A hair straightener is a wondrous thing that helps keep our hair tamed and perfect. But hair straighteners can be tricky to use. Here are some tricks for anyone who uses a hair straightener.
Choose the correct type of straightener. Your hair type determines which type of hair straightener works the best for your hair.
- ½-inch Mini Flat Iron: Best for pixie cuts and bangs
- 1-inch Flat Iron: Best for short, fine hair
- 1 ¼-inch Flat Iron: Best for shoulder-length, medium-thick hair
- 1 ½-inch Flat Iron: Best for thick, coarse, curly hair longer than the shoulders
- 2-inch Flat Iron: Best for thick, very long hair
What is the difference between types of straighteners.
- Ceramic: Ceramic plates allow for an even distribution of heat and have a lower potential to burn your hair. Ceramic coating on plates can chip off and cause snagging, so it’s best to use plates made fully out of ceramic.
- Titanium: Titanium plates heat up and transfer heat faster than ceramic. If you use them properly, there’s less potential for heat damage. Avoid leaving the plates on your hair too long because they can actually cause more damage.
- Tourmaline: Tourmaline is a crystalline mineral that’s crushed up and used to coat the plates of a flat iron. It makes hair shinier, straighter, and less frizzy than other flat iron options.
Use heat protectant spray. Putting heat on your hair can cause dryness, breakage, and overall fried hair. Spritz this on to help protect your hair from the flat iron.
Set the heat no higher than 365 degrees. Hair burns at the same temperature as paper: 451⁰F. This is why you should set it 365⁰F. For those with finer hair, the temperature should be between 300 and 325 degrees.
Use your flat iron to change hair styles. You can use it to make curls or beachy waves in order to change up your straight hair style. To get curls, pull approximately a one-inch section and start from the root of the hair and pull down while twisting the flat iron to produce a loose curl. For waves, start near the root, clamp flat iron and twist under. Move down and twist the opposite direction. Repeat the wave pattern and move quickly to avoid dents and continue through the ends. Another option is to put your hair into tiny braid while pressing the flat iron down along to create a “crimped” look.
Clean the gunk off of your plates with a washcloth and some rubbing alcohol. Do not do this on a hot flat or curling iron because rubbing alcohol is FLAMMABLE. Once the iron is cooled down completely, you can use a washcloth with the rubbing alcohol to clean the entire hair tool completely. It’s important to remove the leftover residue of products because leftover hairspray and other hair products on the flat iron can potentially damage your hair as you use the flat iron on it.
Contact us today to find out more about the different types of tools and techniques that we use on our clients’ hair. We offer many different services and hair treatments at our salon.
