Born with thick wavy hair, I always wanted it to be curly or straight. Isn’t that about right? Many people are born with one type of hair but desire what others have. Fortunately there are many products out there that can help you have the exact style of hair you want. From extensions to wigs to straighteners to curling irons and more, they all can help mold your hair into many styles.
I’ve experimented with many hair tools over the years and have learned a lot. Read on to learn how I transform my wavy hair into a super straight and shiny style without damage. My tips and tricks can be used on many hair types.
Wavy Beach Hair Style
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Thankfully many hair products on the market now are much better than they were when I was growing up. When I was a teenager, I ironed my hair to straighten it. Yes, IRON it. With an iron. When I wasn’t ironing my hair, I was curling it. Using an iron on my hair was a terrible idea (oh the burns!), and heat styling every day was also a terrible idea. I quickly learned to only use heat tools occasionaly, as I figured out using them every day made my hair frizzy and dry.
On the days I don’t use a heat tool (such as a blow dryer), I allow my hair to air dry and be crazy. Sometimes you have to just let your hair be. Those days for me are usually on a weekend day.
Using The Dyson Corrale and BB Glow for Straight Shiny Hair
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I only wash my hair every other day or every two days. I love using dry shampoo on my no wash days. I prefer the Not Your Mother’s brand because it’s cruelty free and soaks up quite a bit of oil without a lot of residue.
On the days I wash my hair and decide to straighten it, these are the products I currently use:
If I notice my hair is really dry, I’ll dampen it and add Olaplex Hair Protector (No. 3). I comb it through my hair and leave it it for an hour. I purchase my Olaplex products from Sephora. If it’s extremely dry, I’ll use Olaplex Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment (No. 0) before adding the No. 3.
Next, I wash with Olaplex Bond Maintenance Shampoo (No. 4)
I condition with Olaplex Bond Maintenance Conditioner (No. 5)
About once a week, I use Olaplex Bond Intense Moisture Mask (No. 8) for extra moisture (instead of No. 5)
After shampooing and conditioning, I wrap my hair in a cotton t-shirt to absorb the water
I add a bit of Olaplex Bond Smoother (No. 6) to my damp hair and comb it through with a wide tooth comb
I dry my hair with a Dyson hair dryer on a medium heat setting. You don’t have to use a Dyson to get great results. I’ve used even the cheapest hair dryers on my hair (on a medium heat setting) and still maintained damage-free hair. I just really like Dyson products and so I bit the bullet and purchased all their hair styling tools over the course of a couple of years using coupons from Sephora.
I spray BB Glow (Bumble and Bumble) Thermal Protection Mist onto a section of hair and then use my Dyson Corrale Straightener (it works for me on the lowest heat setting) to straighten my hair. Again, I’ve had great results with other straighteners, but I just love my Dyson as it’s cordless, heats up in seconds and seems to not dry my hair out as much as other straighteners I’ve used.
I repeat using the BB Glow and the Dyson Corrale until my hair is completely straight.
I use Olaplex Bonding Oil (No. 7) after straightening for shine and frizz control. If I’m out of No. 7, I’ll use some Moroccanoil Treatment instead. It’s a little heavier, so I use less. I sometimes add another touch of Olaplex Bond Smoother (No. 6) at this point to help with flyaways.
If I need extra volume, I like to use Living Proof Volume Blast. It can be a bit drying, so I only use a little at my roots. I’ve used tons of volume sprays, and this seems to be the only one I’ve found that actually lasts throughout the day.
My mom’s fine thin hair before my shine tips and tricks
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I’ve used a similar straightening and shine process on my mom’s hair, which is long and ultra fine.
Using the Revlon One Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer on Fine Hair
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For my mom, I added low lights and highlights (using Pravana), then shampoo and conditioned with Olaplex products, added a touch of Olaplex Bond Smoother (No. 6), then dried it with my Revlon One Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer.
My mom’s fine thin hair after my shine tips and tricks
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I dried her hair on a medium heat setting which made it take a while to dry, but the results were outstanding.
A back view of my mom’s fine thin hair after my shine tips and tricks
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Her fine, easily tangled hair did well with the Revlon tool. I use the tool on my hair sometimes too and it does well too. It’s also much cheaper than Dyson tools.
My short bob cut after heat styling and straightening
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A hair stylist recommended I try Olaplex years ago when I had a lot of damage from adding highlights. It totally transformed my hair and I’ve been using it ever since. It’s a bit on the expensive side BUT because it’s highly concentrated, a little bit goes a long way making it last even longer than a cheaper bottle of shampoo or conditioner.
Bob Hair Cut, Side View
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If you are zooming through bottle after bottle of Olaplex, then you are using too much. You can learn more about Olaplex by visiting their website. I do lots of research for many products before buying them, and encourage others to do the same.
Bob haircut, back view, after heat styling
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I currently color and highlight my hair myself using Pravana. I learned how to mix my own developer and colors from my hair stylist. I like Pravana because it’s cruelty-free and the colors really last. It also doesn’t dry my hair out as much as other coloring products.
My short pixie hair cut with an undercut
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By taking better care of my hair, I’ve found I have less breakage, which has also helped with my growing out process. I’ve completely grown out the undercut on my pixie cut in about 7 months. Learn how I did it by clicking here.
Grown out pixie undercut
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Even when growing out or maintaining a style, it’s always a good idea to get monthly trims. I hold an appointment every 4 weeks with my stylist to keep my hair in tip top shape. I have to make my stylist charge me when she’s doing a quick maintenance trim as she feels like she’s not doing much. But to me, she is. While my hair is still short, she cleans up my neck and takes out any bulk that causes it to stick out, especially around a cowlick I have on my neckline.
Angled bob haircut, side view
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As I said before, I don’t heat style my hair every day. I think this is a good practice for all types of hair. Heat leads to breakage and who wants their hair to break off!?
Grown out pixie into a bob cut, front view
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While my process may not work for everyone, I encourage you to find products that work for your hair type and stick with them. If you are a hair lover like me, it’s worth taking care of. You are worth taking care of.
Top knot bob hair cut style
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Don’t forget to use damage free hair ties too. I like to do some hair styling from time to time and I always use ones that won’t snag or tear my hair.