Raechele Cochran Gathers, MD
From time to time, even the most loyal naturals like to see their hair straightened, or at least stretched. Heat stretching can add versatility and also allow you to show off a little more length. With a little research, and with the right products and technique, you can stretch and straighten your hair like a pro.
Three Methods to Heat Stretch Your Hair
1. Rollerset
Rollersets are a fine example of how what is old can be new again. Naturals (and non naturals) are discovering that you can stretch, and even straighten the hair, by smoothing your damp hair onto magnetic rollers or other large curlers, and then sitting under a hooded dryer. This is a type of tension method. The heat and tension temporarily rearrange the chemical bonds that make the hair curly and locks them into a straighter pattern.
Here is a video from Mateyena on roller setting natural type 4 hair:
2. Tension Blow Dry
The tension method of blow drying your hair stretches and straightens your hair without using a comb or brush attachment. You hold your hair taut as you run a blow dryer up and down the length. The tension method is not going to give you stick straight hair. However, the tension method will stretch your hair, show more of your length, and is a good way to stretch your hair in preparation for a twist out, braid out, bantu knot out or other styles. The RevAir Reverse-Air Hair Dryer uses the tension method to heat stretch the hair with great result for many naturals.
Check out Finally Amber using the tension blow dry method to stretch her hair
3. Flat Iron
Flat irons are cheap, easy to find and relatively easy to use. They do a good job of pulling the hair taut and getting it straight. Due to the higher levels of heat that they put out, flat irons can straighten the hair a lot more and a lot faster than roller setting or the tension methods can do. And if you’re going for the stick straight look, a flat iron can probably get you there. Not all flat irons are created equally though. Make sure your flat iron has a dialed temperature control, and use the lowest setting needed to straighten your hair. Also, try not to go above 350º.
Look for a ceramic flat iron, because these distribute heat more evenly. When you’re flat ironing, try not to pass over any given section more than twice. Otherwise, you run the risk of heat damaging your hair.
A Few Words on Heat Protectants
Heat protectants should always be used during heat styling. They are designed to protect your strands from damage from heat. A good heat protectant will infuse moisture back into your strands, make your hair shinier and protect it from being burned by too much heat.
But don’t go crazy with the heat just because you’re using a heat protectant. Heat can still be damaging. Try not to use it more than every two weeks.
