How to Use a Hair Straightener Effectively

Using a hair straightener and using a hair straightener CORRECTLY is a big difference!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hair straightener..decently priced. It doesn't need to be a high priced one if that's not in your price range.
• brush
• finishing cream/gloss/serum (not necessary, but its nice to have)

1. 

   Wash hair. I like to use a shampoo and conditioner that helps 'smooth' hair. That's usually the words you want to look for on the bottles. I really like Pantene Pro-V Smooth Vitality.

2. 
   hair dryer attachment

   Completely dry hair, using a hair dryer attachment that helps to smooth the hair and blow it in the same direction.
   Don't flip your hair over to dry. Don't just dry your hair all willy-nilly. This will make your hair frizzy and harder to straighten your hair.

3. 
   how to best divide your hair in sections

   Turn on straightener to the hottest setting. They usually take very little time to heat up.
   Once hair is dry, take an elastic hair band to start sectioning off hair. You only need one hair band for this.
   You will first want to start at the hair at the base of your head, near your neck..the underside. So, leave that down. Put all the rest of your hair up in the elastic hair band on the top of your hear to get it out of the way.
   (Think of dividing all your hair into thirds. So, this underside that you've kept down is 1/3 of all your hair.)

4. 

   Take 1/3 of this hair in your hand and brush out, getting rid of tangles. Don't let go of this section of hair. Hold onto this to get ready to straighten.
   Using hair straightener, start at base of hair you just brushed, getting as close as you can to scalp without burning it.
   SLOWLY drag straightener down the length of hair, focusing on the ends.
   If you go to fast down the hair (like the speed of how you normally brush your hair), you are going way too fast.
   I like to go over the hair twice with my straightener. I like the results I get doing it more than once.

5. Take another section of this part of hair and repeat step 4. Remember to first brush this section of hair before your start to straighten.
   
   Finish with the last 1/3 part of the sectioned hair. Now, the whole base/back of your neck should be straight.

6. 
   In this picture, see how she divided up her hair? The last part to straighten is whats standing up, what she's holding. meleesathesalon.com

   With the hair that was thrown up in the elastic band, divide up this hair into halves, leaving the hair at the front, near your forehead the last part to do...throw this past part up in the elastic bad to get out of the way.
   So, now, you should be working on the 'middle part of hair'
   Repeat step 4.

7. The last part to straighten is what's tied up in the elastic band.
   Let this down. Brush out. Part in half, or do a side part...however you style your hair usually.
   Repeat step 4.

8. 

   Once all hair is straightened, if you wish, you can now put on a finishing crème to the ends of your hair.
   I like all Frizz-Ease products. They are an inexpensive and wonderful for frizzy hair. Sephora also sells great products.
   Don't put finishing cream/pomade/gloss at the roots of your hair. This will weigh hair down and look dirty and greasy. Just keep it closer to the bottom of your hair.
   Comb out hair again or run fingers through.