Are you addicted to your flat irons? A lot of women are.
What started off as a once in a while finish after a blow dry. Can soon become a daily routine. A quick run through with the irons in the morning for that sleek finished look.
In fact I bet that your second most favorite hair tool is your set of flat irons.
Have you ever had that OMG feeling one morning? You have switched on your flat irons to give your hair a quick touch up before you run out the door. Only to find that they are cold not heating up at all.
Your mind goes into a panic “oh no my hair has kinks and looks a mess” you tell yourself. Then as soon as you have any free time you rush to the nearest outlet to buy another pair of your favorite flat irons.
Yes it seems you are addicted.
The long smooth straight hair look is rampant on social media stars and the magazines tell us that fuzzy hair is a big no no. How can we all not be influenced.
So it is very easy to become addicted to your irons. This is okay as long as you avoid the sorts of mistakes when using them that will tend to damage your hair.
3 Mistakes To Avoid Before You Start With Your Hair Irons.
Mistake 1. Don’t flat iron damp hair.
You have not thoroughly dried your hair before thinking of using your flat irons.
Now this can happen very easily when you are in a rush and want to speed up your hair styling process.
But when your hair has too much moisture and you place it between the plates of your hair straighteners. You will hear it sizzle.
Stop immediately.
As this means the water in your hair is boiling and in fact frying your hair.
Mistake 2. Don’t think the hotter the better.
Turning the temperature up to the highest. Thinking the hotter the better as my style will last longer.
Flat irons can go up to temperatures of 250 degrees Celsius (450 Fahrenheit) which is extremely hot.
How hot you will need your irons will depend upon your hair type. On average a heat setting of 200 degrees Celsius will be suitable for most hair types.
If your hair is very fine start on a lower temperature first as you can always work up.
Mistake 3. You don’t pre-treat your hair.
Using a heat protection spray or a little hair oil helps to protect your hair.
You hairs proteins and natural oils can be damaged by the high temperatures of your flat irons and also by your blow dryer.
On top of that the heat protection spray or oil helps to de frizz and add shine to your hair.
If you use your irons on a regular basis this product should be a must in your hair cabinet.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Your Flat Irons.
Mistake 4. Your sections are too big.
When in a hurry it is easy to take too large a section to iron straight. Unfortunately when doing this the outside of the sections maybe straight but the centre of the hair section will not be.
At the end of the day you will get a much better and lasting result if you section your hair as you go.
Each section size should be no larger than the plate of your irons. So if your hair straightener’s plate size is 1 inch your section size should be no more than 1 inch.
Mistake 5. Going over the same hair section again and again.
Don’t go over the same section again and again with your flat irons thinking that you will make it smoother. If you do.
You will in fact increase the chances of causing damage to your hair.
Try to straighten your hair as much as possible with your hair dryer and brush first. Only using your hair straighteners to create the final smooth finish.
Hold each section of your hair with tension between your irons plates. But not too hard and heavy.
Then slow and steadily move down from the root to the tip of your hair.
Mistake 6. Your hair is always flat on your head.
Your hair doesn’t always have to be flat at the roots. Try creating a little root lift in your straight hair look.
To do this take the section of hair and hold the irons upwards at the root area.
Before slowly curving the irons down the length of the hair in a large arc movement.
This action can create a fuller look to your straight long hair. Or a nice straight curved finish to a bob length look.
Mistake 7. You have never cleaned your flat irons.
Cleaning something is not always at the top of our agenda.
But try and make a point to once in a while clean your flat irons plates.
As products that you use on your hair such as conditioner and protection spray can leave a buildup that coats your irons.
This can cause your straighteners to snag or pull on your hair when in use.
Dab a little rubbing alcohol onto a cloth and wipe over the plates to get rid of any residue build up.
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