If you’re anything like us, you’ve been straightening your hair for as long as you can remember. After years of of trial and error (who can forget showing up to picture day with an accidental crease in your hair) you’ve perfected your look. While you probably consider yourself a hair straightening pro, we searched long and hard to find hair straightening tips we’re sure you’ve never heard of before. Once you read them, you’ll wish you’d learned them sooner.
Choose the right flatiron.
The best way to ensure you achieve the hairstyle of your dreams is to make sure you have the right tools. With the advances in technology over the last few years, sometimes it feels like the options are endless. Before you buy your next flatiron, check out the three most common types of flat iron plates and see which one is best for you.
Ceramic plates.
Ceramic plates allow for even distribution of heat, lowering the chance that you’ll burn your hair. Be sure to purchase a flat iron with plates that are made out of ceramic and not just coated in ceramic. Ceramic coating can chip and cause hair to snag. Flatirons with ceramic plates are great for all hair types.
Titanium plates.
Titanium plates heat up and transfer heat faster than ceramic plates. That means one of two things: If used properly, the flat iron should spend less time on your locks but if used improperly or left too long on your strands, you run the risk of seriously damaging your locks. Titanium flatirons are great for people who already have naturally straight hair and just use a flatiron for touch-ups and ultra sleek styles.
Tourmaline plates.
Tourmaline is a crystal that is pulverized into dust and used to coat the plates of ceramic flatirons. The tourmaline helps to make it possible to flat iron hair with less heat, make hair look shinier, and appear less frizzy. Tourmaline plates are great for anyone with coarse, frizzy hair.
Stretch your hair without heat.
For many of us, straightening our hair is a two or three step process and each step involves a significant amount of heat. If you’re hoping for a sleek, straight ’do you won’t be able to skip heat styling your hair altogether. Fortunately, you may be able to complete the first part of the straightening process heat free.
If you have coarse or curly hair, stretching your hair is a vital step in the straightening process. Typically this step is achieved by wrapping your hair in rollers and sitting under a hooded hair dryer or simply blow drying your hair. You can achieve similar stretched hair results using a combination of hair twists and hair elastics.
To stretch your hair without heat, begin by sectioning off four to eight small segments of hair (depending on your hair’s thickness). Next, create a basic two-strand twist with each small segment of hair. Then, gather the twists in groups of two or three and tie them with several hair elastics so they remain straight. Allow the twists to completely dry. Once your twists have completely dried, remove the elastics and untwist your locks. You’ll be left with hair that’s dry, stretched, and ready to be flat ironed!
Use your flatiron to create sky-high volume.
Flatirons are used to create sleek styles. What they’re not known for is creating volume. Oftentimes pin straight hair ends up limp and lifeless—and who wants to take a selfie looking like that? If you love straight hair but want a ’do with a little more volume, we’ve got just the trick for you.
When flat ironing the hair at the crown of your head, flat iron your hair up and away from your scalp instead of down. Set your look with a medium hold hair spray for an extra long hold. The flatiron will still straightening your hair and gravity will make sure it lays back down, but by physically adding volume to your roots you’ll never have a limp, lifeless hair day ever again!
