I have good and bad news for you. The good news is, Yes, hair straighteners do make life easier. The bad news is, there is no such thing as a "good cheap straightener that won't fry your hair". First of all any type of heat is going to cause some damage. Is an iron less damaging than a dryer? NO. I mean think about it, you blow hot air on your hair (at a certain distance) while rotating the hair on a round brush. With an iron, you are making direct contact, of high heat, directly on your hair. The condition and health of your hair will depend on the type of care you give it. For example, I use both a blow dryer and a flat iron. Why? because it produces super straight, super smooth, long lasting results. I could blow dry and flat iron my hair only once a week, and have perfectly straight hair the whole time. But I actually do it twice a week, because, # 1 I just can't go that long without washing my hair. And # 2 my hair starts to get greasy after the 3rd or 4th day.

My hair is not fried at all. And I have been doing this for a year. However, I have a high quality, ceramic and turmaline flat iron (I have a Sedu) and I only use good quality products on my hair. I also do protein treatments at least once a month, and deep condition at least once a week. Regular trims are a must (every 6 to 8 weeks) to keep hair at its best. Please, stay away from cheap drugstore brand flat irons. They destroy your hair. So please no Conair, Remington etc. Even the Helen of Troy, Jilbere and other $40 irons are not recommended. You won't notice the damage right away, but trust me you will see it later. Also a high quality iron allows you to get your hair perfectly straigth with one or two passes. With the cheaper irons you have to go over and over again to get the hair straight. And it usually gets frizzie as soon as you go outside.

That being said, also stay away from expensive irons sold at Mall Kiosks. If you are going to spend over $100 on an iron, you want to do it at a reputable place. That way if you have any problems with the quality or performance of the product, they won't have problems taking it back or replacing it. I've heard of people buying  a Corioliss (sp?) $150 iron at a Kiosk at the Mall? Never do that!. Alot of these people had their iron short out on them after a couple of months and they would not give them a refund.

Also stay away from infomercial products. Like Maxiglide or True Ceramic Pro. They are expensive but not good for your hair, and the quality and results are not all justified.

So how do you know wich iron to buy? You can go to a website such a Folica.com and let the reviews speak for themselves. The two most popular ones are Sedu and Solia. I have the Sedu and love it. But people who have the Solia love it too, and it is cheaper than Sedu.

They both have good prices concidering the quality of the product. They will last longer, give you 100% better results and be way better for your hair. You don't have to go with the most expensive one. For example I have a $350 Bioionics flat iron that does not compare to my Sedu. It has been sitting somewhere in my closet for about a year now. So more expensive doesn't always mean better. But you deft. want good quality and great results for your investment. Your hair is your most important accesory. The type of flat iron you use, can make it, or break it (litterallly). So save up and get a good quality iron.

If you want a good hair regimen and tips on what products to use, you can check out my post on "The fight against humidity" on the Straight talk forum. It works. Trust me. I have type 3b, curly, super frizzie hair. But you would never know. My hair looks nothing less than a pantene comercial head of hair. Super straight, super shiny, super smooth (well, you get the picture). So think about it as an investment. In the long run, it will be cheaper to keep your hair healthy, than to try and repair all the damage from cheap products.

Good luck, and great hair!

Yikes! That seems like more trouble than it's worth. I was going to have short straight hair since my hair can be blow dried pretty smooth, except the ends. They stay straight for like an hour, then get curly. Course, I don't put anything on them. I wanted the hairstyle (yes and next week it will be different...I'm looking for a style that can be styled easily) below.

Oh, well, off again to look for a style that isn't super short. Trust me, if my BF and my mom weren't so "OMG don't cut your hair. You look like a lesbian." I would have cut it shorter. I also hate being called a guy. Just because I'm skinny and don't have much of a chest.

LOL! Hey I know plenty of girls with short hair and a small bust, and they look very feminine. Is all about getting the right cut. Next time you are at the drugstore, go to the hair color section and look for exellence hair color. I belive is the box that says Bright Auburn ( I could be wrong, I'll double check next time I'm there, but I am almost positive) The girl on the box has bright red hair. She has a short layered bob, that is breath taking. It is very feminine and very low maintenance. I got that hair cut one time and I had to beat guys off with a stick. I have never gotten so many compliments about a hair cut. I got it with out the bangs thought. Make sure the person performing the cut knows how to razor cut hair. That is of most importance for that type of cut.

About the hair regimen, don't let it scare you. It sounds like alot of work but is not. I do it all in about  30 min. 45 If I am being lazy and taking my time that day. Your hair is wavy, instead of curly like mine. Which means you can skip the blow drying all together. That means you would only have to flat iron. If you buy a good quality iron, it should take you about 15 minutes to straighten your hair.

Your hair is probably not dry, so you can stick to just one or two leave in products. I would use something for heat protection before flat ironing the hair. Redken smooth down heat glide.  And a leave in treatment while the hair is still wet. Either Redken all soft hair addictive, or Redken Color extend total recharge (even if your hair is not color treated). Those two products are amazing and protect and conditon your hair.

Take a look at the hair cut on the hair color box and tell me what you think. And  trust me, invest in a good flat iron and you can have the hair of your dreams.

P.S- for protein treatments you can buy Sebastian Potion Seven. It is hard to find, but you can buy it on ebay. The difference with that treatment is that you put it on dry hair. That saves you time. You don't have to shampoo first, then put the protein treatment on, then shampoo again etc. And remember you are only doing it once a month. So don't let it scare you. It is a little harder to wash it out, but you can buy Sebastian Potion 5 shampoo and that will take it right out.

Well, keep me posted.!

Hey! good for you. So which iron did you finally get? What kind of relaxer did you use for your hair?. Now that your hair is chemically straighten and you are using a flat iron, remember to use good products. Like I mentioned above, read the "The fight against humidity", for a good hair regimen and the right products to use.

Enjoy your new straight hair.

Redken is made by L'oreal, and they are excellent. Give them a try. Depending on the kind of hair you have, you need to choose which line to go with. Dry hair, go with all soft. Fine hair, go with water rush. Curly frizzie unruly hair, go with smooth down. No matter what type of hair you have, they will have a formula for you.

Good Luck!