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Photo: Courtesy Memorial Day is not only the first day of summer, but for me it also marks the last opportunity to straighten my natural hair. And even that’s pushing it. My pressed-out coils kink right back up at the first sign of humidity, and the style ends up lasting for only a few days before I’m pulling it back in a ponytail. “It’s basically Mother Nature,” says hairstylist Mika English, founder of Grew by M.E. hair products. “Any type of moisture in the air or your body temperature will cause your hair to revert back to its natural texture.” This means heat, rain, humidity, sweat, and even stress are not your friends when your hair is straight. If your hair isn’t chemically straightened, there’s no way to make your style last forever. But some naturals have found ways to make their straight styles last as long as possible, even in the middle of the summer. We talked to six people — including English, another stylist, and four naturals who have mastered it — about how they keep their natural hair straight no matter how hot it gets. A Good Foundation Is Essential Design Essentials Agave & Lavender Moisturizing Hair Bath $16 $16 Buy at Amazon Buy $12 at Ulta Beauty Buy Design Essentials Agave & Lavender Moisturizing & Detangling Conditioner $12 $12 Buy at Amazon Buy $12 at Ulta Beauty Buy Design Essentials Agave & Lavender Blow-Dry & Style Primer $11 $11 Buy at Ulta Beauty Buy $11 at Ulta Beauty Buy Design Essentials Natural Agave & Lavender Thermal Protectant Creme $13 $13 Buy at Amazon Buy $10 at Ulta Beauty Buy One way to make sure your straight style lasts as long as possible is to get it as straight as possible from the beginning. “You need to go to a natural-hair specialist who can really get it very straight the first time,” says Kiana Brooks, who works in fashion merchandising at Dior. She leaves her summer blowouts to the professionals, but if you want to try to do it yourself, Kadeisha Placide, the owner of Brooklyn salon Classic Beauty Studio, recommends starting with this set of products from Design Essentials. (Although the set is currently sold out, we included each individual product above.) “In the salon, we use Agave & Lavender Blow Dry & Silk Press Collection to achieve our chemical-free straightening services,” she says. “This helps to aid in the longevity of the press as well as to protect and shield the hair from heat damage.” The set includes shampoo, conditioner, a hair primer, and thermal protectant cream, which means you’re getting everything you need to wash and prep your hair before actually blow-drying or putting any heat to it. (You can find our guide to the best blow-dryers, straighteners, and products for doing your own silk press here.) Sienna Naturals Plant Power Protein & Moisture Repair Hair Mask $22 Gisele Milan Smith, who works in public relations at Sienna Naturals, straightens her own hair and says she’s “got it down to a science.” She believes that actual hair care plays an important role in holding your style. “If you’re gonna wear your hair straight you have to keep it moisturized, because as soon as it hits humidity, it’s gonna frizz,” she says. “That’s been the biggest thing that I’ve learned.” She keeps her hair moisturized by deep conditioning her hair before the regular shampoo-and-conditioner process. “Sometimes when I was deep conditioning or using a mask after shampooing, it would still leave a residue on my hair,” Smith says. “There’s a middle ground. You don’t want it to look dry and brittle, but you also don’t want it to look oily. When I was doing the hair mask after, it kept looking like that so I adjusted what I was doing and I’ve honestly found that super-helpful.” Although she’s is admittedly biased, Smith says Sienna Naturals’ deep conditioner is the best option she’s found. $22 at Nordstrom Buy OUAI Detangling and Frizz Fighting Leave in Conditioner $26 $26 Once her hair’s nice and clean, Smith likes to apply a leave-in conditioner and heat protectant before she dries it. “I didn’t used to do that, but it was leaving it super-dry and brittle,” Smith says. “I really like the smell of this one and think it works. Then I also always use Design Essentials Natural Agave & Lavender Thermal Protectant Creme, which is also like a humidity repellent.” $26 at Sephora Buy TRESemme Tres Two Ultra Fine Mist Aerosol Hairspray $5 $5 After she’s blow-dried and straightened her hair, Smith likes to use a little hair spray. “It helps it stay straight even in the humidity,” she says. She uses Tresemme and usually likes a medium hold, but thinks any hairspray will work as long as it doesn’t have a water base. $5 at Target Buy Touch Up at Your Own RiskConair MiniPRO 1/2-inch Ceramic Flat Iron $20 $25 now 20% off $20 Most of the people we spoke to advised against straightening your hair again after the initial silk press. “I do this to avoid heat damage, but also I find that restraightening makes your hair greasier, and so even though you’re trying to make it look good, it ends up not holding because it will make your hair get greasier faster,” says Brooks. But sometimes you can’t help but try to go back in to try and make it last just one more day. In those instances, Kaylah Jackson, a social-media manager here at Vox, will sometimes use this mini flat iron. “Once I notice my scalp is starting to sweat more because of the heat and my roots are getting puffy, I’ll use a bit of dry shampoo and my mini flat iron