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Hair Straightener Tips To Keep In Mind

Prepare For Straight Hair While In Shower

If you like straight hair, then you will have to put some efforts in achieving them. Not everyone has natural perfectly straight hair at all times. However, it is important to understand that no shampoo or conditioner can give you the result that you want.

However, hair care products that are labelled as smoothing can help the strands to retain some moisture. If you are planning to use hair straightener on your hair, then it is necessary to use such kind of products. This is because hair that are dry and brittle might not lay flat even after you straighten them..

Before straightening your hair, you should surely start its preparation in the shower. Use a conditioner and then just use a padded brush to comb your hair while still in the shower. Then rinse the conditioner. Also, after you are out, do not rub the towel like crazy on your hair. Just be gentle.

Rough Dry Your Hair

If you are planning to straighten your hair, then do not use a hair dryer to dry your hair. It will make your hair dry and brittle and then you will not get a good effect with the straightening procedure. If you want a sleek finish, then refrain from using a dryer.

In case, if you have to use the dryer, then rough dry your hair. All you will have to do is shake the dryer back and forth from your hair. Do it until your hair is dried 80%. However, an important thing to remember is that keep the nozzle facing downward to avoid the frizz.

Let the remaining 20% air dry. You can apply your product and serum at this point or you can let it dry completely first and then apply.

Washing Your Hair

Clean It Properly

It is important to make sure that the hair you are about to straighten are absolutely clean . So, if you washed your two days ago, then do not straighten them just like that. Your hair will come out as really greasy and you will not get the desired result.

Hence, it is important to wash your hair before straightening them. Also, do not just wash them with water. You will have to wash them with proper shampoo and then apply a conditioner later.

Make sure to lather your hair properly. Also, remove all the conditioner from the hair, afterwards. Rinse it well. If you do not do that, then the effect of the straightening will be diminished. Also, you hair will not be bouncy and instead just lie flat.

Dry Your Hair Properly

Drying your hair properly is really important. Many people towel dry their hair in a wrong way. This is the major reason of frizz. Do not rub your hair aggressively with a towel. This will make your hair brittle and it will not look good after straightening too.

Avoid wrapping the towel in a turban as well. It also gives rise to frizz. The right way of drying your hair with towel is just dabbing it across the strands gently. In this way, the excess water will be soaked by the towel. After that you can leave it to air dry.

However, if you are planning to dry your hair with a hair dryer, then remember to choose the right model. In fact, a lot of people do not know this that your hair dryer can affect your styling drastically. It is really important to have a good quality hair dryer.

The Pre-straightening Rituals

Use A Proper Thermal Protectant

Using a thermal protectant for your hair is crucial. This is because the heat can damage your hair and you obviously do not want the quality of your hair to go to the dogs. Hence, you need to take help of different products that can protect your hair.

There are various products that you can use on damp hair. It also protects your hair from temperature of the straightener that can go upto 450 degrees! It resists humidity and dramatically reduces the frizz as well. Hence, it offers proper protection to your hair.

These thermal protectants do not contain oils and silicones which weigh the hair down. Thus, this is an added advantage of using this product. If you have coarser or thicker hair, then you can always use argan oil to moisturise your hair before straightening.

Do Not Use Too Much Product Before Straightening

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Using a product before straightening and blow drying is necessary. However, using too much of it is a big no no! Excess product will surely weigh your hair down and you will not get that sleek look after straightening.

It can overproduce too much oil in your scalp as well. Hence, at the end of the day, you will look completely washed out. You should always use the product depending on the thickness of your hair. It should be the size of a dime to quarter.

If you have fine and thin strands, then you should only use a dime sized quantity of product in your hair. Try to work it up from there. if you really have thick hair, then only use a quarter size of product.

Things To Remember While Straightening

Take One Section At A Time

There is a specific technique of straightening hair. You cannot randomly take fistful of hair and start straightening it. It is not going to give you any effect. Your straightener will not be able to make any difference to the thick pieces.

Also, when you take a lot of hair at once,you have to redo each section over and over again. You do not want to apply the iron and heat on your hair to such an extent. Hence, take sections and then work on them. You will get a better and even result with this technique.

You can actually clip your hair in 4 sections and then work on it. Careful sectioning is the secret to good hair straightening. Also, sectioning will save a lot of time.

Add More Waves To Your Hair

There are a number of tricks you can try with your hair straightener. You can also create soft curls or beach waves with the help of your flat iron. If you want to mix it up a little bit, then you will have to l
earn just some techniques.

As always, begin with clean and dry hair. Use a thermal protectant as well. You will have to separate your hair into one inch sections each. Place the iron near the nape of your neck or scalp. Then slowly glide it down and bend your wrist away from your face. In this way, the palm of your hand will not be facing up.

You can alternate the direction of your curls by twisting your hair in opposite directions. If you want beach waves, then open your flat iron before it reaches the ends of your hair. Thus, you can style your hair in complete different ways using the same tool.

