Need advice... Do you blow-dry or straighten?

Hi, I'm a guy and I need some girlie advice... :love: So, umm, I hope some of the gals of the Forum can help me out. :bounce:

I have seriously loooooooooooooong hair for a guy. Well, okay, it's not huge, huge, but it's pretty long nonetheless. It's shoulder length and now that it's that long, it needs to be sorted out.

Advice I need is this. What is better to have nice, straight hair? Is it better to blow-dry or to use an actual straightener? I am extremely wary of using a straightener because they go to insanely high temperatures... like, over 200 hundred degrees celsius :eek: (or Fahrenheit for you Americans). That's a high temperature!:hot: And cos I sure as hell don't know how to use a straightener, I may make a mess of it and singe my hair... and I know of many people that have ruined their hair by not using a straightener properly.

Which means... use a blow-dryer as temperatures are way lower. But... how do I get my hair nice, funky and cool with a blow-dryer? Do you blow dry downwards? Or do you brush and blow-dry at the same time? What, what, what do ya do? Advice please! Thank you :kaohappy:

I love this guy ---> :kaohappy:

A combination of both is good. If you just blow dry it straight, it comes out a bit frizzy. If you blow dry (use a brush to help when you blow dry it straight) and then use a straightener after, it comes out straight and smooth with very little frizz. That's what I do. :)

Also, for a straightener, I'd recommend getting one that has a temperature you can set. If you're nervous about frying your hair, you can set it low. For me personally, my hair just doesn't fry at all for some reason which is very good, so I can set my straightener to about 7 out of 10. Good luck! :jess:

EDIT: Oh, and I dunno if you'd be in this, but after I do all that, I put a tiny bit of hair spray on a brush and then brush my hair so it stays. It's so little that it's not terrible hairspray hair, but it's just enough to make it stay nice.

I like how you want to look nice for our baby :D

I suggest you get a girly girl girl to straighten your hair for you once or twice if you're unsure about technique etc.

I'm a guy so after having just talked about hair straightening I need to go do something manly like...curl my eyebrows or something...

Same as Rye, doing both is alot better. I used to just straighten mine, and It was always poofy, and it never stayed how I wanted it too.

You blow dry down, at the same time as you run the brush through it, thats what I always do. It dosn't get rid of the frizz, not for me anyway :p , so I then straighten it. Before straightning, if you have thick hair tie the top half in a bobble and straighten the underneath first, its also really helpful if you put some sort of Serum on.

Ive used straighters for 3 years, and Ive never singed my hair, mine go up to 200. I have burnt my fingers many times. I always run my hand through my hair straight after straightning it, thats painful. xD

I usually repeat this 2 times a day. My hair is awfully thick, and curls 10 minutes after straightning.
But I should (hopefully, they are expensive) be getting some GHD ones that are the King of straightners, and go over 200

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Originally Posted by Rye

A combination of both is good. If you just blow dry it straight, it comes out a bit frizzy. If you blow dry (use a brush to help when you blow dry it straight) and then use a straightener after, it comes out straight and smooth with very little frizz. That's what I do. :)

Also, for a straightener, I'd recommend getting one that has a temperature you can set. If you're nervous about frying your hair, you can set it low. For me personally, my hair just doesn't fry at all for some reason which is very good, so I can set my straightener to about 7 out of 10. Good luck! :jess:

EDIT: Oh, and I dunno if you'd be in this, but after I do all that, I put a tiny bit of hair spray on a brush and then brush my hair so it stays. It's so little that it's not terrible hairspray hair, but it's just enough to make it stay nice.

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Wow... I am surprised at you Rye... thank you for the advice :)

If you do that, then how often do you Blow-Dry and Straighten your hair during a week? The girl I was talking to this afternoon said she only needs to do her about twice a week and her hair is still in good shape.

I am not so sure about hairspray... but the good thing is I recently changed my shampoo to a hard-to-find Salon one. It's by Revlon and the shampoo is soooooo good. It smells beautiful. After you've showered, you use a same-brand spray on conditioner. Have you ever tried that?

And, Pure-quin, its okay man, guys should be a little bit feminine sometimes :D I know I am... I keep myself looking smart and tidy!

Thanks again Rye!

