Tips for straightening natural hair...

[qchelle]

...for the first time in about 10yrs. So it's not heat trained at all. It's 4a/4b mix, high fuzziness, low porosity, thin strands.

I have a revair. Can't remember the brand of flat iron right now (some off brand, but a good one).

Any tips are recommended!! (Type/ amount/order of product, techniques, etc)

 

[Ltown]

I used old school ultra sheen creme press, I had stocked up as much as i could but look like it off the market.

 

[Lylddlebit]

1. Flat iron hair that is already healthy.
2. Clarify your hair as your first wash.
3. Then shampoo with a smoothing or moisturizing shampoo
4. Deep condition with a smoothing or moisturizing deep conditioner.
5. Gently, yet thoroughly, detangle your hair from the ends up before you stretch and/or dry it to minimize breakage and matted hair within subsequent steps.
   1. If you find resistance when detangling don't pull the comb through. Instead, back up and untangle the mangled part so the detangling tool glides through.
6. If you are Reving your hair use sections that are about as big as the mouth of the wand. (Revving sections that small is not required but those who said they cannot get their roots straight with just the Reviar can benefit from perfecting medium sections and working up to larger sections). Medium sections allow you to glide the wand across the root for very straight hair from root to ends that will be as straight, if not straighter than the best blow dry with tension that you could have gotten.
7. You can apply heat protectant before revving or before straightening. Make sure your protectant isn't still wet when you begin flat ironing.
8. Make your heat protectant match your method of straightening and the style you are trying to achieve. If you want sleeker hair, a creamy protectant or heavy serum will work better. If you just want hair protected from heat while maintaining volume and body, you will likely prefer a light spray or foam for protectant.
9. Do not flat iron hair that a fine tooth comb could not pass though without snagging (you do not have to use a fine tooth comb but your hair should be that detangled..and you should be able to tell that is that detangled but how easily your hair parts into small sections and how smooth your strands are with few snags and knots as you part and prep before flat ironing).
   1. You do not actually have to use the chase method with a fine tooth comb but if the section you are flat ironing will not allow a fine tooth comb to pass through it, then that means you still have tangles that need to be efficiently detangled.
   2. Flat ironing hair that is not fully detangled can cause matting, split ends and breakage.
10. The sleeker the goal, the smaller the section. I find sections no wider than an index finger(fingernail side facing the ceiling) and no longer than the flat iron plate efficient for perm-straight results. You can double or triple that if your blow-dry/ revair stretched sections are straight but you still want body.
11. Only use one swipe. So if you want curls or a bump, bump or curl it in one swipe to prevent damage.
    1. Don't be afraid to adjust the heat of the iron to your head of hair. If you have different textures you can change the flat iron temp to suit that section best.

DeeperThanHair

https://www.youtube.com/@DeeperThanHairTv/videos

and Simply Tamika

https://www.youtube.com/@SimplyTamika

have some of the best revair-flat iron videos on youtube. My biggest advice is to treat your flat iron process like every step is important from wash to the flat iron step. Try to be thorough in each step to prevent undesirable results. If you have a bond treatment, I like to do those before and after my presses but they aren't required. I hope you post pictures when you finish.

Fixed some typos and all the places revair was auto corrected lol.

 

[qchelle]

