Frustrated with hair! Straightening techniques?

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I think this thread is a combination of a rant and a question! lol I am getting so frustrated with my hair ... it is naturally wavy and very fine, and I can never seem to do anything with it. When I leave it wavy, it curls in all different directions and just looks messy and drives me nuts. (And some sections are always wavier than others!)

I try to straighten it with a blowdryer and brush, and the top part always gets straight but the ends always curl. Which would be fine -- styles with the ends curled out are cute, I think -- but I can never make my hair curl the same direction! Some parts will curl under, some out, some sideways, and it always just looks goofy! Sometimes I can make it curl right with tons of hairspray, but with all the wind, snow, and rain we get up here it never lasts! So I really need a durable hair style....

So now I am trying to grow my hair out since I know it is straight when it is long and heavy, but it will be a long time before it is straight again. My longest layers are now an inch past my shoulders, and it is getting harder to style every day. I try straightening it with a blowdryer, but the ends still insist on curling in different directions -- usually the left side flips out pretty cute, but the right side just curls sideways and looks totally weird! And I still don't like it wavy.

So does anyone have any amazing straightening techniques? Do flat irons actually work, and how long does it take to straighten hair with one? (I also have very thick hair so I'm afraid it will take forever!) Even though my hair is wavy it never holds a curl with a curling iron, so I'm not sure if a flat iron would work for me... or does anyone have any good straightening hair products I can use with my blowdryer? I've tried Frizz Ease Wind Down cream for fine hair, and while it does make my hair shiny and less frizzy, it doesn't make it any straighter.

Any suggestions on how I could deal with my hair would be wonderful! I just want to shave my head right now!
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Your hair sounds a lot like mine!

Well I used just a blow dryer all through high school. My senior year, I bought a Conair straightener and it was so useless that I figured they didn't work. Then in college, a friend lent me her hot tools flat iron (which only costs $20!) and it was amazing! It definately got my hair super straight and flat. The only thing is that it has only one heat setting and the one I had was gold plated and I could feel my hair snapping in it. But I only mention that iron because I think it's good for the price...and they make ceramic ones now.

However last year I bought a HAI iron which I think was around $85. This is a ceramic iron with settings of up to 400 degrees. This is the best iron ever! I wash my hair at night, let it dry naturally as I sleep (I usually brush it so it doesn't dry so curly, but usually don't blow dry at all). Then when I get up, I flat iron it. My hair is a few inches past my shoulder, super thick with tons of volume, and naturally wavy curly...yet this gets it completely flat in under 15 minutes! I love it! It's sooooo much easier than straightening with a dryer. I definately recommend it. It glides smoothly through my hair and I don't find it too damaging. In terms of products, I wash/condition with Matrix Sleek Look, put in Aveda Hang Straight and Got2be Glossy while it's wet and then spray in some Redken Spray Starch (protects from heat and holds stlyes) before straightening. I usually finish with pomade, especially on the ends because my hair likes to flip out in funny ways too. I'm sure other products would give you great results too...I really think it's the iron that does the most for my hair!

 
Hello!
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Sorry to hear bout' your hair woes... your hair sounds like mine too... I don't use a flat iron though... although before I used EasyStraight - and my hair was curlier, I've tried them, but I didn't like the results. When I would use a flat iron, it would straighten my hair and make it flat - but it would still look frizzy. So, I just use a ceramic ionic blow dryer (Vidal Sassoon Ionizer) and 2 sizes of round ceramic heat brushes. (One is large,about the diameter of a large soup can... the other is smaller & about the diameter of a hairspray bottle - for the ends)

and a Paddle brush (with ball tipped plastic bristles). I use John Frieda 5-minute Manager Spray, StraightSexyHair straightening balm and a Heat protectant spray on wet hair, and blow dry starting from the front, then dry one side at a time. I find that using the paddle brush w/ the blow dryer will get my ends to smooth out and all go in one direction. I finish it off with a shot of static guard and then a spray of StraightSexyHair Smooth n' Seal on the Paddle brush, and then run it through my hair. I think it comes out much better than a flat iron ever did (on me anyway) Just get a ceramic ion dryer and use a high heat setting and the right brushes, and you really shouldn't have a problem. It's a lot less damaging than a flat iron. And with a paddle brush - you can make the ends lay flat, like you would achieve with an iron.

When I would do my hair curly... I would brush out my hair (wet) flip it upside down, and use CurlySexyHair curl spray,then scrunch some mousse, LA Looks or Dep gel, and a curling cream into my hair... Then blow dry it upside-down with a diffuser until mostly dry... then flip to one side... scrunh n' dry some more... then flip to the other side & repeat... when I flip back to the front, it wwas full of nicely springy curls and then I would just play with the front , part it, or put it back in a headband or mini claw clips - and finish up with some Farouk Hair Tools "Photo Op" hair spray. Dryer, brushes, and most styling products can be found at Ulta stores... that's where I got most of mine.

<TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=4 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>
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</TD><TD vAlign=top align=left width="100%">Ionic Dryer and Ceramic Straightening System

Professional by VS Sassoon

Dry, straighten and shine your hair with this ionic hair dryer and ceramic straightener system by Vidal Sasoon.

<TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=4 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>
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</TD><TD vAlign=top align=left width="100%">Jumbo Paddle Brush

By Jerome Alexander

Tame long or thick hair in a flash. This jumbo paddle brush covers a big head of hair quickly.

<TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=4 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>
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</TD><TD vAlign=top align=left width="100%">Optical Ceramic Hair Brush

By Spornette

A large diameter aerated rounder designed for heat styling on medium to long length hair.

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Thanks for the advice girls! I actually have a ceramic ionic blowdryer and paddle brush, and it doesn't help straighten the ends at all! (OK I guess they're a tiny bit less curly than using a round brush!) Maybe my hair just doesn't want to be straight
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Today I tried going the other route -- blowdrying it without the brush and letting it be a little bit wavy, but neater than if I didn't blowdry it at all. It didn't look too bad, although one side of my hair was still wavier than the other (grr...) so I will just keep experimenting! But thank you for the product recommendations and flat iron info!
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Girl_geek, i've wavy/curly hair that is so hard to manage aswell.. And i swear by my ceramic flat iron straightener. The one i have is a GHD & it heats to 210 degrees celsius! I use a product on my hair before i use the straightener to it doesn't damage it as much.. My life has become so much easier since i bought this straigthener & every 2nd girl in the UK & Ireland have them!

 

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