There are many things you need to know before straightening your hair.
Straightening your hair looks amazing. But you have to be careful, if you want to avoid burning or damaging it.
Here are the most important facts you need to know:
160 degrees
One of the first things to know is the temperature at which to style your hair. The perception, that the highest level of the flat iron will provide a hairdo like in the hair salons, is wrong. Everyone, who straightens their hair often knows, that very high temperatures can damage the hair permanently. The highest temperature recommended is 160 degrees.
Ceramic flat iron
When you decide to buy a flat iron, make sure that the plates are ceramic. Ceramic plates regulate the heat evenly. This is of the utmost importance as you certainly don’t want an iron which has just a few “hot points” – this will prolong the time necessary for styling the hair.
Moisturizing
Hair is protected by natural proteins and oils, but they burn out quickly, if it is exposed to high temperatures. Therefore, before straightening your hair, apply products like a protective spray or a styling crème with heating protection. This way your hair will be able to endure the heat.
3-4 times weekly
Don’t use the flat iron every day. Do it at least every other day and don’t wash your hair every day. If you have an extremely oily hair, in between the washes use a dry shampoo in order to absorb the excess oil.
Size matters
If you have a long and thick hair, pick up a flat iron with wider plates – they cover a bigger surface. And vice versa – if you have a short and thin hair, a flat iron with narrow plates is ideal for you.
Wet hair
Never use a flat iron on a wet hair. This will cause very serious damage. If steam comes up from your hair while straightening, stop immediately.
Clean your flat iron regularly
After using your flat iron, always clean up the plates. Product residue on them will make the transfer of heat from the iron to the hair harder. Moreover, the regular clean up will reduce the time for styling and will prolong the life of the iron.
