How to Flat Iron Hair

• by Tracy C.

• Also try: How to Straighten Hair

Introduction

Straight hair is a flat iron session away! (Creative Commons photo by Jason and Alison)

• Flat ironing your hair is the quickest route to uber-straight hair that won't need to be washed and styled again for a few days, and DIY ironing at home be much healthier for your hair than the chemical alternatives on offer at your local salon. Devotees of the flat iron have become so attached, in fact, that the UK has recently begun installing them from vending machines around the country for that necessary quick fix. (In truth, the climate there is not so conducive to straight locks.)

• While choosing the right flat iron is your first order of business, you'll also need to learn the proper technique to straightening your hair with this particular tool. It will take a little practice, but with patience, you will quickly master the art of flat ironing without stepping foot in a salon.

Choose the Proper Flat Iron

• Depending on your hair type and budget, you'll want to select a particular flat iron to do the job.

1. Experts recommend buying a flat iron with ceramic plates, which are the least damaging to hair.
2. Is your hair fine, thick, wavy, curly, coarse, etc.? Once you identify your hair type, you can narrow the field of flat iron competitors.
   • • For long, thick and/or coarse hair: You'll want an iron that can reach high temperatures (above 200 degrees) and that has slightly wider plates (between 1.5 and 3 inches).
     • For normal hair: A relatively thin iron (between 1 to 2 inches, depending on how long your hair is—longer hair can be done faster with a wider iron) will do the trick.
     • For fine hair: A thin iron (between 1 and 1.5 inches) will work, and you'll want to be able to turn the temperature down so as not to damage hair.
3. What is your budget? Flat irons range from those you find at CVS for $20, to turbo-charged, tourmaline-plated professional flat irons that can reach hundreds of dollars in price.
4. See Mahalo's guide to Flat Irons to comparison shop.
5. And be sure to read user-tested reviews of the top flat irons on Slate, too.

Use a Flat Iron on Dry Hair

You'll need to blow dry hair before you flat iron. (Creative Commons photo by Katie Brady)

• Unless you have one of those fancy wet-dry straighteners, you'll need to blow dry your hair before you begin using your flat iron.

1. Never try to straighten wet hair with a flat iron, because the damage will be impossible to repair.
2. Depending on how curly your hair is, you can spend more or less time trying to blow dry your hair straight before starting with the flat iron.
3. See Mahalo's guide to How to Straighten Hair to learn about blow drying curly hair straight before flat ironing.
4. You may still want to use a heat protective spray or serum before flat ironing to protect your hair from the hot and potentially damaging temperatures.

Work in Sections

• Ironing one small section of hair at a time will lead to perfectly smooth, straight hair.

1. Use hair clips to section off hair you aren't currently straightening.
2. Focus on sections that are about one to two inches wide and a half inch thick.
3. Starting at the root, clamp down your flat iron and pull it straight down the hair shaft in one smooth motion.
4. Be sure to pull the iron over your hair in a fluid motion. Don't stop partway through or use halting motions, as they will leave horizontal lines imprinted in your hair.
5. Using a comb as you pull the iron through your hair will evenly distribute your hair across the iron's plates.
6. You may need to pull the iron through a section more than once to get it completely straight.
7. To deal with the tricky back of the head, part the back of your hair in the middle and pull each half over shoulders so you can see what you're doing. Pull hair straight toward the side of your head so you can continue to watch what you're doing.

Use a Finishing Product

• You'll want to seal in your straight look!

1. Use a serum gloss or other finishing product to tame frizzies and keep your straight hair straight.
2. But be careful not to add too much product, or else your hair will look greasy, and you'll need to wash your hair again all too soon.
3. The final "finishing product"? An umbrella! Water is your enemy, unless you want to revert immediately back to curly, frizzy hair.

Resources for How to Flat Iron Hair

• VideoJug: How to Use Hair Straighteners
• Slate: "Set Me Straight: Which Flat Iron Can Conquer My Crazy Curls?" (April 24, 2007)
• wikiHow: How to Straighten Your Hair
• Gizmodo: Straight Up Lets You Straighten Your Hair on the Go
• Folica: Flat Iron Buying Guide
• About.com: How to Use a Flat Iron  
• ABC News: "Straight Talk on Hair-Straightening Treatment" (August 13, 2004)

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