Straightening your hair to get the perfect texture and style may seem harmless, but it can wreak havoc on your delicate strands. Heated styling tools, like a flat iron, blow dryer or curling iron, can fry your hair, leaving it dry and damaged. Protect hair from the heat and use a proper straightening method to keep your hair healthy while using heated styling tools like a flat iron.
Step 1
Wash and condition your hair well. Since heat can dry out your hair, make sure that you thoroughly hydrate your hair before straightening for best results. Flat ironing without conditioning can result in dry locks that are susceptible to damage and breakage.
Step 2
Comb a heat protecting spray through your clean, damp hair. Heat protecting spray deposits a layer of silicone onto your hair. The silicone acts as a barrier between your hair and the flat iron to protect your hair from the damaging effects of the heat. As an added bonus, the heat protecting spray will help lock in your style and keep your hair smooth and straight.
Step 3
Turn on the flat iron to the lowest setting, increasing the temperature only if needed. Since higher temperatures cause more damage, only use as much heat as necessary to get the style you want.
Step 4
Straighten only the top portion of your hair in sections. This method reduces the amount of heat exposure and potential damage to your hair. It also maintains the body underneath your hair's top layer, resulting in straight yet voluminous hair.
Tips and Warnings
- Avoid over-styling with your hair straightener. The more you use your flat iron to get the right style, the more damage you're doing to your hair. If you find yourself using a flat iron more than three days a week, ask your stylist for a hairstyle that takes into consideration your hair's natural texture and shape, so you spend less time taming it into submission.
Things You'll Need
- Conditioner
- Heat protecting spray
- Flat iron
- Round brush
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