

Again my trusty Garnier Fructis saves the day and keeps me from frizzies. Remember though - NOT TOO MUCH. Work too much of this into your hair, especially since you're going to straighten it, and your hair is going to look greasy and weighed down. It doesn't matter how great the product is, use it incorrectly and things will still look bad. More does not equal better.

2) John Frieda Straight Fixation Smoothing Crème

Sounds weird to add another creme right? Well the only thing I think John Frieda does well is this product to help straighten my hair. I'm just not a fan of anything else, and I've tried a lot of different JF products.  Use your fingers to work a bit of this through your hair, starting underneath at your roots and working your way forward and upward.

3) The sickeningly necessary blow dry.

Wanna know why I hate this so much? Because it's not the end of my process. If I could just blow dry my hair and be done with it I wouldn't bitch and moan so much. But knowing that this is still just an intermediary step between me and my final goal just makes me bitter.

Grr.

Anyway, I used a Conair blow dryer with one of those nozzles that grabs the hair and is supposed to straighten it as it dries. It doesn't really do that but it dries decently and at least starts the process of encouraging it in the right direction. 

4) Protect, protect, protect.

Before I even reach to turn on my flat iron I make sure to protect the hair I'm about to traumatize into submission. TRESemme's heat tamer spray is a great product to increase shine, reduce frizz, and protect your hair from split ends. It almost smells pretty good and comes in a cool nozzle/gun/bottle thing, so what's not to like?

5) The end is nigh.

Finally, finally, at this point I get to reach for my flat iron. At Marshall's  (or T.J. Maxx - they're almost the same thing really) I picked up this bright pink Babyliss Pro flat iron and I love it. It's got a 1" barrel, great to both straighten and curl my hair and the rounded edges make sure I don't get any weird crimps. I think it was about $25 and I consider it money well spent. I'm always tempted to save up my pennies and put down $100-$200 on a Chi or GHD but I just can't justify it to myself yet. My Babyliss works great and was not that expensive. Until something changes drastically I think I'll stick with this one.

Oh and in case no one has told you this yet - small sections people! I'm as prone as the next person to rushing it and trying to take bigger sections but it never looks as good in the end. Unfortunately this is one of those activities where patience is rewarded and if you take the time do it right, your hair will thank you by looking great in the end. 

That's it! I hope you guys have enjoyed this small two-parter on the ins and outs of my hair. Looking for some curly tips? Check out part I here. And again,

Any questions? Just let me know!