Some people prefer to wear their natural hair in its natural state. Others want to wear their hair straight. Here is some important hair straightening advice for those who want to straighten their hair with a flat iron or hot comb. Follow these tips every time you straighten your hair or you risk permanent heat damage.

Before straightening your hair, take the following precautions.

1. Spray hair with heat protectant

2. Rub a paper towel on the hair straightener. If this causes smoke or burnt patches, the straightener is too hot.

3. Test hair straightener on hair that isn’t easily visible. Try the hair at the back of the head. When you have straightened it, wet it with water and see whether it reverts back to its natural state. If it does not, the straightener is too hot.

Keep this in mind: There is NO guarantee that straightened hair will revert back to its natural state.

It may stay straight forever if your hair straightener or hot comb was hot enough. Think carefully before deciding to start straightening, especially on a regular basis. If you realise that your hair has been burnt straight, soak your hair in protein (found in eggs, mayonnaise, and a few hair products) for a month or more.

At this point, there are three possible outcomes:

1) Your hair returns to its normal, natural state

Obviously 1 is a blessing, but remember how lucky you are! Next time be more careful when straightening. Don’t take this outcome for granted or you’ll end up with outcome number 3…

2) Your returns to a loosened natural state, but behaves differently from usual

With this outcome, you are caught in the middle. You can accept the new state of your hair, and later deal with two texures on your head. Alternatively, you can grow the burnt hair out and cut it off. You’re probably upset that those years of growth have gone down the drain, but be grateful that you can hide this for longer than people with burnt straight hair.

3) Your hair stays straight

Unfortunately, you have no choice. You need to cut the hair off, now or later. Sorry if you have years of growth, but at least you know better for next time. There is no reason to cut it off right away, so take your time deciding how to transition back to natural hair.

Straightened natural hair can look just as gorgeous, if not more so, than relaxed hair or hair extensions. It has a natural swing to it and it full of life. However, every time you straighten it you are taking a big risk.

Before you straighten your hair, prepare yourself for the worst possible outcome. Some people straighten for years and never have any heat damage whatsoever. Others do it one time and end up having to cut off the damaged hair and start growing their hair again. Only you can decide whether the risk is worth it.