Achieving straight, sleek hair is remarkably quick and easy with a flat iron styling tool in the comfort of your home. By using the proper straightening technique and applying the appropriate hair treatments before and after straightening, you can keep your hair straight all day and protect your hair from heat damage.
Selecting the right flat iron is the first step toward achieving your desired results. Several types of flat irons are available, each with its own advantages:
Begin by washing your hair with a straightening shampoo and conditioner. These are specially formulated to create straight or sleek hair.
You want your hair to be as dry as possible when straightening. No, don't ever use a flat iron on wet hair. If you do try to straighten your hair while it's wet, the flat iron will cause a lot of damage. It's likely that your hair will just fall out or break off afterwards. Make sure that your hair is 100% dry before you try to straighten it.
Use a heat protectant spray or serum before straightening. These products coat the hair shaft to minimize damage from the flat iron's high heat. If the heat protectant comes in a gel or serum, you should apply it when the hair is damp. You should apply it when your hair is wet because it allows you to evenly spread the serum around your hair without creating clumps.
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Products with Obliphica Berry, argan nut oil, Moroccan oil, or coconut oil are thought to help keep hair straight throughout the day.
Use a comb to make your hair bone straight.
Separate hair into sections before straightening. The number of sections will depend on the thickness of your hair. Work in 1-2 inch sections for manageability. An easy way to do this is to pin all of the sections that you are not using on the top of your head or behind your shoulders.
There will also be a numbered heat setting near the "on" switch that you can adjust to your desired heat level. Set your temperature at about 300 degrees. The thicker and frizzier your hair, the higher the numbered setting should be. The lower the heating setting on the flat iron, the more times you will have to run your straightener over a particular section of hair.
Starting with one section of hair, place the straightener as close to your scalp as possible without burning yourself and use fluid motions to run the iron over the length of your hair, from roots to tips. However, don't burn yourself. This will usually mean that your straightener will start about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from your scalp if your hair is straight. The heated sides should touch, with your hair resting between them. Be sure not to clamp too firmly, as this will create a ridge in the top of the hair section where you start straightening. Your motion should be a fluid and steady sweep from the roots to the ends.
Read also: Comprehensive Guide to Hair Straighteners
The most important part of this technique is that you don't hold the straightener in any one place for too long. Stop as soon as your hair is straight, but don't do more than 3 passes, as this will damage your hair. Smaller sections of hair will make it easier to get your hair straight with fewer passes.
Don't be alarmed if you see steam rising from the flat iron. Steam occurs as a result of the hot ceramic making contact with any leftover moisture in your hair.
It is generally easiest to move around your head from one side to the other rather than taking random chunks so that you can easily separate the straightened chunks from the non-straightened ones. Avoid getting any product on sections of hair that you have not straightened yet.
Repeat this until all of your hair is smooth and straight.
Blow-dry your hair for another minute carefully to set your straightened hair. This helps keep your hair straight all day.
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