Hair straightening

For hair that stays straight for weeks, try chemical straightening.

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A budget-friendly option is to use quality straightening irons like GHDs. Straightening can damage hair so use a conditioning mask like Boots Coconut & Almond Intensive Hair Mask weekly. It's £2 and leaves hair silky smooth.

Hands up if you spend hours each week glued to your hot irons? According to research 67% of us straighten our hair everday, spending upwards of 30 minutes on the process each day.

But there are alternative options. In this guide we talk you through straightening treatments and tricks to help you achieve healthy, sleek hair, whatever your budget and time-frame.

Local Hairdressers

Remember that your local listings feature details of mobile hairdressers - take a look to find recommended hairdressers that can give you a sleek look for less ... and if you have a recommendation (or are a mobile hairdresser yourself), be sure to add it to the site.

DIY straightening

Pros: It's cheap and improved technology means you can achieve straight, sleek hair without a trip to the salon.

Cons: It can be fiddly and time-consuming. Prolonged use of hair straighteners can cause damage to hair.

Costs: You'll need to invest in some good tools, including a good quality hair dryer and straightening irons, as well as some basic styling products. Hair straighteners range from around £20 to £100-plus for top of the range, professional tools.

Any tips to make straightening at home easy?

Steal little tricks from the pros to achieve a straighter look. When blow-drying always point the nozzle downwards along the hair, which helps smooth cuticles. When the hair is dry, turn the setting to cool and run over the hair a few times to 'set' the blow dry.

Prepping your hair this way give you a really good base to start straightening from, and should make your straightening much quicker. Take sections of about one inch at a time when straightening and don't go over the same length of hair over and over again. Two products you probably shouldn't skimp on are a heat protective spray, to spritz through the hair pre straightening, and a frizz-reducing serum to apply to the mid lengths and ends after styling.

Can I minimise damage to my hair?

There's no point having straight hair if it looks like straw, but you don't have to fork out lots of money on time consuming treatments. Just spending some time once a week giving your hair some TLC will help it look its sleekest and shiniest, and counteract the harsh effects of drying and straightening.

"A good tip my hairdresser gave me was to rub olive oil through my hair, blast it with warm heat from a hairdryer, and leave it on overnight wrapped in a towel. Wash and condition in the morning - it really gives your hair its elasticity back and isn't as gross as it sounds!" Posted by Kirsten

Brazilian Blow-dry

Pros: A professional treatment that is much less harsh than traditional chemical straightening methods. It's much quicker, too, and cheaper than other salon straightening treatments, but it should last you around three to four months

Cons: Beware imitations, which may contain nasty chemicals such as formaldehyde, which has very unpleasant side effects - you need to go to a reputable salon for this treatment. It is also very expensive

Costs: Expect to pay somewhere in the region of £150.

So, how exactly does it work?

Hair is injected with pure keratin (the substance that exists naturally in nails, skin and hair), a process taking around 30 minutes, and then professionally blow-dried and straightened with special hair straighteners to 'seal' the treatment in. It claims to keep hair straight for three to four months.

"I had it done 3 months ago and my hair still feels great, its supposed to last about 6 months. The big thing for me is that I can now just rough dry my hair and go which is important with two kids and a full time job. It's not a relaxer so if you have really curly hair it will make it more manageable but won't make it straight. It will just make your curls less tight." Posted by Andrea.

Is it widely available?

It's becoming more popular, but if your local salon doesn't offer this exact treatment, there are other blow-drying treatments that work in a similar way. But beware of cheaper imitations - some salons claim to offer the Brazilian blow-dry but use a solution that actually contains formaldehyde. Be sure to check this out with your salon before you commit. Toni & Guy offer this treatment but local salons may also offer the Brazilian or something similar.

Chemical Straightening

Pros: It will keep your hair straight for around three to six months, and cuts out the need for daily styling with irons. You may literally be able to 'wash 'n' go'. It's a good option for really curly hair and will keep it frizz-free even in wet weather.

Cons: It uses quite harsh chemicals which may damage hair. It can't be used on very damaged hair, or coloured/highlighted hair. It also takes several hours in the salon to apply the treatment, let it set and then rinse the product out.

Costs: Costs will vary from salon to salon but very generally speaking you'll be looking at upwards of £100 per treatment.

How exactly does it work?

Chemical straightening has been around for years now, and has become more sophisticated and kinder to hair as the technology has advanced. But yes, chemicals are used, and this option isn't for everyone. Chemicals that relax the hair are applied, along with special conditioners that counteract the harsh effects of the chemicals, and 'neutralisers' which restore the hair's PH balance. Regrowth will be your 'normal' hair - the effects of straightening will therefore last until your hair grows back.

I have really curly hair - will chemical straightening work?

Really curly hair will need a stronger mix of solution but you should still see results.

Anything else I need to know?

Make sure you use an experienced stylist and ensure they do a strand test before you go ahead with the full treatment. The process isn't difficult, but it can be costly and time consuming so you'll want to guarantee a reliable service. You will need to treat your hair with extra TLC afterwards - it will be more prone to damage and may need specialist shampoo and conditioning products, as well as a deep conditioning treatment once a week.

Thermal Reconditioning

Pros: Promises to not only straighten but to improve the condition of the hair. Although chemicals are used, these are less harsh than traditional treatments. It can be used on all hair types, including coloured and highlighted hair. Cuts styling time down dramatically, and you may need less styling products, such as serums and balms, though it is recommend you use specific Yuko shampoos and conditioners to care for your new 'do.

Cons: It can be a very expensive treatment and painstakingly long - you'll probably be in the salon all day! Also, post treatment your hair can't be styled or fiddled with for 48 hours - it musn't get wet, be shampooed, tied up for flattened as this will undo the straightening treatment.

Costs: Again, they vary considerably, depending on the length of the hair. Upwards of £150 is a very general guideline.

How does it differ from chemical straightening?

Thermal recondition, also known as Japanese Straightening or 'Yuko', treats the hair as well as relaxing it. Proteins are 'fused' onto the hair and cuticle layers are pressed smooth, making the hair shinier and softer.

How long does it last?

The results will last on hair until it regrows, on average around 6 months.

"I had the Yuko chemical straightening treatment at Toni & Guy and it is worth it but it only lasted about six months as obviously when your hair grows it grows back curly so you need to either be prepared for this or be able to afford to keep having it redone." Posted by Laura

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