For curly-haired women, wanting straight hair instead isn't just about feeling defeated by the daily wrestle with mutinous frizz, or longing for swingy hair so glossy that it might tempt, say, Clive Owen to run his fingers through it. "Straight hair is perceived as more professional, more authoritative," notes Tim McLean, senior stylist at Oskar on Scollard salon in Toronto. "Many women with curly hair will have it blowdried straight before a presentation because they feel they'll be taken more seriously."

The thing is, outside the salon, making curly hair go straight comes with certain frustration and a side helping of potential damage from the heat styling required to get the job done well. Happily, there are many ways to make the process easier and safer on the hair as well as last longer.