Curly to Relaxed/Straight- NWR question

Chipmunk415

Hi Ladies!

This post isn't wedding related, but I figure the hair board is the best place to get thoughts on this issue. I have naturally curly hair- we're talking tight, kinky, shirley temple-esque ringlets (I'm Irish). I've been growing it out for a while now, it's between my shoulder blades, but I'm in a dilemma.

I want to be able to wear my hair long, but the field I work in is big on professional appearance- I have never seen another woman lawyer with curly hair, and the few times I've worn it completely down, I felt I wasn't being taken seriously by other attorneys (curly hair being so "cute" and all). I've been experimenting with a hair dryer and hot rollers to try and tame it, give it a more professional look, but I live with a lot of humidity, which means instant frizz ball on my head. My other option is to put it in rollers every night after washing it, but I then end up with controlled ringlets, still not quite the professional look I need. At this point, I'm wearing my hair in a bun just about every day!

I was wondering if there are any other curly haired ladies here, or former curl tops, who have used chemical relaxers or straighteners other than keratin treatments. What were your results like? Did you have any regrets? Were you still able to curl it when you wanted controlled curls? Any thoughts or feedback on experience is appreciated! @panteneexpert

lyntopher

I was told that the true Keratin straightening treatments need to grow out, which means straight for the part that gets the treatment and curly/frizzy roots unless you keep doing it. That means that curly isn't an option at all. I have tried the version that only lasts a few months. It didn't actually straighten my hair, but it did make it less frizzy in humidity when I tried to straighten it and when it was curly.

The only straightening technique I've found that is reliably consistent with some humidity (and even then maybe not totally) are the hair serums: Frizz Eaze, or Super Skinny Serum, etc.. These tend to make my hair look very thin and flat though, which I don't like.

Can you find other updo options that are easy and professional? Also, other curl products may allow you to keep the curls but have the more defined version that will seem contained when pulled back. Gels and styling lotions tend to result in different curls.

GoodLuckBear14

Irish girl here with the same hair.  Also another attorney who started straightening her waist length curly hair when a male hairdresser referred to it as "dancer hair" (and he did not mean ballet).

Aveda products are miraculous.  Here is my twice weekly routine for my thick curly bra strap length hair.:

Spray wet hair with Brilliant spray (detangler) before combing or brushing out.

Run about a dime sized amount of Smooth Infusion through hair.  If it is warm, I'll let it air dry, otherwise blow dry.

Run a tiny tiny amount of the smooth infusion shine serum through your hair, section off and flat iron.  Be sure to use a CHI flat iron.  They are professional grade, hot as hell and last forever.  I've had mine for seven years now so the $100 investment was well worth it.

My hair stays straight, even in humidity, until I wash it again.

I would suggest finding an Aveda salon in your area and having this done so they can show you in person how to do this.

Chipmunk415

Thank you! I have started occasionally using the Aveda Smooth infusion glossing straightener that you're then supposed to blow dry and iron out. 2 problems 1) I'm almost 26 and never learned how to properly use a hair dryer (insane, I know) and 2), all the tutorials show the stylist doing it to someone elses hair, not 1 person by themselves! I've also started trying blowdrying my hair out, then putting it up in hot ceramic rollers. Seems to keep some curl, get rid of frizz, but in this humidity, it always comes back.

I'm actually wondering if anyone here has tried more permanent solutions, such as a chemical straightener, or the Redken Smooth Lock system- I'm not ready for 100% straight, but if I could just get it to calm the eff down, I think my hair would look way more professional.

Good Luck Bear, I've inquired about the Aveda 3 month straightening, but it costs 300 bucks. Instead of ironing it each day, have you tried one of their permanent relaxers? Did it get rid of all curl or just most of it?

GoodLuckBear14

I don't iron it any more than after I wash it.  It lasts.  I will add flip curls to it with either a curling iron or by twisting the flat iron.  For big soft curls, I will use hot rollers but only after the hair has been straightened.  Even though it is straightened, the natural curl holds all of this.

I also don't use a brush when I'm drying my hair.  The smooth infusion relaxes the hair enough that I can either let it air dry or just blow dry it without any styling help.

The flat iron is the key.  The smaller the hair section that you do at a time, the straighter it is going to get and the longer it is going to last.  I cannot emphasize enough though that you have to invest in a hotter than hell CHI.  My mom uses the drug store ones and they just do not get hot enough.

I've never even been tempted to use a chemical straightener.  You would have to keep doing it because it's one thing to see a perm falling out, it's something else to see a straightener falling out due to hair growth.  Curly hair and then poker straight is not a goot look.  Besides, I like to wear my hair curly some weekends.

FutureMrsMDJahnke

I have naturally pretty curly hair my sig pic is with my first try at chemical relaxer, and I have since had it relaxed with the japanese technique. I do kind of regret it. It takes a long time to grow out and I kind of miss my curls. However, it is nice to have manageable straight hair.