Short Curly Hair

Hairstyle ideas for curly hair, is chemical straightening the only answer?

We’ve all heard the old saying “the grass is always greener on the other side” and anyone with curly hair, pretty well lives by this mantra alone. There isn’t a single curly haired person who has never, not once, wished to have straight hair.

However, there are also many women with straight hair that wish every morning to have even the slightest wave or curl. Searching for hairstyle ideas for curly hair can become frustrating and some women find themselves seriously considering chemical straightening treatments.

These treatments are usually done by professionals in a salon and are a pricey alternative compared to other hairstyle ideas for curly hair. Though more affordable kits and products are becoming available off of the shelf in the beauty isle of pharmacies, these treatments may not be the right choice for you or your hair.

Guanidine hydroxide, sodium hydroxide and ammonium thioglycolate are the most common chemicals used and can cause varying levels of damage to the hair.

Chemical hair straightening treatments are usually done in four steps. The first is a strand test, which is used to determine the texture, elasticity and strength of the hair.

This strand test helps the hairstylist judge which chemicals can be tolerated by the hair. It also allows the stylist to give an accurate assessment of the amount of damage to expect. If the hair is found to be too brittle or fragile, the chemical straightening will be postponed and the client will be asked to work on restoring their hair and exploring other hairstyle ideas for curly hair before continuing.

The next step is the application of a protective cream to the scalp and roots. This is sometimes a specially formulated lotion or simply Vaseline and is used to prevent any irritation or burning.

Once this cream is applied the chemicals are poured throughout the hair section by section until covered. This is followed by an intense rinse and application of conditioning creams to both the hair and scalp.

For those who find that they do, in fact love their curly hair, straightening irons and blow-drying techniques could both be more realistic hairstyle ideas for curly hair. For tips and tricks about straightening techniques log onto www.curlyhairguide.com and explore endless style options.