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Do chemical straighteners fade over time?

Depending which chemical straightener you use, there could be some relaxing back to a somewhat curly state.  This is especially true of home straightening kits. It is almost impossible for Japanese hair straightening to revert to any kind of curly or even wavy status. It’s about as permanent as it gets until the hair grows out. Keratin based treatments may loosen after many washings, but hair still won’t go back to its natural curly state until it completely grows out.

Does hair straightening shampoo really work?

It is impossible to straighten hair without the application of either heat or chemicals or both.  Hair straightening shampoo, however, does a lot to control frizz which a lot of people equate to curly hair.  Many people buy hair straightening shampoos expecting that their Afro-type or spring-like hair will magically become straight as a bone. Not a chance. This is why reviews of these products can be negative. Expectations were too great. Of course, it doesn’t help that product manufacturers lead you to believe that you can have straight hair with just the shampoo.  Using a hot iron along with a hair  straightening shampoo will often product better results that just using an iron with regular shampoo. Fekkai Advanced Ironless Shampoo seems to be a favorite.

 

Can vinegar straighten hair?

For many years, vinegar has been used as a hair conditioner and especially to remove all traces of soap after washing, but using vinegar to straighten hair isn’t that far fetched.  Technically, vinegar is an acid, albeit a very weak acid. Therefore, it should break down the disulfide bonds in the hair allowing the relaxation of waves and curls enough to straighten hair.  It would probably take numerous treatments for this to happen. Using chemical logic, the vinegar treatment would also have to be followed up with a heat treatment much like thermal reconditioning.  Since vinegar will make the hair very responsive to heat, it may also be possible to simply blow dry your hair straight with a blow dryer and brush.

Xenna Curlaway Gradual Curl Relaxer is an over-the-counter curl relaxer that contains, as one of its primary ingredients, vinegar. The product has good reviews and appears to be quite safe.  That being said, you might want to try pure vinegar along with a heat treatment. It would certainly be an inexpensive natural hair straightener.

Is there any way to straighten curly hair without heat?

As of yet, there is really no way to straighten curly hair without heat. You either have to use chemical heat or electrical heat or, as is the case with Japanese straightening methods, a combination of both. That is, you have to use a chemical straightener that is activated by heat which is usually a permanent solution (until the hair grows out), or you have to use a hot iron in which case you have to straighten your hair whenever you wash it.

What is permanent hair straightening?

Permanent hair straightening is that which keeps the hair straight throughout washings or other hair treatments that require to hair to become damp or wet. The term is somewhat ambiguous since when the hair grows out, it will grow out in its natural state. If hair is naturally curly or frizzy, it will grow back the same way. Permanent straightening is used to differentiate it from the truly temporary hair straightening that is achieve only between washings such as with hot iron straighteners.

 

What’s the difference between hair straightening irons?

There’s so many different types in stores. What should I look for when I buy a hair straightening iron?

There are nearly as many hair straightening irons on the market as there are shampoos and conditioners. The choice can be mind boggling, but there are some key things to look for.

Look for an iron with an adjustable heat control which makes it suitable for use with both fine and coarse hair. Fine hair takes less heat than coarse hair.

Flat irons with ceramic plates tend to be easier on the hair because they don’t have hot spots like metal irons. You want to make sure the plates are pure ceramic and not ceramic coated aluminum. Ceramic plates conduct heat better and hair tends to glide smoothly through the plates.

Consistent heat in a flat iron is more important than a wide temperature range. Because the temperature of a hot iron can drop by as much as 100 degrees during use, it is important that the device has good heat recovery.

Flat irons usually come in a 1-inch width, but other sizes are available. Your type and length of hair will more than likely determine which iron is right for you.

 

Are there other ways of permanently straightening hair other than Japanese straightening or other straightener?

Sorry, there really are only two ways to straighten hair and only chemical hair straighteners are permanent.

 

How do I clean a MaxiGlide Hair Straightener?

I have had a MaxiGlide hair straightener and a residue has built up on the plates. What should I clean it with? Vinegar?

Vinegar should do an adequate job of cleaning your MaxiGlide. If not, try rubbing alcohol. It not  only cleans but disinfects at the same time.