Does straightnening your hair with a straightening iron damage it? I do it every other day.

Does it take away shine and make it dull?kill lustre?

What is the best way to get both volume AND shine?!?!

Thorn wrote: If you use a high quality flat iron, like the sedu or solia, you won't get any damage... as long as you give your hair treatments. If you use a drugstore flat iron then you're definately damaging it! I would never use one of those. I use the Sedu from folica.com and it makes my hair straight, smooth, and shiny fast! When I wash my hair it goes back to what it normally looks. That's because of its quality. It's important to moisturize and strengthen to prevent damage.  I hope this helps.

OK well before you go out and drop $150 on a high quality flat iron like a Chi let me just say that heat is damaging to hair. It doesn't matter if it's a special brand from a store like WalMart or a specialty beauty supply store. They all get extremely hot and you should use a moisturizing shampoo on your hair if you do this type of thing often. As for nice quality flat irons HOT TOOLS makes good irons for $25 - $35 for a flat iron. The real low end flat irons that this person speaks about for the most part are junk but they get just as hot as any other flat iron. Sometimes the cheaper flat irons don't heat thru the metal plates evenly so I would recommend investing the money in a good flat iron but there's no need to drop $150 on a Chi Flat Iron. You are just getting a little better quality for your money with a good one.

The reason hair returns to normal when you wash it is because you are breaking the hydrogen and salt bonds in the hair when you wash it and they reform to your hair's normal wave pattern.

Your hair looks great curly, so if you're not doing so already, definitely try to have a few "curly days" every once in a while to give your hair a rest.  Heat-styling is less damaging if you do it less often ^_^ .

I have to agree with thorn. You can not compare the cheap flat irons to the high quality one. And take it from someone who has tried many irons, you are not just buying a little better quality. The difference is like going from a Hunday to a Lexus. Yes, Anytime you use heat on your hair you are causing some damage. However the type of iron and products or treatments you use will make all the difference. I have been using my Sedu for a year, and my hair has never been better. And it is not dried at all. Forget about Hot tools, not worth it. The results won't even compare, and your hair will be dried out in about a month. Cheap irons cause the hair cutticle to burst, causing major damage. Not to mention you must keep passing the iron over and over again to get you hair straight. And as soon as you go outside, there comes the frizz again. With the Sedu, is one or two swipes and the hair will stay super straight and frizz free. I only straighten my hair twice a week, and that is all I need. It stays perfectly straight. However you have to use the right products, and do protein treatments at least once a month. Also regular trims are a must. I posted my hair regimen and the products I've found to work great on the Straight Talk Forum, under "The fight Against Humidity". Take a look at it. Maybe it will work for you.

Good luck.

See, i have a flattenning iron like revlon. It's just a basic $20 iron. I straighten my hair. takes me FOREVER. and then the second day... it gets all wavy again.. and i'm not talking.. oh look what pretty waves. I'm talking,... back starts caving in... limp, lifeless wavy hair that makes me look homeles

So this sedu or solia irons you speak of, will they make sure i don't have to spend like 2 hrs straightening and how long do they hold for?

Thank you for all your input.

depending on the texture and density of your hair, it can take from 10 min. to half an hour. Your hair looks very soft. It will probably take 15 to 20 min. Use a good heat protection serum. I use Redken heat glide and it works wonders. My hair comes out super straight, soft and shiny. My hair stays straight until my next wash, with is usually three days later. If I get a slight wave while sleeping I do a quick 1 minute touch up in the morning.

You won't believe the difference. The first day I got my sedu, my hair had been up on a braid for 2 days. It was full of styling product. I took the braid out, and ran the iron on a section of my hair, and I almost screamed with joy. With all that product, and 2 days without even coming my hair, and all it took was 2 swipes and my hair was pin straight, soft and shiny. You have 30 days to return the iron if you don't like it, so you have nothing to loose. Go to Folica.com and check out the reviews, and the pictures, and you can judge for yourself.

Well good luck.

P.S. The best way to add both volume and shine, is to blow dry the hair first, and then flat iron. Your hair will be bouncy, straight and beautifull, and it will stay that way, even in the worst humidity.