Having sleek, straight hair is a go to hairstyle for a lot of us who want to flatten out our curls or just want a chic hairstyle. We’re well aware that the flat iron can do more damage than the hairstyle is actually worth especially if you do it on an everyday basis. The temperatures can get up to 450 °F and, considering that the boiling point is 212 °F, that’s pretty darn hot.
To protect your hair from the intense heat that flat ironing can bring, check out the do’s and don’ts of flat ironing.
Do’s:
Apply a heat protectant. It’s tempting to just brush out your hair and get to it but if you’re not applying a heat protectant, you’re basically frying your hair. Spritz some all over your hair to have a barrier between the hair and the heat.
Section off small pieces. Flat ironing a big section will lead to having to go over it multiple times due to the thickness of the section. Section off small pieces and go slow so that you only have to go over it once.
Brush the section before you iron it. By brushing the hair section right before ironing it, the hair is evened-out so it’s easier to get all the hairs touching the flat iron.
Don’ts:
Start off with wet hair. This is a big no-no when it comes to flat ironing. When you start off with damp hair, you’re basically boiling your hair. Let it dry on its own (or blow-dry if you must) and then style it.
Go over a section multiple times. As mentioned before, the heat can get really intense and, if you’re going over the section more than once, your hair can get really damaged. Do it once but go slow so that you don’t have to go over it again.
Use the highest temperature on the flat iron. Some hair is easier than other to flat iron so don’t go all out with the heat just because you can. Adjust the heat depending on how kinky your hair is to prevent having to use unnecessary heat.
(Cover image: gto-live.com)
