How To Straighten Your Hair With A Flat Iron

Until I reached my early 40’s, my hair was flat as a board. I knew my hair would change as I aged, but I did not realize getting more unruly was one of them! I have kept my hair pretty short in order to avoid straightening it. Both of my girls have very thick hair with a lot of body. It is easy to curl but difficult to straighten. When Caitlin was getting ready for a school function, she asked me to straighten her hair. I had no idea how, so I had to look up how to straighten your hair with a flat iron. I got some great tips which were very easy to follow:

1. Pre-Treat Your Hair: Before you straighten your hair be sure to pre-treat it with a nourishing shampoo and conditioner.
2. Preheat Your Iron: Before you start on the straightening process, you need to make sure your flat iron is properly heated. The rule of thumb is the thinner your hair, the lower the setting you will use. For Caitlin’s hair, we used a setting of approximately 380 degrees but for thinner hair, around 300 is best.
3. Section Your Hair: By dividing your hair into sections, it makes it easier to move from one area to the next. Use hair clips to keep the other sections out of your way. If you have thinner hair, 4 sections will be fine. For thicker hair, you may need 6-8 or even 8-10 sections like we did for Caitlin’s hair.
4. Protect Your Hair: It is recommended you spray your hair with a protectant before you begin to straighten your hair. This will minimize the damage the heat may cause on you hair. It is advised to spray your hair while it is still wet. This way you are also protected from your hair dryer as well as the flat iron.
5. Use Correct Form: Using 1″ sections and starting at the top, slowly and firmly move the flat iron down the hair. Nice even and fluid movement will ensure a smoother look. Continue with this process until all of your hair has been straightened.
6. Finishing Strong: To ensure your hair is sleek, sexy and shiny, spray your newly straightened hair with a shine spray or serum.

The only flat iron we use in my house is from Barbar Tools. My daughter is a hair stylist and she uses Barbar Tools and recommended them to me. I trust her professional opinion, so I felt confidant in her choice. Dana Baker from Barbar Tools recommended I try the the 1.5″ 2300 Titanium-Ionic Flat Iron because she herself uses it. Again, I defer to someone who not only has a professional but a personal recommendation on a product. Because this was my first experience using a flat iron, I wanted to be sure I was using the best one on the market. With Barbar Tools, I knew that was the case.

There is so much to love about the the 1.5″ 2300 Titanium-Ionic Flat Iron, I could go on for a while! The tool has the perfect weight in my hand and with the 360 degree swivel cord, it is very easy to maneuver. It preheats in just a few minutes and with the easy to read digital display, I know exactly what temperature I am working with. It was such fun using the 2300 Titanium-Ionic Flat Iron on Caitlin’s hair because we cranked up the radio and sang while I worked on her her. I was blown away by the dramatic results. What do you think? You can also purchase curling irons, blow dryers, brushes, scissors and more from the Barbar Tools website as well as Target, Walmart and other retailers who sell fine beauty tools. The 2300 Titanium-Ionic Flat Iron sells for $165 and you can follow Barbar Tools on Twitter and Pinterest. Use the promo code mscribe40 through 4/10/14 at checkout to receive 40% off your purchase.

What is your best hair care tip or trick?