'Celebrities At Home' With 'RHOA' Phaedra Parks
13 Reasons Why You Don't Need To Dread Swimsuit Season
For a night out or special occasion, the flat-iron can be a girl's best friend. Here are a few tips that have helped me achieve healthy, sleek hair at home!Start with a heat protectant
Always begin with a heat protectant. Apply a serum or moisturizer to blow-dried or air-dried hair and let the product penetrate for 2-5 minutes before straightening. This product will provide a barrier between your hair and the flat-iron.
Fantasia serums or Biosilk are excellent for flat ironing because they both leave the hair light and bouncy. For those looking for natural products, Jane Carter Nourish and Shine and Hydratherma Naturals Heat Protectant are fantastic.
Work with the process
While ironing, grab each section with a rattail comb (for relaxed) or two fingers (for naturals) to help pull the hair taunt as you straighten. It will help the flat-iron work more efficiently and effectively.
One or two swipes is enough
Its a common mistake to pass over the same section of hair three, four or even five times. But this is extremely damaging to our fragile strands. Make sure to only iron each section one or two times. If your hair is not cooperating, try smaller sections or, at least, breaking your section in half.
Loosen grip on the ends
Always remember that the strongest, most resistant hair is on the top of our heads. Try to reserve the most heat and pressure for the roots and gradually loosen your grip on the flat-iron on your way down the hair shaft. This will lessen the amount of heat and pressure applied to your fragile ends.
I hope this helps! For more tips and techniques, please join me at www.healthytextures.com.
Comments: (12)
Add a comment
By: Leslie on 1/02/2009 3:34AM
Oh my goodness ladies, what are you doing to your hair??!!
I have natural hair too, and it is relatively fine; yet when I straighten my hair, I never have the problem of it not snapping back. I have straightened my hair weekly for two months at a time and not had this problem.
I can only imagine that the setting you are using for the flat iron is way WAY too high. I straighten my hair with a brush and blowdryer first as much as possible because the bristle brush requires less heat to do its job. I use this sparingly, of course, because I know it causes some breakage. However, I minimize this by using a product combination.
Then I flat iron my hair on about 40% of the factory heat maximum on my iron. The first time I used my iron, I turned it all the way up the way we are always taught to do. I burnt my hair so bad that it took days to recover moisture, body, and softness. Plus it was awful looking, even though it was bone straight. After that, I turned the heat way down.
Bam: silky, healthy, straight hair.
If you don't feel like low heat is getting your hair as straight as you want it, I highly recommend doing a home roller set and finishing the job with your iron. Otherwise you will ruin your hair and have to work your ass off growing it back.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Jessica on 3/02/2009 9:20AM
I found this posting and I do realize it is almost March, but I found this topic interesting and wanted to post. Well, about three weeks ago I cut all my relaxed hair off (it was bra strap length)to go natural. I have been researching to find info on products to use to keep my hair healthy and products and techniques to straighten with a blow dryer and/or flat iron for special occasions (church, weddings, dates, whenever I feel like it, etc.). I have been wandering if I flat iron my hair will it lose its natural curl. What setting do you recommend to put the flat iron on so it will NOT destroy my natural curl? It has ceremic plates and goes up to 410. Also, I have been trying different products until I find one that works for me and during this process I have tried a gel; how can I get that mess off my hair? I have shampooed many times and it stills seems like there is a coat of gunk on my hair.
Reply to this Comment | Report This