A girl’s relationship with her straightener or flat iron is that of love and hate. While you love the way it turns your curls and ringlets into perfectly straight locks, you hate the way it damages your hair. Constant usage of a flat iron can cause serious heat damage. However, there are tricks which you can use to attaining sleek, frizz-free style that doesn't compromise a healthy head of hair in the process.
It could be as simple as snagging a thermal protecting product to shield your hair against heat damage, or you might need a heat-adjustable iron to avoid using the wrong temperature on your straightener that causes strands to dry out or break off.
Here are 5 tips which are one of the best damage-free flat hair fix-ups:
* Prep your strands with a smoothing shampoo and conditionerBefore you straighten you hair you need to prep your hair. Pollution, grease, various styling products, and dirt make your hair frizzy and unmanageable. Therefore, you need to wash your hair before straightening it.Use a hydrating and nourishing shampoo to make your hair soft. Before you apply the flat iron on hair, make sure your hair is dry. Do not use a hair straightener on wet hair.
* Use a powerful thermal protectant before applying heatA thermal protectant is a spray or a cream works its magic in three steps: It protects your hair from the damaging effects of exposure to high temperatures, it smoothens and adds shine as you run your straightener through, and it repairs existing dryness and breakage. With this simple prep step, your hair won't have a straw-like, unmanageable texture after your next flat-ironing session.
* Use a straightener with ceramic platesHaving a flat iron with ceramic plates is vital to maintaining healthy hair when it's constantly exposed to heat. The ceramic plates on this straightener protect the hair with negatively charged ions as they help to counteract or neutralise the effects of positive ions produced when using heat on your hair. The ion-neutralising properties of a ceramic hair straightener are also gentle on your delicate tresses. They also heat up quickly and evenly protecting your hair from patchy, irregular straightening.
* Finish with the right products to seal damageWhile straightening your hair, always use a good quality finishing serum. It penetrates your hair to leave it feeling silky-smooth and free of frizz. A good finishing serum can nourish your hair while also strengthening it. It should also be able to restore your hair’s strength by repairing and preventing damage. If you are used to experimenting with your hair, you can also choose a serum which contains natural ingredients and works well for chemically treated hair.
* Treat hair with repairing hair mask at least once a monthIf you apply heat to your hair on a daily basis, show your locks some extra love by applying this deeply restorative hair mask once a month. You can either purchase a good quality cosmetic hair repairing masque from the market, or you can use home remedies to deep condition and nourish your hair.