Best ways to use flat iron?

Question

I got my hair done on Saturday, my stylist striaghtened it with a Chi flat iron and I loved it so when I got home I ordered one. Well, being impatient I bought a cheap one at Wal-Mart thinking it would tide me over until my Chi arrives, but I'm not seeing any results. It's a Revlon Stylix. What's the best way to seperate your hair to use the flat iron? Also, any tips on the best way to do the back of the hair? I have medium length hair that is very thick. I'm just afraid I'm not going to be able to straighten it at home! Any tips or suggestions would be very much appreciated!

Answer 1

Section it with clips, starting at the top of your head, so the last section is right around the nape of your neck. Straighten section by section, working your way from nape to crown, straightening small sections at a time.

Ceramic and Titanium straighteners work really well. Ones from Wal -Mart suck. Invest in some type of protector spray.... if you have a Sally Beauty Supply store near you, get Beyond the Zone: Turn up the Heat flat iron protection, I swear by it.

Some other tips, so you don't damage your hair...

1) put a damp peice of tissue paper on the plate of the flat iron when it is on, and hold it there a few seconds... if the paper is burned at all, the iron is too hot and will burn your hair.

2) make sure your hair is 100% dry before you straighten. Hair will absorb 30-45% of it's weight in water when it is wet... water boils at 100 degrees celcius, and most flat irons are much hotter than that... if your hair is wet or damp the water in your hair will boil, which can cause bubble hair (the individual strands will bubble and break very easily) or even that horrid incident where a chunk of your hair just falls to the ground because it was burned off... you don't want that...

Answer 2

Bottom line- cheap flat irons do NOT work. The only good ones I've found have been $70-$100. They're well worth the money, I have one that's 5 years old and still working well, my mom uses it mostly now, and I got another that I've had for nearly a year and it still works great. Make sure you use a ceramic one with at least 7 settings (mine have 10 and 12).

Do your hair in layers, pinning half or more up at first, divide the hair into about 1 inch sections, place the flat iron near your roots and slowly slide down over hair. Repeat if necessary, then do another 1" section. After that layer is done, bring down another, and another until your hair is done. I still can't fully get my hair done in the back, but do the best you can. I find it helps to look at the back of my hair thru a compact mirror (facing away from big mirror), if I find a wavy strand I take it in my hand and hold it till I can turn back around and flat iron it.

Answer 3

Those cheep ones don't work well for me.
To section my hair, I use a hair clip. I take a small section of hair all the way around my head and leave that down, then i clip the rest on top of my head. Then I straighten that. I take more, then do the same. When I get near the top I kind of leave a mowhawk of unstraightened hair for last, and then i just removed the clip, and take a small part of that section, straighten it, take another part, and so on. When I'm working on the back part of a section, i just grab the hair, and straighten it to the side of my head. I'm not sure if this willl make sense without a visual. I hope it helps you out. I Really just invented this on my own. My hair stylist had some influence on it, but mostly I just did what I found worked, and what was easiest. Oh and I use a comb the catch the hair thats coming out of the straightener because it gets pretty hot, and then I go over that part again. Good luck! If you have any questions, or need me to explain what I mean, just email me.
Good luck!!!

Answer 4

I usually part my hair in half as if im going to put them in pig tails. On the first half I start ironing small sections starting with the back first and work your way to the front. And then do the same on the other side. It may take practice at first but you'll get the hang of it in no time. When I run the iron though it, I run it though slowly in a stop, go motion.

Also, it best to always iron when your hair is really healthy and shampooed every night. Herbal Essence shockingly straight (or something like that) shampoo and conditioner works REALLY well.

Also, NEVER get an iron that has steam in it. It will make your hair really frizzy and fluffy. Always iron dry. (but silky moisturized hair)

Hope I helped ya :)

Answer 5

At first, flat irons did not work for me because the people who did it for me didn't do it as well, but one day a girlfriend of mine did it for me, and it really worked. It needs steadiness. You just have to have patience and a lot of time. Run it through slowly and take small parts of hair at a time.
Oh, and a good tip I learned that makes it look 10x better- Tie your hair up high and leave some out. Straighten that, then gradually take more out and straighten that so the not straight part is out of your way. Just keep letting it out bit by bit and straightening it, it works really well. I hope that helps, it's really quite simple.

Edited- Charming - I heard it was bad to wash your hair every day, I wash it every other day, I know poeple who wash it even once or twice a week.. Just a comment.
And by the way, straightening your hair leaves you with obvious and sometimes drastic split ends. I use Garnier Fructis, the one for split ends and hard-to-grow-long hair. A trick is to put it on the tips and leave it for 30 seconds before you rinse it - It does work. Until you straighten it again, of course.

Answer 6

Just flat iron one little section at a time (one layer, pin up the rest with a clip). Just go over the back a couple of times and hold a small mirror in front of you while your back if faced to your bathroom mirror so you can check and make sure that the back is straight. Oh, ya and make sure to use a flat-iron protector spray like Joico Silk Results.