In this article, I'm going to give you 10 top tips for when you're straightening your hair to get the best results possible.
They might seem like common-sense, but you'd be surprised how many people skip some steps, and put their hair and style at risk.
1. Wash and Condition
You should only straighten your hair when it's clean. It means the straighteners are going to glide through your hair easier, and look a healthier result. Don't try straightening over hair after you've been out all day, gathering dirt in your hair from the environment.
You should only straighten your hair when it's clean. It means the straighteners are going to glide through your hair easier, and look a healthier result. Don't try straightening over hair after you've been out all day, gathering dirt in your hair from the environment.
2. Blow Dry
Using a round-brush and a hair-dryer with a nozzle, blow dry your hair straight. Section the hair into 2 layers, clipping up the top layer. Put the brush under the hair, and pull through the hair, pointing the dryer at the top (but not touching the hair). Remember to keep your dryer pointing down. This is going to dry the cuticle layers surrounding the hair flat, preventing frizz. The straighter you get your hair when blow dry, the easier it will be to straighten. Don't rush drying your hair with a quick blast dry.
3. Clean Straighteners
You want to make sure you're straighteners are clean before using them. Wipe them down with a damp cloth before you switch them on, and dry them down. It's very easy for dirt and products to get burnt onto the plates because of how how the straighteners get.
4. Fully Heated
Once you've turned your straighteners on, set the heat to the heat you want (not all straighteners can do this, but if they do, use the high setting if your hair is hard to straighten, but if it straightens easy, go for a lower setting). Don't rush into it, trying to use them half hot. Put them on towards the end of your blow dry so they are nice and hot by the time you're ready for them
5. Heat Protection Spray
I cannot stress the importance of heat protection spray enough. When people casually tell me they don't use it, I really don't understand. Some straighteners can get as hot as 250°. Just imagine all the damage that heat is doing to your hair. It's a lot of heat for your hair to handle, especially if you have coloured/chemically treated hair). Don't just spray the whole head, spray each section before you straighten it, about 30cm away from the away. If it started steaming, it's probably just the protection spray reacting with the heat. It doesn't mean your hair is burning (unless you can smell burning...).
6. Section Hair
7. Small Pieces
Starting at the front, take small section about 2inches wide, spray, and straighten. Don't take huge and wide chunks of hair, because it's just not going to work, and it will look half hearted.
8. Smooth and Slow
Once you have the hair, run your straighteners over the hair, going smoothly and slowly. I see so many people running the straightener through their hair, then running it through again, and again, and again, going 100 miles an hour. Just no. The slower and smoother you go, the smoother your hair will come out. Once you've straightened a piece, try not to go over it again, because it's already hot and won't react much to more heat. If you aren't happy, just leave it 5 or 10 minutes to cool down and come back to it later on.
9. Use a Comb
A comb is a great trick to get your hair smooth. Before you straighten, comb the hair to get rid of any tangles, and when you are straightening, put the comb in behind the straightener, and just follow it down. The finer the comb, the better
10. Have a Good Straightener
If you straighten your hair a lot, then invest in a decent straightener. I have gone to peoples houses, and used their cheap £15 straighteners and wanted to snap them in half. They are frustrating, and they just don't work the same. I use GHD straighteners and they are miles ahead. Another good brand are Cloud Nine straighteners, which were created by the original creator of GHD. Unlike GHDs, they have heat settings and they tend to work a lot smoother, and you can get them for about the same price.
Coming Soon: A guide of the different styles you can create with a simple pair of Straighteners.
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