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Beauty
Hair straightening mistakes you're probably making
Sometimes the best remedy for frizzy summer hair is a sleek, straightened look. If you have a straightener handy, this glam look can be yours without an expensive trip to the salon. But if your at-home styling session never turns out quite the way you want, you might be making some flat iron faux pas. That’s why we’ve made this guide to the most common mistakes girls made when straightening. Here’s what to avoid...
1. Using the wrong shampoo and conditioner
Hair care starts in the shower. It’s good practice to clean your hair before styling it, and it’s also important to clean it with the right products. So when you lather up, make sure you use shampoo and conditioner with “smoothing” qualities. While it won’t magically make your hair straight, it will give you better results.
Try: Herbal Essences Blowout Smooth, $7, drugstore.com
2. Not using a heat protectant
If you want to protect your luscious locks, apply a thermal protectant before you start straightening. It will prevent damage and also keep your hair from frizzing. Just squirt a dime-size amount in your hand and run it through your strands. Go through hair with a brush afterwards to get rid of any clumps.
Try: Moroccan Oil Hydrating Styling Cream, $29, amazon.com
3. Setting your iron to the wrong temperature
Making your iron too hot can cause serious damage. The full 450 degrees is only really meant for professional use, so beauty experts suggest starting at 300 or 350 degrees and adding heat if you have super thick hair. Just make sure that your iron is hot enough that you don’t have to repeatedly run it through your hair, because repeated heat exposure can cause damage as well.
4. Not sectioning
If it seems to be taking way long to straighten your hair, then you’re probably not going about it in the most effective way. Divide your hair into small, even sections, and brush through each section before you apply heat. Your iron can only heat up so much hair at once, but you’ll only need to run through each portion once or twice if you keep the sections small enough.
5. Working in the wrong direction
Most people think that you should glide your straightener vertically down your hair, but stylists say that you should actually move horizontally, starting at the root of your hair and sliding sideways. Pull your hair taut at the tip for a little extra help.
6. Letting your hair sizzle
If you hear a crackle or see steam rising from your straightener, stop and see what’s up. This probably means that your hair is still a little wet from your shower or your heat protectant. Let your hair air dry or dry it with a blow dryer before proceeding. Just make sure that the blow dryer is always facing down to avoid frizz.
3. Setting your iron to the wrong temperature
Making your iron too hot can cause serious damage. The full 450 degrees is only really meant for professional use, so beauty experts suggest starting at 300 or 350 degrees and adding heat if you have super thick hair. Just make sure that your iron is hot enough that you don’t have to repeatedly run it through your hair, because repeated heat exposure can cause damage as well.
4. Not sectioning
If it seems to be taking way long to straighten your hair, then you’re probably not going about it in the most effective way. Divide your hair into small, even sections, and brush through each section before you apply heat. Your iron can only heat up so much hair at once, but you’ll only need to run through each portion once or twice if you keep the sections small enough.
5. Working in the wrong direction
Most people think that you should glide your straightener vertically down your hair, but stylists say that you should actually move horizontally, starting at the root of your hair and sliding sideways. Pull your hair taut at the tip for a little extra help.
6. Letting your hair sizzle
If you hear a crackle or see steam rising from your straightener, stop and see what’s up. This probably means that your hair is still a little wet from your shower or your heat protectant. Let your hair air dry or dry it with a blow dryer before proceeding. Just make sure that the blow dryer is always facing down to avoid frizz.
Do you straighten your hair? What kind of problems do you run into?
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