Hair Care 101: Tips on how to care for naturally straight hair

Many people view girls born with straight hair as lucky, and it’s not difficult to see why. They have some of the best mane in the world – natural tresses that flow and shine effortlessly. It is easy to style, and they don’t have to deal with knotty curls every single day.

Dryness is also no problem, as the natural oil on hair (called sebum) easily cascades down from the roots to the ends because of the natural structure of straight hair. This is the reason why straight hair appears beautiful and glossy, quite unlike curly manes that dry out quickly.

But that doesn’t mean that natural straight-haired ladies have it all.

Taking Care of Your Natural Tresses

The truth is straight hair care could be tricky to do. Since most straight hair types are characterized by fine, wispy strands, a lot of the products curly hair wearers enjoy are a no-go for the former because they tend to bog down hair. That means gels, mousses, hairspray, and even dye can only be enjoyed in small amounts, and even then great care must be taken not to cause a lot of damage.

Speaking of which, damage can also be quite visible on straight hair. Compared to big, curly manes, straight hair is often limp and thin, so people will be able to see right through if hair is brittle or breaking.

But, then again, maintenance for straight hair can be achieved with a little effort and time. Below, we will discuss the common problems – some of which were mentioned above – plaguing straight-haired women and how to combat them. So read on, and learn to care for your beautiful natural, straight tresses.

Problem One: Natural straight hair gets oily really fast.

As mentioned above, the natural oil in hair flows much more easily in straight hair because of its physical structure. Unfortunately, heightened oil production (especially during the pre-teen or puberty years) can weigh down hair, making it appear limp and lifeless. The roots appear greasy at times like this.

To solve this dilemma, simply up your shower game. Many people would say that shampooing your hair more than twice a week will cause it to become dry and damaged. But if you’re a straight-haired lass, that’s nonsense advice.

Wash your hair often – every day, if possible – but be wary of chemicals in products that could cause damage to your tresses, especially if you were born with fine ones. Choose a mild shampoo instead.

On the other hand, do not use conditioner as often. When you do use it, only apply the product at the roots. Over-conditioning will cause hair to grow limp. Additionally, your hair already possesses the gloss that conditioners offer; you won’t really need a product to give you that. You can, however, opt to deep condition your hair at least once a month to retain its glow.

Your hair also reflects your diet, so if you are experiencing an over-production of sebum, cut down on oil-rich foods. These include Omega 3-rich foods like tuna and salmon, as well as fried foods.

Problem Two: Natural straight hair lacks volume and “bounce.”

Because of your hair structure, strands fall straight down. It gives you a sleek look, but it also lacks the “bounce” that curly-haired girls enjoy. To remedy this, girls usually grab heating devices like blow dryers and curling irons, but, in the long run, these will actually cause breakage and damage to your hair.

To combat this problem effectively, put down the heaters and resort to cuts and styles. Natural straight hair looks best layered, and there are a lot of layered looks out there to experiment with.

The ever stylish bob can also liven up straight hair. The angular asymmetrical cuts also lend a sleek air to fine manes.

No matter what hair style you choose, the key is to know what works for you. For better results, identify your face shape and search for layered hairstyles that complement that. You can also ask your hair stylist for advice on what to do with straight hair.

But if you’re afraid of chopping down your locks for style, braiding can also do wonders for you. Wash your hair in the evening, let it dry and then braid it. The size of the braid depends on how voluminous you want your hair to look. Wear a protective covering, such as a shower cap, and sleep on it. In the morning, unravel the braid and you will find that your hair has more “bounce” and volume. Style it any way you want!

Another method is to blow-dry your hair upside-down, using a round brush to style. Just remember not to overdo the blow-drying for reasons mentioned above.

Flatness at the top of the hair is also a problem for many. To remedy this, some women recommend using the scrunching method. After showering and drying your hair, take a small amount of mousse and dab it at the strands but not at the roots. Then, take some hair and crumple it as you would a piece of paper. This helps set hair and add volume.

Here’s a video on how to ‘scrunch’ your hair:

Problem Three: Natural straight hair is prone to split ends.

Split ends are caused by a variety of factors, but the most common are blow drying and excessive brushing and combing. The former was discussed in the previous section, so let us focus on the latter.

Since straight hair tends to tangle often, one can’t help bringing a comb into the picture and unraveling those knots, but doing this too many times will cause hair to dry out and break.

One way to avoid this is to stop combing hair when wet. This is because wet hair stretches more than dry hair, and all this stretching can lead to breakage. Instead, use a wide-toothed comb or your fingers.

But if you already have split ends and do not want to risk using products, go to a hair stylist immediately and have it cut. As a matter of fact, it is recommended that you get your hair cut every four to six weeks. Cutting hair also gets rid of the thinner, older strand growth, and your hair might actually look better with the regularly scheduled visits to the stylist.

Problem Four: Natural straight hair gets ‘staticky‘ on cold days.

If you live in places where winter is an annual occurrence, you may be very familiar with this problem. Hair static is caused by the drop in temperature and the eventual drying up of air. This leads electrons, negatively charged particles, to fly off your mane. This causes your hair to pick up electric charge from the dry air.

One way to combat is to avoid using plastic combs. Plastic attracts more static to your hair, thus making it stand up. A metal comb, on the other hand, is conducive and will not attract static.

Dabbing water at the ends can also help tame static hair. Rubbing dryer sheets on the hair also work.

But if you really just want to get on with your day and avoid staticky hair, style it in a braid or a bun. This way, your hair won’t have the chance to fly out!

Straight hair care does not have to be difficult. As long as you genuinely take good care of your mane, you will be okay.