Trouble using a straightener

Your hair must be BONE DRY before you use a straightening iron on it.

Firstly, apply a heat protective product such as the L'Oréal one in the pink bottle (as advertised by Beyoncé) or the TreSemmé one as per the instructions on that particular product.

Ensure that the iron has heated up fully before you start using it on your hair.

Tie or clip back your hair so that it is all out of the way apart from the 1-2 inch section you're actually working on.  Then when that bit is done, let down the next section and do that one, etc.

Practice makes perfect, just be careful not to burn your hair!  (To avoid burning, always keep the iron moving and try not to go over the same section more than a couple of times). 

Clean the plates of the iron after use (when they've cooled!)  Just run a damp sponge or cloth over them a few times.

Use an intensive conditioner when you wash your hair to replace some of the moisture lost through heat styling.  Blot your wet hair gently with a towel, never dry it roughly, so the cuticle stays flat and gives a smooth, shiny appearance.  Let your hair air dry before straightening so it doesn't suffer twice the heat damage from being blowdried as well.

Good luck!

Cool, good luck!

Personally I don't think chemical straightening is a good idea as it uses very harsh chemicals that aren't good for your hair or for the environment.  It is also very expensive and leaves you with no versatility in the way that your hair looks.  However, I appreciate that some people have tried it and loved it, obviously it is up to you.  I guess it depends on your natural hair type and the look you want to achieve.  Good luck with whatever you decide.

But japanese straihtening costs 500$ here.. In the US.

My problem .. i'm bit afraid of using the straightening rod. I feel it's gonna damage my hair. I'm having hair just till my shoulder only. My only problem.. it gets frizzy .

 

So whats the solution?

claribuzz wrote: your hair does not have to be BONE DRY to be iron. i mean if you had washed your hair, it would even more damaging to blow dry it until it is bone dry. you can blow dry it until it is almost dry. but if your hair is dry to begin with, no sense to wet it again.

I disagree.  To get the best effect, hair should be 100% dry before straightening.  As I said above, this doesn't have to be achieved with a hair dryer or any other kind of heat styling before using the irons.

trophywife wrote: Let your hair air dry before straightening so it doesn't suffer twice the heat damage from being blowdried as well.

Anilmanu, good luck with whatever you decide.  Heat-styling doesn't really cause very much damage, if it is only done once a week and you take care of your hair with heat-protective and moisturising products.  I guess it depends on whether you can put up with a little bit of damage to get your hair looking much better. 

Alternatively, if you are just trying to get rid of frizz, have you tried using a serum like John Frieda's Frizz-Ease?  Or other frizz-reducing products like the Frizz-Ease shampoo and conditioner or the Paul Mitchell "Skinny" range.  There are also cheaper products available from Garnier (Fructis Sleek and Shine), TreSemmé, etc.  Maybe you could try one of those first...

I wish you all the best with it.

Edited by trophywife