True confession: I can't control my hair. It isn't straight. It's not curly. In actuality, it falls somewhere in the slightly wavy to frizztastic range. My lovely stylist categorizes it as "2A hair," whatever that means. What I do know is that every morning when I wake up, my natural part shifts and I'm greeted by the ever-present cowlick.
More from The Stir: 10 Gorgeous Braid Styles You Can Easily Do Yourself (PHOTOS)
How do you choose to straighten your hair?
*Image via Michael Pedersen/Flickr *
Get sleek, straight hair in just 7 steps
Step 1: Prep the Hair
Start with clean, towel-dried, damp hair. For extra styling, use a heat protecting and straightening balm to prevent damage to the strands.
Step 2: Divide the Hair
Using a comb, split the hair into three equal segments. Make a middle part, take the two side segments, and pin them up. Leave the back section down for now.
Step 3: Select the Starting Portion
Take the back segment of hair and divide it horizontally in half. Clip the top part and leave the rest down.
Step 4: Keep the Hair Damp
Remember: You can't straighten dry hair with a blow dryer, so the key is to keep it damp. Fill a spray bottle with water and spritz the hair before styling.
Step 5: Use a Round Brush to Comb while You Dry
Grab a round ceramic brush, and starting from the underside of your hair, brush from roots to ends. Use the dryer to follow the path of the brush, exposing the hair directly to the heat. Make sure to keep the tension consistent (and ideally, tight) to equally distribute the heat. Pull the hair over the round brush and continue to blow dry evenly, creating a uniform texture.
Step 6: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat
Once you've finished with the back bottom section of hair, keep moving along until you've got the sexy, straight style you've been wanting.
Step 7: Spray it & ta-da!
For extra hold (let's be real, we could all use a little added security), spritz on some firming or hair spray to keep the style.
