Straight Hair Care

If your hair has no curl or wave to the strand, you have straight hair. Women with straight hair are more likely to have more “oily” hair since the natural oils can easily coat the whole straight strand of hair.
Like all other types of hair, straight hair is beautiful but many straight haired women wish for curls and waves, and the only way to make this happen is with a curling iron or perm. While straight hair is relatively easy to care for, it can lack volume and be hard to style.
You may think that straight hair is straight hair, but there are three different types of straight hair.

Type 1A

Type 1A straight hair is fine hair. It’s soft, shiny, and wispy. It looks and feels “perfect” but often lacks volume. If you have this kind of straight hair, you can follow any of the styling tips for thin hair (such as a layered cut and color.)

Type 1B

If you have type 1B straight hair, it’s a little thicker than fine hair. It also has more volume and is easier to manage. Women with type 1B hair are good candidates for many of the sleek and sophisticated looks (like an updo or a slicked back look). The hair isn’t too thick to make it hard to manage and not too thin that you’ll see a lot of scalp.

Type 1C

Type 1C is the coarsest and thickest of all straight hair. It can be difficult to manage, and it’s the most difficult to set curls. Layered cuts that are long in length may make styling this type of hair the easiest. Short cuts work well (and feel lighter, too), but require quite a bit of maintenance.

10 Tips for Straight Hair Care

• 1. Use a mild shampoo.Proper shampooing is important to maintain healthy, happy straight hair. Wash hair with a mild shampoo that doesn’t have sodium laureth sulfate–which dries out hair and makes it brittle. Madison Reed’s Nourishing, Color-Enhancing Shampoo is a great choice.
• 2. Beware of tangles. A good conditioner–Madison Reed’s Nourishing, Color-Enhancing Conditioner–will also help keep your straight hair healthy and will make it easier to untangle after shampooing. Keep a wide-toothed comb in the shower and comb through your hair before you rinse the conditioner out.
• 3. Find the Right Conditioner. If you have dry hair you will need to use a moisturizing conditioner. However, if you have oily hair you should use a basic conditioner on your ends only, to help prevent over conditioning which will leave straight hair limp and reduce its shine..
• 4. Avoid Brushing Wet Hair as it may cause hair to stretch and break. Instead, use your fingers or a wide-toothed comb to remove knots.
• 5. Keep Your Styling Simple. Blow-drying sucks the life-giving moisture out of your hair. Also, watch the excessive use of heated styling tools as the damaging effects will show on your hair over a surprisingly short time. Remember that over-working straight hair is a losing battle. Straight hair will give up and play dead with too much fussing.
• 6. Don’t Overuse Product. Too much product on straight hair will weigh it down. A very small amount of a volumizing mousse is all you need.
• 7. Trim Split Ends. Straight hair is very prone to split ends. Getting a haircut every four to six weeks is best!
• 8. Guard Against Static. Everyone with straight hair knows that winter is the season of static. A great tip is to spray down your hairbrush with a bit of Static Guard. If you wear a hat, spray a little bit inside the hat–it’s an instant remedy to straight hair static.
• 9. Watch Your Diet. If your hair is oily, reduce excess intake of oily foods. Straight hair will look lifeless if there is an excess of oil in your system. Include fruits, vegetable, grains, lentils, nuts, and leafy greens in your diet. These foods promote healthy hair.
• 10. Relax. Stress is an important thing to avoid for people of all hair types. Stress can damage hair and cause hair loss. And it’s not from the urge to pull your hair out!