Tips for Straightening Your Hair

1. Lets start with the obvious. Don't use curl enhancing products! I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but people have told me they have a hard time getting their hair to stay straight & then they tell me they use mousse or some other curl enhancing product! Yes, curl enhancing products will make it harder for you to get your hair to go straight. Who knew? ;)
   
   
2. Use a straightening balm. Straightening balms changed my life. It takes a little practice to figure out how to use them without getting your hair tangled, but they really help so much. I apply my leave-in conditioner, then I apply my straightening balm, then I seal it with a smoothing milk. Straightening balm helps shorten dry time and help your hair dry straighter and stay straight longer. My favorite is the Garnier Fructis Straightening Balm.

   

   $3.47 at Walmart

3. Divide your hair into layers, spray heat protectant on each layer, then brush with a paddle brush and straighten immediately before moving to the next layer. This allows you to minimize waves, kinks, curls, etc.  When your hair is damp for a short period of time, brushing it will help make it straighter without it getting wavy again. Heat protectant will obviously protect your hair from heat. My 2 favorite heat protectants are by Garnier Fructis and Tresemme.

   

   Garnier Fructis: $3.47 at Walmart
   Tresemme: $3.99 at Walgreens

4. Use a good flat iron. Stay away from the Remington Wet 2 Straight (for damage purposes) and Conair flat irons (unless you have found one you absolutely love); I have yet to find a Conair flat iron I actually like, which is strange because their blow dryers and curling irons are great. I love Chi flat irons and the Remington Pearl. Take the time to research flat irons before purchasing one.

   

   Chi: $50.00-$120.00 at Target
   Remington: $32.50 at Walgreens

5. Tourmaline, Titanium, and Ceramic are your best friends, Plastic and Aluminum are not! Plastic and Aluminum contribute to the positive ions on your hair. Positive ions will make your hair dry, damaged, and frizzy. Therefore, it would only be common sense to use an element that cancel out the positive ions with negative ions. Those elements are Tourmaline, Titanium, and Ceramic. (I did my research, can you tell?) Purchasing a Tourmaline, Titanium, or Ceramic flat iron would definitely be an investment, as it would minimize damage, dryness, and frizz. 
6. Know your plate size. If your hair is longer than your shoulders, a 2" plate would be best for your hair. If your hair goes to your shoulders or shorter, use a 1" plate. 2" reduce the amount of times you have to run your flat iron over your hair before it is straight, which will result in less damage.
7. Blow your hair dry. I recommend only doing this if you have an extra hard time getting your hair to go straight. If blowing it dry still isn't enough, use a round brush. Blow your hair dry, then touch up with a flat iron. This step is very hard on your hair and will result excessive damage, so only do it if you have to. Remember to use cool air for best results (less frizz, results last longer, etc.). 

Battle of the Flat Irons: CHI Air 1" VS Remington Pearl 2"

I decided I wanted to do a battle of the flat irons! I wanted both of the flat irons to be ceramic, but I wanted them to be from different price ranges.

CHI Air Classic 1": I liked this flat iron, but I didn't love it. Although it got really hot, I had to go over my hair a couple of times to get it to go straight- and my hair usually straightens pretty easily! I noticed it was leaving creases in my hair (and I wasn't even holding it very long), so I turned it down to the lowest temperature setting & it still left creases in my hair. It also made my hair super static-y. It drove me insane! After about 30 minutes, my hair was very straight. I usually straighten my hair one morning and then sleep on it & it will still be straight the next morning, but in the morning my hair was very wavy! I don't think it's worth the $100 I spent on it.

Remington Pearl 2": The first thing I noticed about this flat iron is that it heats up very quickly. It takes it about 30 seconds to completely heat up, no matter how hot you want it to be. It took me about 20 minutes to straighten my hair with this flat iron. It creased a little at first, but after I turned down the temperature it stopped creasing. It made my hair very shiny (as did the CHI) and silky. It straightened well and I only had to fix a few pieces the next morning. I also like that it's 2". I think 2" flat irons are easier and faster to use than 1". This is a great flat iron. I would love to try the 1" version as well. I have had problems with Remington flat irons before, but I loved this one! I think it was worth the $35 I paid for it!

WINNER: REMINGTON PEARL 2"

*This is not a sponsored post.*

Wet 2 Straight: Why I Switched

The Remington Wet 2 Straight (2 Inch) was my first flat iron. I loved it! Even though it didn't actually straighten/dry my hair if it was wet, I still loved it. After about 5 years of using it, I went to get my hair cut. My hair was ridiculously damaged, and I thought that was from putting so much heat on it. Without even asking me what flat iron I used, my hairstylist said, "You use the Wet 2 Straight, don't you?" I told her I did & she told me I needed to go get a new flat iron. She suggested a ceramic flat iron. 

She told me that the heat was causing a lot of damage, but the flat iron might have been causing most of the damage. Apparently (and this could be wrong), the "steam vents" can get pieces of your hair stuck in them, so it pulls your hair out. The hairs then get trapped in the vents & basically fry. So not only does it ruin your hair, but it also can possibly be a fire hazard. 

So that's why I don't use the Remington Wet 2 Straight anymore. I'm sure the newer versions of it are much better than the one I have. I currently use the Remington Pearl (2 inch).

Click here for the current model of the Wet 2 Straight 2"

Click here for the Studio Pearl Ceramic 2" (aka the Worlds Greatest Straightener)

& just in case you were wondering, here's the Wet 2 Straight I was advised to stop using:

*This is not a sponsored post.*