I have a flat iron and I'm not afraid to use it... If only I knew how :)

In My Humble Opinion
21

Some things I’ve learned over the years (gosh, must be 5 by now. Gettin’ old.)

  1. Always use the heat protectant spray/cream. You can prevent, but never reverse damage to your hair.
  2. Always dry your hair completely and totally.
  3. Most importantly, use a low heat setting. If you have to run the iron through the section of hair more than once, so be it. But using too high of a setting will permanently damage your hair. Wish I’d known this when I started; it took years for the full damage to grow out.
  4. Get a heat sleeve for it. There will be times you’ll be prepping in the AM and need to travel. Plus it’s safe to set it on - instead of your bed, so you don’t ruin your blanket/bed spread (ahem…not like l**indsaybluth **did years ago…)
  5. If your hair is traight at the roots, try just straightening the ends. You want body at the top of your head, obviously.
  6. NEVER EVER stop or leave the iron on a section of your hair. Run it through quickly.

breaking-reality do both sides of your head first, and bring them over your shoulders, leaving the hair in back. If your hair is short or you need the help, tie each side loosely in a pony tail (as in, your hair is hanging downward, just band it together, don’t put it “on your head” or anything). Then, grasp the top layer of your hair in one hand, the bottom layer in the other. Discard top layer. Grasp hair in one hand, iron in other, and straighten the hair, pulling the iron through from root to up and away from your body. Let hair cool briefly, then touch and feel the hair - if it feels like your properly straightened hair on the sides of your head, you’re good. If not, do it again. Then do the layer of hair that’s on top, same method.

22

I did it again and I still seemed to miss one curly strand in the back. :slight_smile:

I also need to find a different thermal protectant unless someone can explain how I am supposed to have completely dry hair yet spray this (wet) stuff on each section as I do it.

23

Oh no, use the spray stuff before you DRY your hair. Once it’s completely dry, then you straighten it. Some bottles advocate you spray it on dry hair - this never works.

I’ve tried them all, really I have. The one I’ve settled on is John Frieda’s heat defeat spray here. It’s usually $6, and lasts a loooooong time.

What shampoo and conditioner are you using?

24

I’ve heard that you’re supposed to spray the heat protector stuff on wet hair, then dry it, THEN flat iron it. However, I dry mine (with a leave-in conditioner sprayed in), and then, lightly spritz the heat protector spray on each section right before I flat iron it, and it seems to work okay. But then, my flat iron has a “wet hair” setting that supposedly allows you to straighten still-damp hair.

I use Tresemme’s Heat Tamer protective spray.