How Flat Irons Straighten Your Hair

Have a look through your bathroom cupboards. You likely have several different heat-styling appliances to change the volume and texture of your hair, whether curling irons, flat irons or crimpers. Unlike the others, flat irons work to get your hair as straight as possible. The better the flat iron, the straighter your hair will be.

Heat Affects Hair

Outside conditions can affect how our hair looks. For those with curly hair, humid weather can cause your hair to become frizzy and unmanageable. Similarly, extreme heat can cause the same hair, once curly, to become straight.

Flat irons utilize these in the best way possible. When plugged into an electrical outlet, the flat iron will heat itself up. The hotter the heat, the better it will be at straightening your hair. Those with thin hair will get straighter hair with a cooler heat than those with thick, kinky curly hair.

When looking for a flat iron, it's best to find one that can vary the heat. A small dial on the side of the flat iron will help regulate how much electricity is turned into heat. With more control over temperature, you can get exactly what you want out of the machine.

Using a Flat Iron

Once you've plugged in your flat iron, you'll need to wait for it to heat up. This can take time. Cheaper flat irons don't have as good of technology, and they can take much longer to heat up than more expensive brands. It can range anywhere from 20 seconds to 5 minutes.

After your flat iron is sufficiently heated, work through your hair by sections. Take a chunk of your hair and place the flat iron at the roots. Slowly pull the iron down to the tips of your hair applying even pressure.

As the iron passes over your hair, the heat enters each hair and relaxes the hydrogen bonds, forcing it to become straight.

Damaging Hair

Although heat has the magic of straightening hair, it also damages. The hotter your flat iron, the better chance that your hair will be damaged. It fries your hair so that it gets dull, dry and lank.

You can prevent a flat iron from damaging your hair in several ways. If you have a flat iron with a variable temperature, lower it by several degrees to decrease damage. You can also use a deep conditioner while washing your hair in order to keep your hair from over-drying from the flat iron.