Hi Person --I still maintain you`re better off working with what you`ve got. Even if you straighten your growing hair, it will not stay that way as it grows out from the scalp -- the new hair will be curly again, so it will be an on-going thing. It`s easier to order system hair which matches your own hair, rather than trying to `beat`your own hair into conforming to the system hair. I don`t use styling products at all ....only leave -in conditioner once a week or so, and an occasional shampoo and conditioning. I simply mist the system nightly with water from an atomiser bottle, fluff it up a bit with the finger tips and allow to dry naturally --you could also mist it in the morning before you go out to work or wherever, if you have slept on it and don`t want to get it drenched in the shower every morning. In a nutshell, if you analyse it, people with hair loss, wear systems in order to imitate/ replace the portion which is gone ---- practically everyone orders similar hair to what was lost, in order to replicate what they used to look like with all their own hair. The only exception really would be in the case of a full -cap wearer, where the individual could decide to change their style completely, and there are no worries about blending onto existing hair. My 2-cents worth is to order similar hair to what is growing to keep things as simple as possible. Wearing can be a steep learning curve for a newbie ---there are new things to be learned, tried, and gotten used to. Having to get your own hair chemically -treated every so often could end up being a big `pain`for you and you`d be constantly `worried` about the blend-in.Just get replacement hair which closely resembles your own for an easier life --- cheers, Paul.