How to remove curls using Photoshop?

Once I needed a few passport size photographs which were supposed to be submitted with my admission form. For that purpose, I had to go to a nearby photo studio, but after approaching there, I had to wait for almost half an hour because photographer cum owner of the studio was engaged in a deep conversation with an elderly couple. Though, I didn't listen intently, but all the same, I couldn't refrain from listening their conversation.  Old gentleman had recently had his photograph developed from the same studio and was continually insisting that there were not as much curls in his hair as were  appeared in the photograph, while the photographer kept on insisting that it was not his fault. They argued and argued and at last, photographer couldn't stand against  the angry old gentleman and promised to do something for his hair style to look better in the photograph.

As a matter of fact, it is to make required changes in hair style is not a bit difficult by the use of Adobe Photoshop and as far as removal of curls out of hair is concerned, it can be done quite easily if you know how to use filter called Liquify and the tool called Burn Tool properly.

Make hair Straight and Shiny

In order to remove curls and make hair straight and shiny, first of all, open a picture of a person with prominently curly hair either by hitting  CTRL + O or by getting inside the File Menu and clicking Open. 

image: Before the removal of curls

Filter menu and Liquify Window

After that, get inside the Filter Menu and select the option referred as Liquify given there by clicking on it or by hitting Shift + CTRL + X on the keyboard.

Liquify : This filter is used to manipulate any part of a picture as easily as a water color brush

As soon as the option liquify will be selected, the image you have opened  will be opened by itself  in another window called Liquify window.

Image : In liquify window 

This window has no menu bar at the top but it’s own tool bar that can be seen at the left side of it. Out of that tool bar select the option Freeze Tool or hit F.

Freeze Tool : Saves parts of picture on which you don't want to apply the filter called Liquify

Freeze Tool

As soon as that option will be selected the pointer of your mouse will assumed the shape of a circle that is called brush. Then put the pointer of your mouse at the picture keep it's left button pressed,  and drag it.

Red color indicate the part on which freeze tool has been applied

Part of the picture on which you will drag your mouse after the selection of Freeze  Tool, will be covered by red or some other color depends on the color which is selected in the menu called Freeze Color (This menu can be seen at the right side of the Liquefy window).

freeze color doesn't make any difference

 Leaving the hair, drag your mouse all over the picture. The part of the picture on which you will apply freeze tool will get totally frozen and no tool will work on that part of the picture so it will remain perfectly intact no matter what liquify tool you will apply on hair.

Save from hair, freeze tool has been applied all over the image

Warp Tool

Then select the option called Warp Tool out of the tool bar window.

Warp Tool works on a picture as though it is made up of a liquid

 Set the size of the brush of this tool according to the size of the picture you want to work on, and pressure of it equals to 20.

Tool Options can be seen usually at the right side of the window

Then put the circle shaped pointer of your mouse at the top of the head, keep the left button of your mouse pressed and drag it downward.

Hair is being straighten with each mouse drag

 Repeat the same action again and again and after a few mouse drags the difference will be  clearly visible.

Image : After a few mouse drags

 After  complete straightening , put the pointer of your mouse at the bottom of the hair and set it cautiously,to  give it a natural look. After that click OK.

Image: After complete removal of curls

As soon as you will click OK, Liquify window will be closed and you will have your picture with a different hair style opened in the Photoshop window. After the use of the filter Liquify, you will get perfectly straight hair but not as real as it looked  before straightening.

Hair : Unnatural look

Burn Tool

To resolve this issue and to give it a natural look select Burn Tool out of the tool window.

Burn tool: very important tool used for image re-touching

 Then zoom the picture in by hitting CTRL + +. Set the size of the brush according to the size of the picture by hitting   }  (to increase the size of the brush) or  {  (to decrease the size of the  brush). After setting it’s size, put the brush (circle shaped pointer) on the hair, keep the left button of your mouse pressed and drag it all over the hair. With each drag, color of the hair will get darker and it’s unnatural shining will be dimmed. Keep  dragging your mouse till the complete removal of unnatural shine out of the hair.

Image: After removal of unnatural shine

Save As

Then save the picture in your required format by getting inside the File Menu and selecting the option Save As.

Save As: Save your image in any format

As soon as you will select the option save as out of file menu a window called Save As will be opened.

Select location and format for your image

In that window, select the location e.g. dive or folder in which you want to save your file in the box called Save in, that can be seen at the top of the window, type the name of your file in the box  called File name and select the format that is required for your newly edited image in the Format box and click save. After that click, task will be accomplished and the image will be ready for use wherever you want.
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