1. Flat iron hair that is already healthy.
2. Clarify your hair as your first wash.
3. Then shampoo with a smoothing or moisturizing shampoo
4. Deep condition with a smoothing or moisturizing deep conditioner.
5. Gently, yet thoroughly, detangle your hair from the ends up before you stretch and/or dry it to minimize breakage and matted hair within subsequent steps.
   1. If you find resistance when detangling don't pull the comb through. Instead, back up and untangle the mangled part so the detangling tool glides through.
6. If you are Reving your hair use sections that are about as big as the mouth of the wand. (Revving sections that small is not required but those who said they cannot get their roots straight with just the Reviar can benefit from perfecting medium sections and working up to larger sections). Medium sections allow you to glide the wand across the root for very straight hair from root to ends that will be as straight, if not straighter than the best blow dry with tension that you could have gotten.
7. You can apply heat protectant before revving or before straightening. Make sure your protectant isn't still wet when you begin flat ironing.
8. Make your heat protectant match your method of straightening and the style you are trying to achieve. If you want sleeker hair, a creamy protectant or heavy serum will work better. If you just want hair protected from heat while maintaining volume and body, you will likely prefer a light spray or foam for protectant.
9. Do not flat iron hair that a fine tooth comb could not pass though without snagging (you do not have to use a fine tooth comb but your hair should be that detangled..and you should be able to tell that is is that detangled but how easily your hair parts into small sections and how smooth your strands are with few snags and knots as you part and prep before flat ironing).
   1. You do not actually have to use the chase method with a fine tooth comb but if the section you are flat ironing will not allow a fine tooth comb to pass through it, then that means you still have tangles that need to be efficiently detangled.
   2. Flat ironing hair that is not fully detangled can uses matting, split ends and breakage.
10. The sleeker the goal, the smaller the section. I find sections no wider than an index finger(fingernail side facing the ceiling) and no longer than the flat iron plate efficient for perm-straight results. You can double or triple that if your blow-dry/ revair stretched sections are straight but you still want body.
11. Only use one swipe. So if you want curls or a bump, bump or curl it in one swipe to prevent damage.
    1. Don't be afraid to adjust the heat of the iron to your head hair. If you have different textures you can change the flat iron temp to suit that section best.

DeeperThanHair

https://www.youtube.com/@DeeperThanHairTv/videos

and Simply Tamika

https://www.youtube.com/@SimplyTamika

have some of the best revair-flat iron videos on youtube. My biggest advice is to treat your flat iron process like every step is important from wash to the flat iron step. Try to be throughout in each step to prevent undesirable results. If you have a bond treatment, I like to those before and after my presses but they aren't required. I hope you post pictures when you finish.

Fixed some typos and all the places revair was auto corrected lol.

Thank you so much! I'll be taking all of this into consideration!

I want it to be as sleek as possible (no body needed). Can you recommend a good creamy protectant or heavy serum?

Can you also recommend a good clarifying shampoo?

 

[Lylddlebit]

Sure

Creamy Heat Protectants

1. Crack Hair Fix Amazon product ASIN B004DHYZU2
2. Alterna 10-in-1 CC Cream Amazon product ASIN B00RKGHKK0

Serum Heat Protectants

1. Sabino Moisture Block (this can be a little too heavy for my liking, but it works excellently in the most humid of conditions and the heaviness tapers off after a few days) Amazon product ASIN B07RBSRH3X
2. Chi Sil Infusion Amazon product ASIN B000BX1Z00
3. Biosilk Amazon product ASIN B001797W40

Clarifying Shampoos

1. Paul Mitchell https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Mitchell-Shampoo-Two-16-9/dp/B0009OMNKM/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3FOXNJIDAR5IP&keywords=paul+mitchell+clarifying+shampoo&qid=1676908949&sprefix=paul+mitchell+clarifying+shampoo,aps,115&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExRDcwNEJBQjkyODRJJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzcwNTM1QTIwQU5EUlRUNk44JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAyMTcwNDgxQTdIQUlGUURaWUlRJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
2. Kenra https://www.amazon.com/Kenra-Clarifying-Cleansing-Color-Safe-Highlighted/dp/B07TD6PBPX/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=662JAZDR8GET&keywords=kenra+clarifying+shampoo&qid=1676908977&sprefix=kenry+clarifying+sham,aps,108&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyWEhFOU5JUjRLS0o1JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzA4OTkwMklRVDgyWkNQMURGSiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzQ5NjAyMkdBUDJFSDROQzFTTCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

 

[qchelle]

Thank you! And yes, I will try to remember to take and post pics!!

 

[Lylddlebit]

One more point I should have added. Do not use moisturizing leave-in conditioners during a press sequence. Get all the moisture you need from the deep conditioning. It is okay for your heat protectant to feel moisturizing but it should specifically be formulated as a heat protectant so that your press will last.