Love my hair...Hate my "waves" How can I make it straight???

[Ms. Hollywood]

I have unevenly wavy hair. When it waves that is fine. The problem is, it doesn't wave uniformly. I love it straight and have always wanted straight hair. I was interested in these Japanese straightening methods or a straightening perm. Does anyone know if they work and for how long? Does anyone have experience with this? TIA

[logica_divina]

I'd say
1. upload some pics so that we can see your hair
2. embrace its natural state. I'm sure you'll learn to live with those waves and learn to love them. I've had the same "problem". Now I wouldn't give my waves for all the straight hairs in the world :D

[logica_divina]

...
3. damp braiding.. :)

[Periwinkle]

If you'd like it to wave uniformly, then you could try braiding it for braid waves, which will be pretty even.

I've never had a 'straightening perm' myself, but I can remember one member talking about how she had a 'Japanese hair straightening' over in the 'what's the worst thing you've ever done to your hair?' thread, which you might want to look at.

However, I can say that doing something like that will damage your hair, and if you want to grow your hair long, that should definitely be something to think about. Long hair is fragile hair, and if you can't live with the damage, you've ruined years of growth.

[Ms. Hollywood]

Thanks for the responses. Braids do not work for me...I end up with very wavy ends and straight roots. Damp bunning works the best so far. I saw a thread on sock bunning but couldn't ever get it to work for me.

I just wish I could hold it straight until it was dry...it molds very well.

[HairColoredHair]

You could try something like this: link (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=17291&highlight=wrap+hair+straighten)

I wouldn't do a straightening perm... speaking from experience they are just as damaging as a regular perm (I had my hair permed and then, when the perm fell out I permed it straight... Ack.)

[Copasetic]

I think straight roods and wavy ends look really pretty :)

I haven't had the Japanese hair straightening thing, but I can tell you that it is permanent. Your hair will be straight forever, but you will have to get the roots touched up every few months. It is also REALLY expensive, and takes a really long time, and can do a lot of damage if the stylist isn't experienced. I am pretty sure that it can only be done on virgin hair.

I would just embrace the wave! Wavy hair is GORGEOUS.

[ChatoyantLocks]

The Deep Waves technique puts waves in the hair all the way out to the ends: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=12732

[Ms. Hollywood]

Thanks ChatoyantLocks and HairColoredHair, I will try both methods. Getting the deep curls looks like it would be similar to something they sell at Sally's Beauty. They are these [nylon] spirals that you just pull your hair through and let dry. I may try them as well. :p

[lora410]

I always wanted straight hair UNTIL I did lost my wave. I think either henna, layers growing back in or weight is to blame. You can straighten it but be prepared fo rhte damage.

[Katze]

I can pull/comb my hair straight while it is drying and get it a lot straighter, though I always have some wave. Back before I knew my hair was wavy, I would blowdry it straight, or use the curling iron to straighten it. Those methods are damaging, but less so than a perm...

Alternatively, I now prefer to enhance my waves through extra moisture, clipping it up twisted while wet, plopping, or any of several non-heat, non-chemical methods. Braid waves do NOT work for me - I get kinked ends and poofy, unattractive waves. However, as a kid I would often go out in braid waves.

I say embrace your hair's natural beauty. So what if it is not uniform or perfect? That just makes it more interesting!

[jojo]

my hair doesnt wave evenly either, in fact I have different textures throughout my hair spirals on my right hand side fringe yet 1c on the other, my hair is combination with lots of variants I kinda like being different.

Learn to accept your hair rather than trying to change it, it will thank you for it in the end.

[maskedrose]

Mine's never uniform either. Like Jojo's I have 3a curls mixed with anywhere from 1c-2c waves. I've found that CO and using a small amount of coconut oil as a leave in after washing works best for bringing out the waves. However, nearly all of my pictures are with lightly brushed/combed hair, as it "blends" the different wave patterns together.

I used to blow dry my hair every time I wore it down because I didn't like my waves - now I can't imagine giving them up! All thanks to LHC and all of the wavy-hair tips that I've gotten :D

[lapushka]

If it's uneven, then you might have more wavy/curly hair than you thought. You could try it out by going CG, if that works, there'll be no need to go straight.

