How to Keep Wavy Hair Straight

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Dear Melissa,

I have wavy hair, but I straighten it. My hair gets wavy after it gets wet. Is there a way to permanently make it straight?

Wavy-haired girls are stuck in the middle between unattainably bouncy curls and perfectly pin-straight strands. I have wavy hair, and I've spent years trying to figure out how to deal with it. After spending so much time straightening your hair with a flat iron, it's frustrating to see your hair frizz and bend after only a few hours. Keeping it straight is a challenge -- and it won't always work out -- but I have some tips to help you achieve that silky smooth hair you've been craving.

• Try a permanent solution. John Frieda's Frizz Ease 3 Day Straight Semi-Permanent Styling Spray promises to keep your hair straight while you sleep. Even more drastic (and expensive) is a Japanese hair-relaxing treatment. It's like a perm, but it keeps your hair straight for months until your hair grows out.
• Use a smoothing shampoo and conditioner. Look for a shampoo designed for sleek styles. I use Pantene Frizzy to Smooth and sometimes TIGI Bed Head Control Freak. Of course, use a conditioner to smooth your strands.
• Go silicone. This water-resistant ingredient found in many styling products prevents humidity from penetrating the hair shaft. In English: no more frizz. "Using a shampoo, conditioner, and styling serum all containing silicone will not only control frizz but also help with detangling and shine," says hairstylist Amy Abramite, creative director of Maxine Salon in Chicago.
• Dry your hair the right way. Gently squeeze the excess water out of your hair with a towel. Rubbing your hair will turn you into a giant frizz-ball.
• Detangle! Stretching out those waves with detangler and a wide-toothed comb while they're wet will kind of kill their mojo, which is exactly what we want.
• Use the right heat for your hair. You can push your flat iron to about 360 degrees Farenheit safely. Never go past 400 degrees or you'll fry your hair.
• Always use a heat protectant. Spritzing your hair with some thermal protection spray before straightening will keep your hair from being damaged by your flat iron. Remember: damaged hair = more frizz.
• Blow it up! Blow-drying your hair before you straighten will add body to your hair without adding curl. Section your hair into two pieces -- top and bottom -- and blow dry each separately with a paddle brush, pointing the air of your blowdryer in the direction your hair is going to make it straighter.
• Section your hair while straightening. Section your hair into two pieces. Just like you did with your blowdryer, straighten the bottom section first, then unclip the top section and straighten it.
• Take advantage of styling products. Try products designed to help you straighten or smooth your hair while styling.
• Don't forget the hairspray. After straightening your hair, spritz your brush with hairspray and run in through your hair to lock in your style.
• Get shiny. Try a shine serum on your hair if it looks dull after straightening.
• Don't touch! The oil and dirt on your hands will ruin your style. The more you touch it, the frizzier it gets.
• Watch the weather. If you know it's going to be wet or humid, there's no point in spending an hour ironing your hair. Instead, spray it with a frizz-fighting styling product and weave it into a pretty side braid.

By now you can probably guess that if you want perfectly straight hair, you're going to have to put some effort into it. If you're still having trouble having a good hair day, try playing up your hair's natural texture. There are tons of straight-haired girls longing for the hair you're trying to get rid of. Whenever you're frustrated with your hair, remember that the Creator of the universe crafted your hair exactly the way He wanted it. Makes you feel a little special, huh?