Straight hair
Hair that falls flat without a wave. 36 hairstyles on EveryHairstyle so far.
Straight hair grows without a wave or curl and falls flat from root to tip. It is the most common hair type in East Asia and is widespread in many other regions. Because light reflects off its smooth surface it tends to look shiny, and because it shows every cutting line it suits precise, graphic cuts. It can be slippery, so braids and updos may need extra grip.
What suits straight hair
Blunt cuts look sharp on straight hair, which is why the bob, the pageboy and the hime cut are so closely tied to it. Long, one-length straight hair is admired in many cultures, from Japan and Korea to the long plaits of South India. Straight hair holds a sleek ponytail and a smooth chignon well, though fine straight hair can lie flat, so stylists use layers or a blow-dry for lift.
Adding texture
Straight hair can be given waves and curls with heated tongs, rollers, braid-outs or a perm. The digital perm, developed in Japan, is popular in East Asia for adding soft curls. Without some texture, braids and buns can slip, so stylists may backcomb a little, use dry shampoo or texture spray, or braid slightly damp hair. Straight hair also shows oil sooner, because scalp oil travels down it easily.
Famous straight hair hairstyles
Further reading
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Hime cut: kxz Chen, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Queue: Lai Afong, Public domain, source
- Crew cut: greginhollywood, CC BY 2.0, source
- Pageboy: Jacometto Veneziano, Public domain, source
- Lob: Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Chonmage: not listed, Public domain, source
- Shingle bob: Evolvingthinker, CC BY 2.0, source