If we have curls, we want straight hair, and vice versa. It’s a good thing there are flat irons! Ultimately, both are possible.
Do you regularly straighten your hair? Then you have already made one or two mistakes. We’ll tell you what many people do wrong when straightening hair and what you should definitely pay attention to. You will also find these points in the article:
7 things every girl always does wrong when straightening hair:
01. The wrong flat iron
The purchase of a flat iron is crucial! It doesn’t always have to be the most expensive, but you should make sure that the smoothing plates are good and really smooth. It is best to choose a flat iron that has the plates sealed with ceramic or Teflon. Cheap metal plates damage your hair! Read the reviews of some flat irons on the Internet beforehand – or test your friends’ flat irons.
02. Straightening Hair after washing
Did you know You should never straighten your hair immediately after washing? otherwise, it will burn directly, but your dry mane should also rest a little first.
The reason? No layer of fat has yet formed that can protect the hair – it stresses it!
A little tip: wash your hair in the evening and only straighten it the next morning. They are a little messier than, but they stay healthy. If, after a while, you should straighten your hair after washing, don’t blow-dry it first, but let it air dry.
03. No Heat Protection
Heat spray is a must! This lightly sprayed into the hair before straightening. This spray forms a protective film between the hair and the heat of the iron. In this way, the mane remains protected and is usually protected for hours from humidity that would otherwise cause the hair to curl again.
04. The Wrong Straightening Hair Technique
Do not set the straightener too hot, as this will also damage the hair structure. 190 degrees is sufficient. In addition, you should always keep the straightening iron in motion and not stay in one place in the hair for a long time, otherwise, there will be kinks and this will strain the hair.
The iron should also not come too close to the scalp, as this could burn you quickly. In addition, the hair at the base is even thinner and can break faster.
A distance of 5 cm is recommended. And so that your hair does not become too flat, do not straighten it from top to bottom, but rather overhead or pull the hair aside to straighten it.
05. Straightening Hair Daily
Straightening hair is not healthy in the long run. Twice a week should be enough, otherwise, the hair will become dry and brittle. Especially on weekends, when you are not out of the house, you should just let your mane rest and not expose it to the heat unnecessarily.
06. Too Little Care
Hair that is often straightened needs more care than normal hair! Use a good intensive treatment once a week and watch your hair. If you notice that they dry out, change your shampoo, or take a smooth break. Your hair will thank you!
07. Straighten Hair in a Hurry
Are you in a hurry, overslept, or simply don’t plan enough time to straighten your hair? If you want to prevent your hair from drying out and, in the worst case, breaking off, you should rather leave the hair straightening and simply do a braid quickly.
How do I properly straighten my hair?
You have never used a flat iron? Don’t panic, it’s not that difficult. We tell you how to get straight, beautiful hair in four steps:
01. Heat protection for the hair
A flattened 120 degrees must at least cope with your hair during straightening. Adequate protection and moisture are therefore important. It is up to you whether you use a moisturizing shampoo, conditioner, or hair treatment. The main thing is the care is right!
02. Blow Dry
A must: blow dry your hair on a very cool level. The hair should be at least semi-dry before you tackle it with the flat iron.
03. Temperature selection
Set the straightener to the right temperature. If you are not sure, start at the lowest level. If in doubt, you can make it hotter later.
04. Smooth
After about a minute, the straightener has reached the desired temperature and you can start. Take a strand of hair, spray it with heat protection spray, and place the straightener on the hairline.
Then you close the straightener and pull the strand evenly through the two plates to the tips of your hair. Never stay on one part of the strand for too long.
Repeat the procedure strand by strand – depending on the length of your hair and practice you will have super-smooth shiny hair after about 20-50 minutes!
Straightening hair: the baking or microwaving method?
How do you actually straighten your hair properly without causing too much damage? Do you prefer to put the straightener very high or is it more sensible to take more time?
As is known, heat is the enemy of hair and makes it brittle and porous, so you should be careful not to overheat the iron. Many make the mistake of thinking that it is gentler to expose the hair to high heat – but only for a short time: the so-called microwaving. However, this type only destroys the hair structure.
The perfect temperature is around 180 degrees – good straighteners should have a temperature display. So you can also run your hair several times. This technique is called baking and is the least stressful. Nevertheless, you should never do without heat protection.
Which straightener should I use?
Who should still see-through and decide above all? There are straightening iron variations like sand by the sea: from the coating of the plates (aluminum, gold, ceramic) to the price (from 20 to over 200 euros) many details are confusing.
What is really important?
Here are our tips:
The most expensive hair straighteners are not always the best. But it shouldn’t be a cheap part for 15 euros either. A medium price range of 40-80 euros is completely okay since the processing (for example, robust housing) is also right. After all, you want to use your flat iron for a long time!
It is best to choose a flat iron with ceramic-coated plates. Ceramic ensures even heat distribution and therefore a great result. Ceramic tourmaline and titanium ceramic coatings are also recommended. Tourmaline stops the static charging of the hair (no more “flying”), titanium causes the plates to be ultra-smooth and the smoothing is gentler on the hair.
The straightening iron should definitely have several temperature levels, the plates should close easily. You should also pay attention to the width of the plates: the longer your hair, the wider the plates of the straightener.