Bye bye blow dry

Ever stared down your reflection mid-hair battle and whispered, “Straight hair… tell me where?” Gold Coast crew, we found it at The Straightening Salon in Coolangatta, where bad hair days go to quietly retire.

If you’re sick of surrendering half your morning to your straightener only to step outside and get hit with Gold Coast’s signature humidity (honestly, rude), this spot is for you. No more fluffy fringes. No more “just tied it up because I gave up.” Just sleek, shiny, wake-up-and-go hair.

So, what’s the vibe? The Straightening Salon does one thing and one thing only: smoothing and straightening. No balayage, no blow waves just expert straightening services designed to make your life easier. You don’t walk into this salon with a mood board of hair inspo pics, you walk in with frizz and walk out with smooth, silky magic.

The woman behind it all is Renee Vallender, a straightening specialist with years of experience taming tresses. Frustrated by her own frizzy hair battles (relatable), Renee set out to create a salon that offered personalised, non-toxic hair straightening that actually works without frying your hair into oblivion.

There are two options on offer, depending on your vibe:

1. Semi-permanent smoothing – perfect if you want to keep your natural wave but lose the puff. You know the one: “beach hair” without the bird’s nest.
2. Permanent straightening – for those committed to the smooth life. Wake up, shake it out, and go, no styling tools required.

Both use non-toxic, hair-friendly formulas packed with omega oils, amino acids and proteins. No burnt-hair smells, no scary chemicals. Just glossy, manageable hair that basically styles itself. Yes, even when the weather’s doing its worst.

The best part? It’s 100% customised. Whether your hair is fine, thick, curly, coarse or somewhere in between, the team tailors everything to your specific hair type and goals. Want it smoother than your Hinge matches? Done. Just keen to cut down blow-dry time? Easy. It’s all about making things work for you.

Also, they’re part of the Sustainable Salons network. That means hair offcuts get recycled, excess products get repurposed, and your hair glow-up is a little gentler on the planet too. Stylish and sustainable? Love that for us.

Treatments start from $275 and vary depending on hair length, thickness and whether you’re going semi-permanent or full straight goddess energy.

Consultations are not necessary as the website is superbly designed to help guide you toward the best treatment option for your goals, and then at your appointment, the stylist will even tailor the right service to you!

So if you’re ready to reclaim your mornings, bin the heat tools, and finally have hair that behaves even when you don’t, you now know the place.

Where: 2a Haig St, Coolangatta
When: 8.30am–4.30pm Tuesday – Saturday

Words by Chelsea Ipsen