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Originally Posted by Zeldy

Ive used straighters for 3 years, and Ive never singed my hair, mine go up to 200. I have burnt my fingers many times. I always run my hand through my hair straight after straightning it, thats painful. xD

I usually repeat this 2 times a day. My hair is awfully thick, and curls 10 minutes after straightning.
But I should (hopefully, they are expensive) be getting some GHD ones that are the King of straightners, and go over 200

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Thank you as well Zeldy. I saw a ghd one today that goes up to 232, which is pretty high (and scary). Burning my fingers is what scares the hell out of me... that, and maybe burning my ear or neck.

Repeating 2 times a day sounds very... exhausting! So to get my hair perfectly straight I have to mix both up? Thats the way to go?

I wanna get some shape to my face as my face is quite thin (no fat or anything) and I have a really sharp jawline and cheekbones. I wanna try and get some sort of definition to it as at he moment, when i go out my hair is tied back. If I let it loose, it just gets very scruffy.

Don't double post please! Use the edit button if you have something else to add. =D -kikimm

It is a good idea I keep my hair pretty short. :bigsmile:

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Originally Posted by Dellas18

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Originally Posted by Zeldy

Ive used straighters for 3 years, and Ive never singed my hair, mine go up to 200. I have burnt my fingers many times. I always run my hand through my hair straight after straightning it, thats painful. xD

I usually repeat this 2 times a day. My hair is awfully thick, and curls 10 minutes after straightning.
But I should (hopefully, they are expensive) be getting some GHD ones that are the King of straightners, and go over 200

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Thank you as well Zeldy. I saw a ghd one today that goes up to 232, which is pretty high (and scary). Burning my fingers is what scares the hell out of me... that, and maybe burning my ear or neck.

Repeating 2 times a day sounds very... exhausting! So to get my hair perfectly straight I have to mix both up? Thats the way to go?

I wanna get some shape to my face as my face is quite thin (no fat or anything) and I have a really sharp jawline and cheekbones. I wanna try and get some sort of definition to it as at he moment, when i go out my hair is tied back. If I let it loose, it just gets very scruffy.

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It depends on what type of hair you have. The only reason I have to straighten mine so much is due to being really thick and wavy. It is exhausting :p Which is why I only wash it every 3 days, as its just too much to do every single night, especially school nights.

Ive never burnt my neck or ears, not with straightners. Sometimes the Blow dryer does, but you just gotta ignore it. Its the same if you go the hairdressers.
You get used to it.

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Originally Posted by Zeldy

It depends on what type of hair you have. The only reason I have to straighten mine so much is due to being really thick and wavy. It is exhausting :p Which is why I only wash it every 3 days, as its just too much to do every single night, especially school nights.

Ive never burnt my neck or ears, not with straightners. Sometimes the Blow dryer does, but you just gotta ignore it. Its the same if you go the hairdressers.
You get used to it.

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My hair is probably the same as yours then. My hair is really, REALLY thick and I have to shampoo and condition every 3 days too, otherwise my arms feel like they're about to collapse. But it's all changed recently since I switched shampoo. My new one makes my hair feel very light and much softer, but it still retains its strength.

What shampoo do you use, because I'd recommend you use my one! I used to use Pantene Pro-V, then switched to Herbal Essences, then switched to Fructis (which was the worst) then back to Pantene again, and now onto my Revlon one.

I just find a shampoo I like, that works, and stick to it. For me its L'Oreal Elive.

As a fellow male with shoulder length hair that is also extremely thick and wavy, I thought I'd like to give you the best advice possible :) So, here goes:


I actually don't own a straightener myself, so I have to stay with the blow dryer. I don't use a brush when drying it, though, which would probably be a good idea, but my hair tends to look fine and straight without such dandy tricks - although it is a little big sometimes, but that's not anything that can't be corrected by messing around with it a little or just running my fingers through it. So, in my experince blow dryers work pretty well. Straighteners are nice, though, but they really are so damn hot and it's too much work for me to straighten my hair every morning. That is also why I only wash my hair every other day or so, especially on school days. I've never had long hair before I got my current hairstyle, but you learn these things and other tricks as time goes by... so you don't have to worry that much. I'm sure you'll find a good technique at some point that really works for you personally. Hope you could use my advice :)

Now, if you'll excuse me I'll return to being my manly self *cough cough* :shifty:

I blow dry then straighten, or if I haven't got straighteners it curls. :(

Stay safe at 180 degrees!

I have pretty frizzy hair, but when I straighten it, it's fine. And I only wash my hair every other day. For a straightener, I usually set it to 15 degrees because my hair is thick and frizzy. But if your hair is normal, 10 degrees can be fine. Find one of the straighteners that have a temperature dial that you can set. You probably can't fry your hair that way.