Use Various Oils

Instead of heat protectants, you can use oils as well. This is because hair protectants and serums also have some form of chemicals in them. Hence, it is a good idea to use different oils instead. They are easily absorbed by the hair.

The other good part is that they do not just coat the hair like serums and hair protectants. They provide nourishment to it, as well. Thus, it is a good idea to use oils such as linseed, argan and cyperus.

It is especially recommended for people with thick hair. However, take care of the quantity as you do not want your hair to look sticky after straightening. It is a good idea to apply oils to wet hair. You can use it later on as well to smooth the frizzy bits.

Tips To Choose The Best Hair Straightener

Decide On The Size Of The Hair Straightener

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The basic rule is that shorter the hair, thinner the hair straightener. If you have a pixie cut or want to straighten your bangs, then you need 1/2 inch of flat iron. It will work comfortably well with you and give you the desired results.

However, if you have shoulder length hair, then you require a flat iron which is 1 inch wide. Hair longer than that will require 1 1/2 inch wide iron. This one will work well for coarse, thick and curly hair as well.

If you have really long hair, then you need a flat iron which is 2 inches wide. You need to understand your hair type and based on that make a purchase. Most people do not pay attention on the size of the straightener and end up not getting the desired results on their hair.

Select The Right Plate

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Straightener plates are made out of different metals and substances. There is no right choice of metal as such. However, you need to consider your hair type and choose a plate based on that.

There are plates that are made out of titanium. These irons heat up quickly while applying high temperatures evenly on the hair. These irons are suitable for people who have extremely curly and coarse hair. They are also higher in price.

The other type of plate is ceramic. These irons merge value and effectiveness at the same time. It offers even heat to most hair textures. Although, these irons have a limited amount of shelf life as ceramic wears down after a period of time. Then, it is not capable of evenly distributing the heat. Buy this one if you do not straighten your hair frequently.

Another type is tourmaline plates. They are great for damaged hair. They are also known as ionic plates. They actually produce more negative ions as compared to positive ions. It reduces frizz and seals the hair shaft.

Consider Your Hair Type

You will have to understand your hair type and based on that choose a straightener. If you have thin and fine hair, then do not buy a straightener with just one heat setting. This is because such kind of hair get damaged easily. Apart from that, you do not need much heat as it is easy to straighten fine hair.

If you have thick hair, then you need a straightener with various heat settings. Make sure that your hair straightener has higher heat settings. Then, it will be possible for you to straighten your hair in one or two strokes only.

If you have extremely curly hair, then you might be experiencing a lot of frizz. If you want to make your life easy, then invest in an iron with wider plate. You will be able to take larger portions of your hair in one go. This will save you a lot of time as well.

Understand The Difference Between Cost And Worth

It is quite easy to pick up the cheapest hair straightener in the store. However, such straighteners might not fulfil your purpose. Also, they will just last for a few months and then you will have to buy one again. Also, the quality of your hair will deteriorate.

Cheap hair straighteners actually do not distribute heat evenly. Hence, they snag your hair and overheat them. Expensive irons offer greater value. They use proper metal plates and thus, distribute heat evenly.

In a way, it is the cheaper option too. This is because expensive irons last for years. You will not have to invest in it again and again. In the end, it is always a good idea to read the reviews of various hair straighteners online and then decide on a purchase.

Pros And Cons

PRO - Makes Your Hair Look Frizz Free

It will give a great texture to your hair. If you hair is coarse, frizzy or curly, it will smoothen them. Apart from that, you can change your look completely by getting sleek hair. You can style your hair in various ways after straightening them.

At the same time, if you do straightening in a right way, then it can add volume to your hair as well. You hair will also look shinier. Also, hair straightening gives a natural look to your hair as compared to permanent straightening.

The other good part is that you can get your normal hair back after the next wash. It is a good idea to style your hair during events and parties to have a different look. Also, it does not cost very much.

CON - It Can Damage The Hair

The main disadvantage of using hair straightener is that it can damage your hair. However, this happens with repeated usage of hair straightener. Your hair can go dry, brittle and damaged. It can lose its shine as well.

Your hair can get an unhealthy.look, if you don't use serum or thermal protectant. Also, people with curly and thicker hair will experience more damage as their hair takes longer to straighten.

Apart from that, it is not possible to have perfectly straight hair in humid weather. Your hair are bound to lie flat and look greasy with direct heat. Also, you will lose your straightening, if you go out in rain or experience perspiration. These are some of the side effects of using a hair straightener.

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From our editorial team

Consider Alternate Methods For Daily Use!

Consider a simple blow-dry for daily use, if you are concerned about the extensive damage daily ironing might cause. It can give a natural bounce to your hair and will also tame the stray strands of hair. Blow-dry can also be helpful in defining curls, if any, in your hair. If you can not afford to spend so much time on your hair care daily, then you might want to opt for brazilian keratin treatment for your hair. It might be expensive, but is totally worth it if you consider the time and energy that you might save everyday. It does far less damage than applying heat daily!