Afro hair or kinky hair, despite its rich and bountiful texture, can be pretty annoying to straighten. Applying chemicals most commonly used in relaxers can give you the desired silky smooth look, but it can also permanently damage your hair.
Looking to transform those curls into a smooth finish for a while without ending up hairless? You’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll let you in on how to straighten black Afro hair for men effortlessly without leaving the comfort of your sweet home.
Table of Contents
Use a Straightener (And Do It Right)
Opting for a flat iron for straightening black hair is the easiest solution. Knowing how to do it right will prevent you from causing hair loss or literally frying your mane. First and foremost, use a straightener on completely dry hair. Don’t forget to condition your hair deeply as you wash it. These reviews by Mystraightener will help you choose the best flat iron for your needs.
Now, before we go into detail, here’s a brief overview of the steps you’ll need to take:
- shampoo and condition;
- prep your hair;
- use heat protection;
- flat iron in sections.
1. Cleanse and Condition Like a Pro
Make the most of your favorite shampoo and conditioner to thoroughly cleanse and perk up your hair prior to pulling out a straightener. This step is vital when it comes to saving your mane from too much heat and helping it retain essential nutrients. Furthermore, your flat iron will return better results if you use it on clean hair.
2. Prep Your Hair With Styling Products
Opt for a high-quality serum or smoothing balm for maximum effect. Apply the preferred product evenly to your hair, moving from the center of your head and out in all directions.
If you live in high humidity, opt for a solution specifically made to prevent frizziness. Do not use hair oils prior to flat ironing your hair, for this will deprive your mane of its natural volume.
3. Use Heat Protection on Dry Hair
After you blow dry or air dry your hair, switch to spraying it evenly with a top-notch heat protectant spray. Irrespective of the quality of your flat iron, protecting your hair from excessive heat is a must. So, make sure you never skip this important step.
4. Flat Iron: It’s Similar to Ironing Clothes
Think about ironing your shirt, for example. You go smoothly section after section, applying minimum heat and pressure to complete the mission. Approach flat ironing your hair in a similar way:
- flat iron your hair in sections when it’s 100% dry;
- move slowly from the center of your head and out;
- in case your hair is curlier in certain parts than others, change the temp settings of your straightener accordingly.
Some More Tips for Men’s Afro Hair
One of the main misbeliefs about Afro hair is that it’s extremely challenging to look after. Men head straight to the barbershop once they notice a tiny bit of growth, but, in fact, dealing with black kinky hair is rather easy as long as you adopt a smart approach.
Discovering the best hair care products for you is important, but developing the right technique and getting rid of everything needless is key.
Follow these Afro hair care tips for men and feel some positive changes:
1. Avoid washing your hair on a daily basis
Shampoo your hair once a week, particularly if you prefer sulphate-based shampoos. The thing is, these shampoos excel in cleansing, but they also contain a high concentration of sulfates that add up to cell damage and deprive your hair of its natural oils. As a result, your hair ends up dry, weak, and irritated.
2. Always remember about conditioning
If you want your hair to be soft and moisturized, opt for a silicone-free conditioner. Proper post-wash conditioning aids you in detangling your hair and preparing it for the next step in your Afro hair care routine.
3. Moisturizing rituals are vital
Don’t neglect keeping your hair hydrated, which actually means eventually making it healthy, strong, and shiny. Afro hair tends to get damaged easily, therefore, moisturizing it after washing will lock in moisture and prevent breakage.
4. Don’t forget about protection from severe weather conditions
Remember your skin’s reaction to harsh weather conditions? Your scalp’s ‘feelings’ are pretty much the same. With that said, in case of excessive heat, rainy or snowy weather, protect your hair with a hat or head scarf if you want it to look (and feel) good.
5. Eat healthy and make sure you get enough vitamins
You are what you eat, that’s a fact. What’s on your plate on a regular basis influences your hair health and appearance in a major way. Therefore, ensure your diet is filled with veggies, nuts, salmon, whole grains, and the like. In case of vitamin deficiency, opt for the right supplements for you.
6. Regular trimming is important
No, getting regular trims will not make your hair grow faster. Instead, it will instantly freshen up your mane, making it look neater, feel healthier, and shine brighter.
Conclusion: Practice Makes Perfect
Learning how to straighten black hair without a chemicals-packed relaxer is a process that requires some practice. Flat ironing is a great temporary option for you to occasionally turn to. Just make sure you avoid doing that on a daily basis, for excessive heat is something your hair will not fall in love with.
At the end of the day, we all want to keep our hair looking fresh and healthy. Even though, as a black man, you’ll face certain difficulties that other guys usually don’t (dryness, hair loss etc.), there are some effective ways to make your mane look sharp and attractive.
Now that you’ve read about them in this post, feel free to make the most of our tips. Great-looking hair is worth your time, so develop a top-notch grooming ritual to keep you looking hot with minimal effort.
