6 Ways to Straighten Your Hair Naturally at Home

Want to straighten your hair without using heat or chemical straighteners? Fortunately, you have a few options.

While you won’t get the ruler-straight look that heat and chemical straighteners provide, you’ll have healthy hair that’s straighter than it was before. Results will vary depending on the consistency of your hair, but hopefully some of these tips—or a combination of them—can get you closer to the look you're going for.

From using overnight hair bands to making a natural straightening mask, here are six ways to straighten your hair naturally.

1. Brush Wet Hair Until It Dries

After washing your hair, let it air dry completely, but continue to brush it every five minutes. Pull out and hold each section of hair for a few seconds to encourage it to straighten out. You can also do this in front of a fan, which is faster, but requires constant brushing.

2. Wrap Wet Hair Tightly

When your hair is wet, comb and divide it down the center. Comb the left portion all the way over to the right (yes, it’s a combover of sorts) and wrap it around the back of your head, securing it with bobby pins. (One tip is to slide a piece of thin card stock under each bobby pin to prevent dents from forming.) Flip the right section over the left side, wrap it, and pin it in the same way. Let it air dry completely. You can wrap it in a silk scarf and sleep on it to reduce frizz.

3. Roll Your Hair

Use large hair rollers, such as the size of soda cans, to roll sections of wet hair and secure them tightly against your head. Let your hair dry completely. This is important because the slightest bit of moisture can make the curl or wave come back.

4. Use Overnight Hair Bands

Divide damp hair into one or two low ponytails. Fasten them with soft hair elastics, then add additional elastics every inch or so down the ponytail to hold it together. Make sure the elastics are fairly loose so they won’t leave a noticeable mark on your hair. Go to sleep and let it out in the morning.

5. Twist Hair Into a Bun

If you have fairly obedient, straightish hair to begin with, then this method will likely work for you, though it’s not effective on my stubbornly wavy hair. Make a ponytail of damp hair and twist it like a rope. Wrap it around itself to make a bun and secure it with an elastic. Let it air-dry, and then brush out.

6. Make a Natural Straightening Mask

Full-fat milk (coconut or dairy) has a conditioning effect on hair, which smooths it and tames it, helping it to hang straighter.

Consider making a milk and honey mask: Mix one cup of whole milk or coconut milk with one tablespoon of honey, and let it soak into your hair and scalp for one hour before washing out.

You can also mix two cups of milk with one egg. Soak your hair in it for 10 minutes, then squeeze it out. Don’t rinse it; instead, wrap it with a plastic cover for another 30 minutes, and then wash it out and brush it dry.

One Beautycon recipe recommends applying the following DIY straightening mask to relax and straighten your hair: One cup of coconut milk, four tablespoons of lemon juice, two tablespoons of olive oil, and three tablespoons of cornstarch. Heat the mixture at low temperature and then stir it until smooth. Cool it, then apply it to your hair.

To all of these methods, add a few drops of sweet almond or coconut oil to further tame frizz and smooth out the look.

Other Natural Hair-Straightening Suggestions

You can rinse your hair with cold water in the shower, as it tends to get rid of frizziness and straighten it somewhat. Try putting on a hat while your hair is air-drying to flatten it. You may have to twist, tuck, and pin longer parts to ensure everything's covered.

Additionally, consider drying your hair partially with cool air (use the cold setting on your dryer), then wrapping and pinning it tightly against your head overnight.