How to Safely Straighten Textured Hair During the Humid, Rainy Season

Why does textured hair revert after straightening? A stylist explains how humidity affects curls and what you can do to keep hair smooth.

For those with textured hair in the Philippines, keeping a freshly straightened style intact can feel like a battle against the weather. Between the country’s year-round humidity, sudden rain showers, and damp rainy season, moisture in the air can quickly bring out curls and frizz.

“Curly hair naturally wants to go back to its original shape. When there’s a lot of moisture in the air, the hair absorbs some of that moisture, which can make it swell and bring back its natural curl pattern. That’s why you’ll notice frizz, puffiness, or your curls slowly coming back,” explains Zahraa Bani, curly-hair stylist and founder of Curlssential and The Curl Studio.

But if you want to temporarily change up your hair by straightening, Zahraa shares her best tips for battling frizz and keeping your straightened hair smooth.

Your curl type and hair condition can react more to humidity

According to Zahraa, if your curls are tighter and more porous, they can absorb water and moisture easily, which can make them react more to humidity. Damaged and very dry hair can also be more prone to frizz and reverting to curls. The same applies to chemically treated hair, which has a more open outer layer, which can also make it absorb moisture, frizz, and lose its shape faster.

Condition and completely dry your hair before using heat

“For me, the prep is just as important as the actual straightening,” she says. Before using heat, Zahraa advises you to properly condition and completely dry your hair. In addition to this, she always recommends a heat protectant and a smoothing or anti-humidity product to help create a barrier against the moisture in the air.

To speed up the drying process, L’oréal Professionel has the Curl Expression: Drying Accelerator, which also offers 48 hours of frizz-free protection and protects hair against heat up to 230°C (450°F). Meanwhile, Cream Silk’s Standout Straight Conditioner targets smoothing hair strands and relaxing frizz.

Blow-dry your curls before using a flat iron

After making sure that the hair is completely dry, she prefers to blow-dry the curls straight or smooth first before using a flat iron.  “It means the flat iron doesn’t have to work as hard, so you’re exposing the hair to less heat overall,” she explains. She recommends staying around 150–180°C (300–350°F), depending on how thick, fine, healthy, or damaged the hair is. Then, when using the flat iron, she aims for one slow, controlled pass instead of repeatedly going over the same section.

Use lightweight anti-humidity or smoothing products

After straightening your curls, she suggests applying another layer of anti-humidity or smoothing product after styling. To add more smoothness, shine, and to seal the hair, you can also use a small amount of serum. For these products, she advises looking for products labeled “anti-humidity, “smoothing,” or “frizz control.” Lastly, a finishing spray can be applied to help hold the hair. “And try not to touch your hair because the moisture and oils from our hands can contribute to frizz!” she cautions.

To lock in the smoothness, Tresemmé offers a Keratin Smooth Anti-Frizz Hairspray, which has 72 hours of humidity resistance, and its Keratin Smooth Shine serum, which is a non-greasy formula that can add extra shine to your hair.

Don’t immediately reach for a flat iron when your hair gets wet

“Honestly, I just run!” she says, laughing. But if you ever find yourself getting caught in the rain, don’t apply heat immediately. Going back to the first step, let it completely dry first. Then, you can smooth it with your hands and reapply a small amount of serum. And if you need to touch it up with heat, make sure that it’s completely dry and do as few passes as possible.