Retaining moisture
If you straighten your hair during Fall and Winter, you probably wear it straightened for longer periods of time than you would in hotter months. And because your hair is straight, you are also washing, conditioning, and deep conditioning* with less frequency.
This can become an issue if you’re not mindful of making sure that you still give your hair what it gets from washing and conditioning, while it’s straightened. In order to retain the moisture that is added during the prep phase, make sure to add moisture to your hair at least once a day while its straight. You can do this with a light leave-in or even an essential oil. Apply a light layer at night before wrapping your hair or in the morning when you unwrap it and style it for the day.
Speaking of wrapping…you want to do that. Wrapping the hair will keep it stretched, flat and it will prevent tangles. Wrapping also makes it easier to retain the moisture your hair needs while it’s straight.
Preventing reversion
There are still ways moisture can sneak in and wreak havoc on your beautifully straightened hair. Let’s say you have properly prepped, moisturized and wrapped your hair. There is nothing left to do right? Wrong! You still do need to be aware of that pesky humidity in your bathroom shower.
When you jump in the shower, be careful not to jump out with a head full of unwanted curls. There is a technique to wrapping hair to prevent moisture from getting to it. That technique differs from the technique you use to wrap your hair for bed.
Let’s break it down. The main objective is to layer the protection. That way, if any humidity does make its way in, it will only touch the superficial layers of your hair and your roots will still be straight. Also, layering means that the moist air would have to penetrate each separate piece of your layers before getting to your hair.
First off, wrap your hair around your head and tie it up with a cotton scarf. You want to tie it so that it fits snug. Not too tight, but you definitely do not want a loose scarf on the layer of your wrap that is in direct contact with your hair. The cotton is absorbent, which means it will soak up any moisture or water before it can actually touch your hair.
Next, add another scarf on top of the cotton one. This scarf can be silk. This layer is mainly just to add cloth and distance between your hair and the shower water.
The last layer is your shower cap*. I like to add two, for added security. If you have a formal shower cap*, that is the best, but a plastic shower cap (or two) works just fine.
Take advantage of the dryer air of the Fall months. Play around with straight styles and see how long you can rock your straight hair before you have to restyle it.
Anonymous says
Loved the post THANKS!!!