to go over only where my hair is parted,” she says. $20 at Amazon Buy $20 at Amazon Buy Batiste Dry Shampoo, Original Fragrance $11 $11 “When the hairstyle starts to weigh down, dry shampoo is perfect for making it last two or three more days,” English says. Jackson likes this original formula from Batiste, which our colleagues in the U.K. have also called the best budget-friendly dry shampoo. $11 at Amazon Buy $11 at Amazon Buy Medium Leopard Claw Hair Clips $25 Brooks says that once she gets a crease in her hair, she’s tempted to go back in with a straightener. To avoid that, she tries to stay away from things like scrunchies. “If I’m working out or going to be in a crowded, hot space, I always like to use a banana clip to clip my hair up, instead of a ponytail holder so there’s no marks in my hair that I will have to get out later,” she says. $25 at Amazon Buy $25 at Amazon Buy KISS 1875W Ceramic Tourmaline Hair Dryer With 3 Attachments & 4 Clips $25 $25 If she does end up with a crease, Brooks will touch it up using the comb attachment of the blow-dryer instead of a flat iron. “I always just use a blow-dryer to go through my hair and it actually works, and then you don’t get that heat damage,” she says. “The other thing I do is every time I do a workout, I run back to my apartment, put the blow-dryer on cold and run it over my scalp. I do it right when I get home so it stops me from sweating through my hair.” $25 at Amazon Buy $25 at Amazon Buy Protect Your Hair at NightLilySilk Traceless Elastic Band Silk Sleep Cap $40 $40 Everyone we spoke to said preserving your ’do is really the key to making it last as long as possible. The No. 1 way to do that is covering your hair at night. “I promise it’s possible to keep straight natural hair in the summer,” says Nana Agyemang, the CEO of Every Stylish Girl, who wears a scarf and two bonnets at night just in case one slips off. “I double up on my hair protection at night in order to keep my hair looking fresh and full of body,” she says. You might not need two with this bonnet, though. Cortne Bonilla, a branded-content editor at Vox Creative (and self-described wild sleeper), told us this silk bonnet stays on all night. $40 at LilySilk Buy Goody Ouchless Bobby Pin $5 $9 now 44% off $5 Underneath the bonnet, you can either pin-curl or wrap your hair. (Although English prefers wrapping, she says pin-curling will give your hair more body.) “I pin-curl my hair up with bobby pins before bed and that’s about it,” says Agyemang. “I’ll do this for about three weeks and I won’t have to use any heat on my hair to maintain my silk presses in the summer.” Wearing your hair wrapped or pinned while working out or just chilling at home is also a great way to keep it fresh. $5 at Amazon Buy $5 at Amazon Buy Creme of Nature Argan Oil Gloss and Shine Mist $8 $10 now 20% off $8 Brooks pin-curls as well when her style is fresh — and then she just gives up. Well, mostly gives up: She never forgets her scarf or to spritz her hair with this argan-oil spray before bed. “It actually doesn’t make it greasy and I find that it helps it look fresh and shiny,” she says. It helps her style last for about a week and a half. $8 at Amazon Buy $8 at Amazon Buy And a Little Advice If Your Straight Hair Isn’t Exactly YoursThe Hair Diagram Bold Hold Active Strong Hold Glue $55 $55 Buy at Amazon Buy $55 at Amazon Buy Ghost Bond Lace Wig Adhesive $19 $22 now 14% off $19 Buy at Amazon Buy $19 at Amazon Buy “The heat can indeed affect the integrity of the adhesive when wearing a wig,” says Placide. She recommends a glueless option in the summer, but if that’s not possible for you, her favorite wig glue is Ghost Bond. “It is formulated for those with oily skin and scalps, heavy perspiration, and those in climates with high moisture and humidity,” she says. For lace frontals and closures, English likes Bold Hold. get the strategist newsletterActually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. EmailThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy NoticeBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. How can I train my hair to be straight?Keep trying different combinations of the tricks we've listed until you achieve a look you love.. Blow dry with cold air. ... . Wrap your hair. ... . Roll with plastic rollers. ... . Use products meant to straighten hair. ... . Sleep with your hair wet. ... . Try a hair mask. ... . Apply essential oils.. How long does it take to get your hair permanently straight?Q: How long does a Permanent hair straightening process take? A: 2 – 3.5 hours, depending on the hair type, length of hair, amount of hair and overall health of the hair. The general process of Permanent Hair Straightening is outlined on this page.
How long does it take for your hair to be heat trained?Hair will only need to be re-relaxed once enough growth has occurred that curly hairs at the scalp are noticeable -- for most people, this is about 8 weeks.
How do you know if your hair is heat trained?If their desire is to wear their hair straight most of the time, these people will probably call their hair “heat trained.” While others may only want to achieve this style a few times a year and if their hair does not revert back to curls they may call this “heat damage.” It really depends on what the person's goal is ...
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How long does it take to train your hair to stay straight
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