Simple Style Tips

Thanks to Bee Lane for this tip.

When it comes to hair, women always seem to want what they don’t have: girls with stick straight hair want curly locks, and girls with curls want a pin straight mane. I have naturally wavy hair, but due to my hair’s thickness and the humidity of South Florida, my hair looks like a puffy mess left untreated. For years I have been using a flat iron to straighten my hair, and have a pretty good understanding of the best products and techniques to used to keep your hair healthy and beautiful.

The Iron

Flat irons (also called straightening irons) come in many varieties. The two most important things to look at when shopping for a flat iron are the material it is made out of and how hot the iron will get. Most flat irons are made out of either metal or ceramic. I have used both, and have found the ceramic to be much better. Over time, you will often find that metal flat irons will not heat evenly; that is, spots on your iron will be cool while another spot is warm. There are claims that ceramic flat irons won’t damage your hair; be aware that if you are clamping down two hundred degrees on to your hair, damage is inevitable. It is possible that they aren’t as damaging, but damage still will occur. As for the temperature of the flat iron, you will need a higher heat for thicker hair, and a lower heat for finer hair. For example, my straightening iron reaches 220 degrees Fahrenheit. A cooler straightening iron will not flatten out my coarse, thick hair; however, 220 degrees will be an excessive temperature for someone with finer hair. If you are going to be straightening your hair often, you should splurge a little for your iron. My iron is on the relatively inexpensive side of the iron spectrum, coming in at $50 at Sally Beauty Supply, but it has lasted me a year and a half thus far. While I cannot speak for girls with thinner hair, I would strongly recommend that you do NOT purchase Conair flat irons. In my experience, they do not heat up quickly or to a high enough temperature to be effective. Even though the low price may be appealing, it may end up being a waste of money.

Protection

It is important to try to protect your hair from the high heat of the flat iron. Many companies have started to produce heat-protection sprays, made specifically to use on hair while using straightening irons and curling irons. I spray Herbal Essences Dangerously Straight Flat Out Finishing Spray over each section of hair before I straighten it. These products also help prevent the burnt hair smell that flat irons can create.

Technique

While it may feel like it takes longer, straightening your hair in small, thin sections is the most effective way to get a stick-straight finish. Use clips to section hair. I usually start in the front of my face and work to the back. It is helpful to have a hand held mirror nearby to see the back of your head; the back of the head is the most difficult area to straighten, because of the difficult location and amount of hair. To straighten the ends of the back of your hair, pull your hair into a pony tail, and straighten out the ends.

Washing

Unless you have fine hair, it is suggested that you don’t wash your hair every day, no matter how you style it. If you straighten your hair everyday, you know how time consuming it can be. Therefore, you should only wash your hair once every two or three days. Just throw a shower cap over your hair when you take a shower. Not washing will save you a tremendous amount of time styling. Another benefit of not washing every day is that sleeping on your newly straightened hair will help it be even flatter.

If you flat iron your hair every day, give your hair a break every once in a while. Wear your hair naturally, and don’t use any product. By following my advice, your hair will straight and healthy, and no one will have to know it isn’t natural.