Blow drying only made my hair even frizzier. I don't really use blow dryers that much

all that heat is going to kill your hair :(

I'll keep this quick ... i used to have hair down to my elbow almost my bum ...
It was soo curly i had it chem straightened.

Now its sooo much easier to style :D

I wash with pantene pro-v "smooth & sleek"

I towel dry abit and then throw some detangler into it.

Use my fingers to comb through and apply some redken "smooth down" in the pump bottle.

then a bit of Heat tamer (a spray) and start in on it with the blow dryer (on low)

then I use the cool feature for my dryer to cool my hair down and then wait for 15 mins for it to completely cool and be dry (because i heard doing a straightner right after blowdrying can damage your hair . :)

Then i go at it with the straightner ... (but thank god i don't need to use the straightener as long as i used to :D )

after that (while my hair is still warm) i throw some Tresemme "Anti-frizz secret" on it (because austin is a humid place) and work it through with my fingers.

and thats it ;)

DON'T USE GARNIER SMOOTHING MILK (or their products in general) ... ITS MADE BY THE DEVIL ! AND MAKES YOUR HAIR FEEL (and look) LIKE USED ASS !

***EDIT***
acrylic straightener !!! the best kind to have ;)

-Shower
-Shampoo/Condition
-Rinse
-Dry Hair
-Good To Go.

The lengths people go to trying to make their hair look "good" sicken me.

:)

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Originally Posted by clouded sky

-Shower
-Shampoo/Condition
-Rinse
-Dry Hair
-Good To Go.

The lengths people go to trying to make their hair look "good" sicken me.

:)

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if you had hair to you waist ... i bet you'd sing a different tune :D

Don't do either! Let it down, and dry out naturally.

Or tie it into a loose, sleek ponytail and wring it out. That's what I do. :D

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Originally Posted by rubah

all that heat is going to kill your hair :(

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Your hair is already dead. :D

I just straighten ^^ I don't usually blow dry but sometimes I do when I'm not lazy. My hair usually comes out well enough if I just straighten, though.

And you straighten your hair every time after you get it wet ^^

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Originally Posted by OdaiseGaelach

Don't do either! Let it down, and dry out naturally.

Or tie it into a loose, sleek ponytail and wring it out. That's what I do. :D

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I do that in the summer alot ... cause its like 100+ degrees F. in Texas :D
also i chem straightened my hair so i can just brush it now (when its barely damp) to get it straight ...
but i get mad frizz when i don't use product and whatnot :nibbles:

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Originally Posted by Jojee

And you straighten your hair every time after you get it wet ^^

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Amen to that !

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Originally Posted by Fuego

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Originally Posted by OdaiseGaelach

Don't do either! Let it down, and dry out naturally.

Or tie it into a loose, sleek ponytail and wring it out. That's what I do. :D

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I do that in the summer alot ... cause its like 100+ degrees F. in Texas :D
also i chem straightened my hair so i can just brush it now (when its barely damp) to get it straight ...
but i get mad frizz when i don't use product and whatnot :nibbles:

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Originally Posted by Jojee

And you straighten your hair every time after you get it wet ^^

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Amen to that !

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I think I will try out Fuego's advice (cheers for your PM mate, ace advice! I'll check out that linky tomorrow, it's late here in the UK).

While it's true your hair straightens when it's wet, it's a bit pointless to say that because it's always goes all over the place when it dries out. It frizzes and fluffs up and goes wild (at least it does for me) and looks awful. I hate my hair sometimes when it's dry, but when I tie it back for a couple of hours and then let it loose, it feels wonderful. But only for a short while.

Thanks again Fuego, you're a big help dude! We'll compare hair lengths very soon...

This is the best advice you will recieve.

Get a gay guy.

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Originally Posted by Dellas18

I think I will try out Fuego's advice (cheers for your PM mate, ace advice! I'll check out that linky tomorrow, it's late here in the UK).

While it's true your hair straightens when it's wet, it's a bit pointless to say that because it's always goes all over the place when it dries out. It frizzes and fluffs up and goes wild (at least it does for me) and looks awful. I hate my hair sometimes when it's dry, but when I tie it back for a couple of hours and then let it loose, it feels wonderful. But only for a short while.

Thanks again Fuego, you're a big help dude! We'll compare hair lengths very soon...

