It is very common for people to imagine how their hair would look if it were shiny and straight if they have had curly hair all of their life. Although you may be accustomed to your current appearance by virtue of your curly or wavy hair, it’s nice to be able to change that up. People that try to straighten their hair often make a multitude of mistakes, some of which can actually cause damage.
The last thing that you want to do in attempting to straighten your hair is to make it look worse than ever before. Here are three simple strategies on how to straighten hair, regardless of your hair type, so that you can enjoy a brand-new look, sporting perfectly straight hair for any hairstyle that you desire.
Choosing The Best Flat Iron
A flat iron is technically referred to as a heating device which is used for styling and straightening hair. By using heat, which is how curling irons and crimping irons are able to change the appearance of hair, a flat iron is able to do the same. The reason we are able to change the appearance of hair is by using heat to break down positive hydrogen bonds located in the very cortex of the hair itself. Once this occurs, the hair becomes more malleable, allowing you to shape it the way you want.
When using a flat iron by pressing the two heated pads over the hair that you want to straighten, it is possible to get the appearance that you want for a short amount of time. The moment that hair is exposed to moisture, however, the hydrogen bonds will reform causing the hair to resume to its natural state. The flat iron that you choose should have high-quality ceramic material used on the plates in order to get the best results.
If you have short thick hair that is curly, narrow plates, up to an inch in width, allows you to tackle shorter strands of hair effectively, whereas longer hair that is wavy or curly, especially extremely thick hair, should be straightened using flat irons with plates up to two inches in width.
Choosing The Best Heat Setting
The next consideration to make is how hot the flat iron should be in order to maximize your results. Variable heat settings allow you to choose the proper temperature based upon how curly or how thick your hair is. If you have fine or damaged hair, up to 300 degrees will provide you with the best results. Thick coarse hair with extreme curls should be straightened out a setting of no more than 400 degrees. This will allow you to straighten your hair without damaging the hair during the process, something that many novices experience when their first attempting this procedure.
Best Materials For Flat Irons
It’s always best to spend a little extra money on a quality flat iron so as to improve your results. A quality flat iron will be made of either tourmaline, titanium or ceramic. The reason is that the heat is more evenly distributed across the surface area of the plates on the flat iron itself. This allows you to get a more even appearance once the straightening is done, plus will reduce the probability of damaging your hair in the process. Always avoid flatirons that have a so-called Teflon coating because the heat will be unevenly distributed.
Straightening your hair will involve using a quality flat iron, something that you can now choose using the aforementioned specifications. Each one will be different in regard to how long the hair should be placed between the plates of the flat iron and will also differ in regard to hair density, hair length and how tight your curls are. The simple tips on how to straighten hair should allow you to be successful the first time that you attempt to do this. You now can straighten your hair the right way, the first time, using the best techniques and a quality flat iron that will produce excellent results.
