How Did Flat Irons Get Such A Bad Reputation?
Enter the “getting ready” part of a teenage girl’s house is nearly guaranteed to lead you to a hair straightener or flat iron. It’s hot and it’s popular, so every girl is going to want to straighten her luscious locks. Because hair straighteners have become some popular, they’ve received a lot of attention, and thus, a lot of flack. Are hair straighteners bad for your hair? Will they fry your tendrils and ruin your ’do? Some girls swear by them, and some experts swear them off; what do you think?
These tools succeed primarily due to the high temperatures they use on the hair. This leads users to worry that the heat will cause irreversible heat damage to the hair. For this to happen, a girl would have to use a straigthener every single day, multiple times a day, without proper care in between straightenings. Unfortunately, this happens. There are, however, several techniques and practices you can use to ensure that your straight hair addiction won’t ruin your tresses forever.
Always, always, ALWAYS use a hair repair shampoo and conditioner. For those who swear by this style and straighten daily, it may be worth purchasing a monthly deep conditioning treatment through a salon. If not, look for a shampoo and conditioner that’s made for use with heated styling tools or offers some sort of “repairing” benefits.
Additionally, use a thermal protection spray every single time you clamp the hot plates down on your wild mane. It’s worth it and will really help your hair in the long run. These products hold moisture into the hair and will deter any “sizzling” or “frying” that is often feared.
It is truly beneficial to save some dough and get a top of the line straightener for your ‘do. They cost more money than a cheap-o from the drug store, but provide so many benefits that it’s really worth the extra expense. The ideal straightener will have tourmaline (or tourmaline and ceramic) plates, will feature adjustable temperatures, and will use ion or far infra red technology. These features together will help prevent your hair from suffering any damage.
Lesser quality plates will chip and damage hair, and are known to heat unevenly, meaning they may burn some parts of your hair while leaving others unheated. If you don’t choose an adjustable heat feature, you may actually be at risk of damaging your hair beyond repair. Most girls need a temperature setting between 370 degrees Fahrenheit and 390 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t need it any hotter, don’t set it any hotter and expose your hair to higher temperatures. It’s not worth it.
The ion and far infra red technology do an excellent job of decreasing frizz and making hair shiny and moisturized. Many girls use a hair straightener to reduce frizz, so if you get one made for that, you’ll spend less time actually applying heat to your hair.
Even with proper care, it may still be beneficial to let your tresses rest; don’t straighten them day in and day out. Your poor locks just can’t take it! Instead, try to follow all these rules, but also leave your hair natural a couple times each week.
Tags: hair straightener, hair straighteners, hair styles, hair tools