“I want my curly hair to be silky straight and healthy!”

For years, women have used a variety of methods to straighten curly hair: harsh dyes, irons, blow dryers, lye and other chemicals. Often these methods have left hair fried and damaged, giving straightening a bad name. When done correctly, the straightening process can transform your uncontrollable hair to a style that is soft and manageable.

The most important rule when considering hair straightening is that every single person’s hair must be evaluated and treated uniquely!

The combination of your hair color, texture, age, condition, and most importantly, your hair’s past treatments & colorings, will affect how effective and potentially damaging straightening can be for your hair.

This is why it is so, so vital to have an assessment of your hair from a specially trained technician at Dustin David Salon.  When discussing your options, be sure to confess everything you have had done to your hair (yes, even that overly exuberant Sun-In phase 3 years ago that left you looking like Jessica Alba in Fantastic Four!).

Dustin David Salon implores women to never, EVER straighten their hair at home or with a poorly trained technician. Before going through with the process, ask around for references, do a little research, and talk through your options and their risks with your potential stylist. When in doubt, our specialists will always test a strand of your hair with the chemical straightener before dousing your whole head with it!!

“To be honest, traditional chemical straightening is not an option I would first recommend for most women, as they usually have had a variety of treatments and colorings throughout their hair’s life. But if someone has very strong, thick hair, it can be a good choice,” Dustin explains.

Gray hair also often responds well to straightening. For other straightening options outside of traditional chemical treatments, see our blog on Top 3 Ways to Straighten Your Hair.

In terms of at home care, it is a mistake to skimp on buying the special post-treatment products – it’s the products that maintain a healthy, sleek look and prevent frizziness. Your hair will require more TLC from products after chemical treatments!

After Keratin Smoothing, we recommend using a shampoo and conditioner that does not contain sulfates or sodium chloride.  To maintain silkiness and moisture after other chemical services, such as Thermal Reconditioning or Smooth Control, we recommend Nigelle DS Shampoo and treatment for color-treated hair, or Crede Pliant Shampoo and Treatment for virgin hair.

A weekly at-home mask or in-salon treatment is recommended – your stylist can tell you what the best types for your needs will be.

A heat protection spray or cream is very helpful in maintaining the softness post-treatment (we suggest the Thermique line from Kerastase).  Also, these products are excellent choices if you style your hair with a blowdryer or any other heat tools, such as a flat iron or curling iron.