Yes, you should always wash and condition your hair before you straighten it, especially if you are doing it with a heat styling tool.
Ideally, you should wash your hair a day before your haircut. This will allow you to go to the salon with dry and ready to be styled hair. Second-day hair is easier to work with as compared to freshly washed or unwashed hair. It is easier to style and can hold the hairstyle better compared to other hair wash days.
Wash and condition your hair. Use a gentle shampoo and a smoothing conditioner to prepare your hair for the straightening process.
If you hair has trouble holding curl, try washing it the night before so it can curl easier in the morning. Skip the conditioner when washing your hair, as this can sometimes make the hair too soft and slippery, leading to curls falling out faster. Your hair needs to have a little bit of grit to hold the curls longer.
Put simply, don't straighten dirty hair and don't straighten wet hair either as both can be damaging to your beautiful mane. So, it's best to wait until your hair is completely dry before you start applying any heat to it. If you don't have time to let it dry naturally, you can use a blow dryer.
Don't Wash Your Hair Right Before Curling
The natural oils in your hair at the scalp give your locks a grittier, more textured feel, which in turn increases the hold of your curls.
Straightening wet hair will cause your hair to sizzle, and break. You want to make sure that you never straighten your hair when wet! It's even recommended to air dry it 50% before using a blow dryer to dry it to 100%.
The primary reasons why your hair won't stay straight after you straighten it are (1) your flat iron wasn't hot enough, (2) you overloaded your hair with product, (3) you need a trim, and (4) your hair wasn't dry.
Start With Freshly Washed Hair
Use lukewarm water to rinse your strands, since hot water can strip your hair of its natural oils and leave you with dry, frizzy hair. After shampooing, use a small amount of conditioner on the lengths and ends of your hair only.
The key to keeping your hair straight overnight starts before you hit the sack. Take some time to straighten your hair before bed. This not only saves you precious morning minutes but also allows your hair to set overnight, reducing the likelihood of unwanted kinks and curls.
Whatever the cause, the most common culprit for post-wash lankiness is products that are too heavy in oils, moisturizers, and other ingredients that weigh down your look.
The answer depends on several factors, including the type and condition of your hair, the temperature of the tools, and the frequency of use. Generally, it is recommended that you limit the use of heating tools to two or three times a week to prevent damage to your hair.
Additionally, it's also a matter of courtesy; clean hair is usually more pleasant for stylists to work with. However, if you're going for a haircut, a little natural oil in your hair is acceptable, as it can help the stylist understand your hair's natural texture and style.
Washing your hair at night means going to bed with wet hair or damp hair which is a fragile state. Because of the action of water, the keratin scales of our roots that protect our hair shaft simply loosens up and weakens the protective barrier making our hair porous and more sensitive to any damage caused.
Wrapping your hair before you go to bed is one of the best ways to maintain straight hair whilst you sleep. This hack helps your straightened hair to last for days, as it essentially freezes it in a stretched state, whilst also reducing the friction from tossing and turning in your sleep.
A few things can cause frizz after straightening hair, including not using a heat protectant, using too much heat, or not properly sealing the hair. A heat protectant is essential to help keep the hair from damage by the straightener's heat. Applying too much heat can also cause frizz.
For those with fine, normal, moderately coarse, or color-treated hair, Rehkopf says ceramic is the healthiest option. "Ceramic is smooth and glides through hair without snagging, reducing breakage and damage," she says. "It emits negative ions, reducing frizz, enhancing shine, and creating smoother styles."
In answer to your question, “Can I straighten my hair with a leave-in conditioner?” the answer is: technically, no. But, if your hair runs dry, it can be extremely helpful to use a leave-in conditioner after you wash and before you flat iron. It will help keep your ends from getting that dry, burnt, straw-like look.
Don't wash your hair right before curling it
Although we all love the feeling of fresh, clean hair, curls tend to hold better in dirtier hair.
We recommend spraying a brush with Style on Steroids before lightly brushing through your curls. This'll add extra hold and big, bouncy curls. Just remember: the tighter your curls stay, the longer they'll last. So even though tighter curls might not be your jam, it'll help in the long run.
Washing your curls everyday can remove the natural oils of your curls and makes it difficult to retain moisture. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't wet your hair. "Rinse and condition more often; shampoo less," Hallman advises.