Hair Straightening 101 - Improving the Performance of Your Flat Iron is Easy

Everyone can achieve that super silky style the pros get. The secret? A perfect blowout before you start straightening. Creating a smooth canvas before you use your flat iron will not only improve your flat iron's performance, it will tame those tresses in record time.

The Tools

Ceramic/Ionic Hair Dryer, Heat Styling Protectant, Hair Clips, Round Ceramic Brush

Ready, Set, Blot...

After shampooing and conditioning, blot as much of the excess water out of your hair as possible, leaving your hair damp to the touch. Never wring your hair with your hands or a towel. This harsh treatment causes damage to the hair strands. If you want your hair to be as smooth as silk, you should treat it like silk. You wouldn't wring out a silk blouse. Gentle blotting with a towel is more than enough to remove any excess water. (www.aquis.com)

Pamper and Protect

With damp hair, before you begin to blow dry, (or before you use any appliance that generates heat) you should generously spritz a thermal styling protectant all over your hair to shield it from the excessive heat and to also add additional moisture, volume and shine. Thermal heat styling protectants come in sprays, serums and creams. I suggest using a spray protectant, to ensure an even distribution. After thoroughly spraying the protectant from roots to ends, your hair is prepped, and ready for sectioning. (www.sedubeauty.com)

Savvy Sections

It's a good idea to section off your hair into manageable 1 to 2 inch pieces. To section: Start by parting your hair down the center from the front to the back of your head with a wide tooth comb. Gently pull each section to either side, and secure each side with a hair clip. Then take each side section and further divide them with the comb into 2 more pieces, above your ear and below, again securing the remaining sections above your ears with more clips so this hair is out of your way until you are ready to style it. Continue parting your hair and creating smaller sections and securing them out of the way until you are left with sections that are easy to work with, and small enough to fit into the brush you are using. But which hairbrush is best? (www.franceluxe.com)

Negative Ions = Positive Styling

Now that you are ready to dry your first section, the brush you choose will have a major affect on how straight you will be able to get your hair. I suggest using a round ceramic ionic brush to generate negative ions that help smooth the hair. These negative ions are created from the heat of the blow dryer heating the brush. If you are using a ceramic ionic hair dryer, this will also generate negative ions. The more negative ions you generate, the better! What's so great about negative ions? They enable the moisture to be sealed into the hair cuticle, and an increased amount of ionic energy allows the brush to slip easily through your hair without pulling or snagging, promising sleek, straight results. (www.metropolistechnology.com)

Your First Pass

Using your round ceramic ionic bush, take your first small section (about 1 inch wide) and starting with the back of your hair at the ends, roll the section of hair loosely around the brush up towards the roots. Holding the dryer with the nozzle pointed at the hair section about 2 inches away, slowly pull the brush and the dryer down the section to the ends, and continue going over this section until it's completely dry. Keep in mind that as you go over the sections with your brush and hair dryer, the thermal protectant will be activated, adding smoothness and a layer of protection as you style each section. With your hair dryer, brush and the thermal protectant combo, your hair will be as smooth as silk. Working your way around your head from back to front, keep sectioning off and blow-drying each piece, until your hair is completely finished.

Kick your flat iron's performance into high gear and make it more effective than ever by creating the perfect base before you use it. Get that super smooth look next time you style...it's easy with the perfect blowout.