How To Flat Iron Hair

Flat Ironing Hair – 6 Steps To Success 

We all remember how getting your hair as straight and flat as possible was the trend may years ago. You would sweat for hours going over the same piece of hair to get it just right. Yes your hair would be pin straight, but it was crying out from the battle it just went through with the heat from the flat iron. Soon you would see slit ends and frizzy, frazzled hair.

With today’s technology not only have flat irons become more efficient and gentle on hair, there as been more practice and new techniques that stylist have discovered to give you that smooth look that is still sexy and sassy, no matter how long ago it was a trend.

Not only can you use the flat iron to straighten your hair, but you can also use it to create beachy waves and curls without a curling iron. You just need to know the right techniques to give you the look you are going for. Whether it is, smooth and sleek, big bouncy curls or flowing beach waves. Along with using the right technique you always want to make sure you use a heating styling product to protect your hair against the heat.

For a Straight, Sleek Style

1. Before you even touch the flat iron to your hair, you need to do a proper blowout. By doing a proper blow out you will only need to swipe the flat iron through your hair once maybe twice depending on how thick your hair is. Make sure you use a blowout lotion to protect your hair from the heat of the blow dryer. Try something like Moroccan Oil Smoothing Lotion. I like this blowout lotion because it helps speed up the time of blow drying, and protects it from the heat of the blow dryer.
2. Take the time to section your hair into small sections. Spray each section with a heat styling spray. One of my favorites is Evo Icon Welder Hot Tool Shaper. Start from the nape of your neck and work your way up.
3. Use a carbon fiber comb, which is heat resistant so it wont melt, place the flat iron behind the comb on your first section and drag down through the hair. Repeat for every section till you get to the crown.
4. Move through your hair slowly.
5. When you get to the crown of your head hold the sections up to the ceiling to give your hair a little lift at the roots. Yes you want a straight sleek look , but you don’t want your hair to look stuck to your head.
6. Once done spray a light hold hair spray all over to lock in the look.

For a Wavy or Curly Style

(For hair that doesn’t hold a curl well this technique works great to get a longer lasting wave/curl)

1. Whether you are going straight or curl you need to properly blowout your hair before touching it with the flat iron. Dry your hair with a round brush. Just smooth down your cuticle to make it easier to curl or wave.
2. Take sections starting at the nape of your neck. Spray each section with a thermal spray. I mentioned in the steps for flat ironing your hair straight that I like the Evo Icon Welder Hot Tool Shaper, and another one of my favorites is Aquage Working Spray.
3. In one quick motion, put a one inch size section of your hair into your flat iron with the iron vertical, turn your iron 180° away from your face and pull through you hair. Kind of like curling a ribbon with scissors. To get more of a curl then a wavy turn the flat iron more then 180°
4. Try to maintain a steady pass when passing through your hair so you get an even wavy or curl throughout your hair.
5. Run your fingers through your hair to break up the curls.
6. Spray with a light hold hair spray.

Practice makes perfect. You might not get the technique down on the first try, but with little practice you’ll be a pro in no time. Keep up the good work!