Making a commitment to healthier hair does not mean you have to throw out your flat iron. Although low to no heat styling methods will help you achieve healthier hair faster, you can still whip out your flat iron from time to time for sleek, straight hair.

Here are a few tips that have helped me achieve straight hair with minimal damage!

1. Always apply a heat protectant and only flat iron (freshly shampooed) dry hair. Never flat iron dirty hair.

2. Limit ironing to once a week at most.

3. Always check to make sure the hair is completely dry. Blow dry or air dry any damp sections before ironing.

4. Try to keep the temperature to medium/medium low and work in small sections. You will get straight hair with less heat.

5. Use a rattail comb to grab and comb the hair as you iron. This will help you pull the hair taunt as you iron and will help the iron work more efficiently.

6. Avoid irons with teeth or combs embedded. These tend to pull and snag textured hair.

7. Stop using the iron if you see smoke or steam from the device or from your hair.

8. Look for flat irons that use tourmaline, ceramic and titanium metals as they tend to heat more evenly and are less damaging to textured hair.

9. Ask your stylist for recommendations on flat irons that are safe and easy to use at home. If you do not visit a stylist regularly, I would recommend Chi, FHI, Solia, T3 and Sedu. Conair and Revlon also make great irons that are a bit easier on the pocket.

10. Only purchase irons that allow you to control the temperature as these tools can become extremely hot. Always read the instructions before using the iron.

I hope this was helpful! For more tips on flat ironing and healthy hair, you can find me at www.healthytextures.com.