CG = Curly Girl method --> http://www.wikihow.com/Follow-the-Curly-Girl-Method-for-Curly-Hair

[heidihug]

After years of fighting my hair's natural tendencies and torturing it horribly with perms and heat, I decided to just love it like it is. Mine is mostly straight, but with a slight natural - and quite uneven - wave.

My hair will never look or behave exactly like I have wanted it to look or behave. And, even if I were to get it to look exactly like I want once in a while, that will not make me happy in the long run. Acceptance is the key to happiness for me when it comes to my appearance.

[jivete]

Combing my hair when it's wet makes the wave more uneven. If I let it just do it's thing without touching it, I tend to have more uniform waves.

[cherryblossom]

Ms. Hollywood

Personally I have never had Japanese Straightening done to my hair but my mum had when we went to Beijing on holiday in summer of 2008. I'm not sure if it was Japanese or Yuko but they basically do the same thing.
My mum's hair used to be super coarse and dry but afterwards was sooooooo silky soft and straight it honestly looked like it was naturally straight - the roots don't really show but she has 1b/c hair and it's about bsl so I guess the weight of the length and natural texture helps keep it straight. A few years ago she had it done as well with about waist-length hair and that stayed straight for about a year until she started putting it into a bun which bent the hair and made a crimp/kink in it.

Normally, it should last about at least 6 months or so depending on your length/texture.

Hope this helps.
Susan

[LilyMunster]

The smoothest I can get my hair without heat drying is:
JessiCurl products for s and c, and leave-in
and putting it in a low nape bun after washings, until fully dry.
Still alot of wave. But no damage.

[Ms. Hollywood]

THanks for all the posts. I will try to embrace my waves and try a new routine. If it doesn't work I will try the straightening thing...Hey it is only hair and will grow back right? Thanks for all your help!

[SweetPea88]

I'd also suggest embracing and playing around with your waves. I'm not sure if this is of any help, but when I use cones my hair does straighten out a bit.

[RavennaNight]

Yup. Cones. They will relax your wave a bit. Henna, but only if you also want auburn/red/orange thats permanent. (I use henna & indigo to dye black and went from 2c to 2a) And combing while wet is good too. Dont do the Japanese straightening. I've seen some hair horrors with that. One girl I know did it and now she has hair that broke off and she has that Alfalfa thingie sticking up on the back of her head. And DH did it when he was trying to grow his hair to between-chin-and-shoulder and it burnt his scalp. He cut his hair shortly after and gave up.

[manderly]

I wouldn't make it straight, just work on getting more uniform waves and embracing them.

I've been blowing my hair straight for YEARS, and I've finally learned to accept the wave in my hair, with a little extra help along the way.

Check out the second link in my signature for my soft waves technique. This is how I style my hair after every wash.

[spidermom]

Extra length/weight helps to pull it straight. I miss my wavy curlies, though. I can blow-dry my hair on warm to cool now (carefully; no pulling/stretching with a brush) and get perfectly straight hair.

[inspiral]

i agree, embrace your natural hair!! focus on getting it into the healthiest condition, and it will behave itself more, learn to love what is uniquely you!
surrender, stop battling your hair, go with with it, learn what makes it happy!!! it will be so much easier, and your hair will love you!
as for braids waves, try doing several smaller braids, and make some of the braids with just the top few layers of hair from your part, that way the roots will be wavey too.
lets see some pictures!

[Ms. Hollywood]

Haha...thanks everyone. I will embrace my waves (or try). They can be very pretty and my hair looks so healthy when I don't blowfry it too!

Manderly - I have actually used that method before and had pretty good results. The only problem I had was that it took forever for it to dry (my hair was past my waist at the time). I will probably go back to that and damp bunning.
BTW, your waves are very pretty!

[manderly]

Thank you :D

If your having a hard time getting your hair to dry, try just twisting the ends first. Once they dry you can let your hair free from the twist (my ends always dry first) and allow them to airdry a bit more. As they get a little drier alternate twisting them for a little bit and then shaking them loose, twisting them and releasing them. That helps them to dry faster and it produces softer, looser waves :D

HTH.