While using hair and beauty products, sometimes you would like to have your hair straightened. There are various methods to do so are available in the market. Basically there are two groups of methods. One is for temporary effect and the other is for a permanent solution.

Those who are looking for getting their hair straightened only for some time, they should be using thermal straightening tools. These may be classified as

Blow Driers

Blow driers should be used along with a round brush to obtain best results.

Hot Combs

This tool is quite popular among African American women for hair straightening and for specially those who have totally natural hair. These tools are sometimes known as pressing combs. Though this method is not very popular, but this is one of the safest ways to straighten hair using thermal straightners.

Flat Irons

This is one of the most popular ways of straightening hair using a ceramic flat iron. Amongst all the products available in this category, Sedu irons have been rated as the best by the users. This is because using this iron does not produce hair pulling, snagging or hair breaking. It also requires half the time to straighten hair compared to other methods. It also helps to reduce curls in hair.

Curling Irons

You may feel surprised by the description of curling irons as a tool to straighten hair. It is generally used to make the hair curly. But, its use gave rise to the idea of flat irons as a straightening tool. When this tool is held backwards, it straightens hair and also smoothes it.

While using these thermal straightners, care should be taken to use sprays, lotions, gels or pomades to save hair from the heat produced by these procedures. Some kind of pre-treatment may be required before using these thermal straightners depending upon the hair type and length of the hair.

Now, we will discuss regarding using chemical straightners or relaxers for straightening of hair. But, the effect of these procedures on hair is irreversible.

Mostly three types of chemical straightners are used. For using sodium hydroxide and guanidine hydroxide, pre-shampooing of hair is not required. But, for using ammonium thioglycolate as chemical straightners, the hair may require pre-shampooing.

Of the three chemical straightners, Sodium hydroxide is the strongest chemical. This chemical produces the most visible result. Sodium hydroxide which is also known as caustic soda makes the hair fiber soft. At the same time, this chemical makes the hair to swell. When applied to hair, this chemical reaches up to the cortical layer of the hair and cross bonds are broken ultimately straightening hair. Guanidine hydroxide straightners are less damaging then sodium hydroxide. They are known as 'no-lye' relaxers. But, both these chemicals cause some damage to the hair.

Ammonium thioglycolate (also known as "thio relaxer") acts more mildly on the hair. Its chemical action softens and relaxes the curly hairs by changing the hair's crystalline structure. Because of its milder effect, it causes much less damage to the hair.