Have you ever spent hours straightening your hair only to have it curl back up the minute you go outside on a hot summer or rainy day? You also may not like to straighten your hair because you are afraid of heat damage and the possibility of having to cut your hair to get rid of the heat damaged ends.

Using products like Mizani Thermasmooth or Joico Smooth Cure can address some of the problems with wearing your natural hair straight. These products are designed to soften your hair making it easier and quicker to detangle, cut down on your blow-dry time, reduce frizz, and protect your hair from heat in each step of the process.

I would recommend the Mizani Thermasmooth line for hair Types 3c through 4c, because the thermal protectants are heavy and can weigh other hair types down. To use this line at home follow these steps.

Step 1

Use an ample amount of shampoo and massage it into your wet hair. Make sure to lather and rinse the shampoo out thoroughly. Shampoo your hair two times and follow with the Thermasmooth Conditioner. The surfactant in this shampoo is sodium laureth sulfate, so if you are a curly girl who does not like using sodium laureth sulfate on your hair, then try Joico Smooth Cure line instead.

Step 2

Apply Mizani Thermasmooth Conditioner in small sections of your hair from the roots to the ends of your hair. Make sure to saturate the conditioner on your hair and use a wide tooth comb or a Denman Brush to detangle your hair. Leave the conditioner on for 5 minutes. Rinse and proceed to step three.

This conditioner has behentrimonium methosulfate, which provides super slip for detangling your hair and Mizani’s C3 smoothing complex. Ceramides reinforce the cuticle of the hair, create elasticity, and protect hair from heat damage. Coconut oil conditions the hair and cationic polymers help repel humidity.

Step 3

Part your hair in 4 sections. Use a pea size amount and evenly distribute the Mizani Thermasmooth Smooth Guard Smoothing Serum throughout your hair. A little goes a long way. Sit under a hooded dryer for 15 to 20 min. allowing 80% of your hair to dry before you begin your blow out.

Step 4

Blow each section at a time using a paddle brush or a comb attachment. After you blow-dry each section use the Mizani Thermasmooth Shine Extend Anti-Humidity Spritz to add shine, resist humidity, and add very light hold to keep the hair straight. Section your hair in 4 parts. Spray this product in your hand and then apply it to each of the four sections. Proceed to flat iron your hair. I recommend using the Croc Infrared Flat Iron.

The Croc Infrared Flat Iron has one titanium plate and one ceramic plate for the ultimate smoothing. This flat iron has super flat plates that allow you to easily smooth out your roots without burning your scalp. The Croc Infrared Flat Iron will not give you tight curls. It is specifically for straightening. For curling after smoothing I recommend using FHI Heat Platform Plus.

Joico Smooth Cure provides the same results as the Mizani Thermasmooth but is a lighter on the hair and works well on hair Type 2 and 3.

Step 1

Use the Joico Smooth Cure Sulfate Free Shampoo twice to gently remove buildup and to prepare the hair for the Joico Smooth Cure Conditioner.

Step 2

After you thoroughly rinse the shampoo apply a good amount of the Joico Smooth Cure Conditioner, which will provide weightless shine. This conditioner is formulated with amodimethicone, which is a silicone that can prevent damage when using high heat to style the hair. Brazilian nut oil and tucuma butter condition and soften curls.

Step 3

Never blow dry or flat iron your hair without using a heat protectant first. Part your hair in 4 sections, spraying each section with the Joico Smooth Cure Thermal Styling Protectant. This protectant locks in all the benefits of the conditioner, moisturizes, and shields your hair from breakage with the use of hydrolyzed keratin. After you apply this spray to your hair proceed to blow dry and flat iron.

The secret to getting your natural hair really smooth while flat ironing is to part small slices about a half an inch thick while flat ironing and make sure your hair is thoroughly detangled from root to ends. A fresh trim always helps straighter styles look better and last longer. Mizani Thermasmooth and Joico Smooth Cure temporarily straighten your hair and should not be confused with other types of smoothing treatments that straighten the hair for longer periods of time. Mizani Thermasmooth or Joico Smooth Cure will last until your next shampoo and your hair will revert to the original texture.

What smoothing products have you tried at home? How did they work on your hair?