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Any time Dellas ! and yea frizz is the ultimate enemy ... humidity makes my hair frizzy hence the use of product >.<
And i hate that my hair has a funky wave in it from using a hair tie ... any way ... sounds like fun and good luck to you Dellas in your styling endevors and i will keep in touch in case you have any questions ;)

Cheers Fuego! I think you know seriously what you're talking about. I think hair maintenance is different for guys then it is for girls. The only similar thing between the two would be regarding diet. I think eating lots of protein is a big help, stuff like tuna and chicken. Not too sure though...

Sigh... I love my hair... it's so long and soft... :love:

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Originally Posted by Dellas18

Cheers Fuego! I think you know seriously what you're talking about. I think hair maintenance is different for guys then it is for girls. The only similar thing between the two would be regarding diet. I think eating lots of protein is a big help, stuff like tuna and chicken. Not too sure though...

Sigh... I love my hair... it's so long and soft... :love:

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:bow:

:lol: i second that "Sigh... I love my hair... it's so long and soft... :love:"

cheers mate ;)

I think using a high-end straightener works just great. My mom has some ceramic one that works very well. I use it when I feel like straightening my hair out of boredom.

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Originally Posted by NorthernChaosGod

I think using a high-end straightener works just great. My mom has some ceramic one that works very well. I use it when I feel like straightening my hair out of boredom.

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The only thing is I am worried, absolutely terrified actually, of either burning my hair off, or, while not exactly burning it off, singing my hair so that I damage it. I'll have to learn and practice though :D

Well, I dont straighten my hair or blow dry it everytime I wash my hair. In my case, my hair is way too curly and too long to do it everytime. I cant, just because it damages my hair. So most of the time it just dries by itself but its never straight. Even when I do blow dry it, I get curls hours later. >.<

But in your case, I would probably do both. They do sell products in beauty stores to protect for burning your hair :)

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Originally Posted by ff7+ff10 gurl 100

But in your case, I would probably do both. They do sell products in beauty stores to protect for burning your hair :)

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But I'm still very scared ;__;

Maybe I should just wait till i find me a girlfriend and then get her to do it. Simplest solution!

I blowdry and strighten. I have curly hair and it tends to frizz a lot so i strighten it. I use the aussie moist shampoo and conditioner so if i do damage it then that helops keep it from being dry and breaking. Then i blow dry it and get it fairly straight. Then i have a strightener that has this ionic thing that helps your hair so it doesn't "fry" it, as you put it. Really it shouldn't fry it. If you have moist condiotionmer or something for dry hair then you should be fine with all that you do.

The one my mom has runs pretty hot, but it has never singed my hair. I have the best hair out of most of my family members.

i have no idea i'm a tomboy i just brush my hair and go. :tongue:

Okay, okay......Since you obviously don't want to damage your hair NEVER, NEVER chemically straighten, or straight iron your hair, NEVER. I have done this and even in small dosages (however it is correctable) it will damage your hair. Now that I've made that clear, If your hair is thick blow-drying alone will not do it (and even if its not, this is the probably the best way of going about it, assuming you want to cause no damage) Get some heat protecting, straightening serum (found at drugstores $2-$6), and an Ionic hair dryer (the cheapest I've seen is $15 @ Amazon.com) After you wash your hair, towel dry it a bit, you don't want to start going with the hair dryer when you have a soaking mop on your head. Comb your hair out. Lean over like you're bowing and brush your hair down over your face. You will need some kind of large brush, I haven't found any real difference in effectivenes (I prefer round). Start Blow drying your hair from the base of your neck, brushing the whole time, blow drying your whole head. I guarantee sleeky straigtness. It also helps to use a 'de-frizzy' or 'sleek' shampoo and conditioner. If you have any further questions, email me. I hope this is helpful.

It really depends on your hair type, but if it is pliable, relatively healthy and not coarse, wash condition it with Paul Mitchell's Super Skinny Shampoo and Conditioner, rub a bit of Super Skinny serum in it (it works miracles) or their straightening gel (a bit stronger) and just blow dry it with a good, large round ceramic-base boar hair brush. Blow dry your hair all over first, flipping your hair over and getting all the roots, then switch to a "warm" setting or a lower intensity blast of air and do some fine brushing/drying. When your hair is finally completely dry, blast it with cold air (it seals the cuticle and makes it glossy). That is how you avoid straightening, and ultimately damaging your hair a lot faster than you normally would. My hair goes down to my tailbone and I used to suffer from damaged, dry hair before I stopped straightening and just used my blowdryer.