Find out what you're doing wrong when ironing your hair and learn simple and practical tricks to avoid damaging or burning it.
Hair straighteners have become an essential beauty ally for many. They allow you to wear smooth or wavy hair without frizz throughout the day. But, we must not forget that it is a heat accessory and that, therefore, we must be careful when using it so as not to damage or break the hair.
If you want to straighten your hair safely and without damaging your hair, try to avoid these common mistakes.
- Do not use thermal protector
Whenever we are going to use the irons, it is very important to apply a heat protector beforehand to avoid damaging the hair or breaking it.
- Use the irons with damp hair
This is, according to experts, the worst mistake you can make when ironing your hair. Before using the irons, the hair must be completely dry. It is preferable to dry it in the air or, otherwise, use the dryer.5 Best Hair Straighteners
If we use the irons with wet hair, we are literally cooking it. In fact, you can even hear a kind of "click" as it starts.
- Going over the plank many times or stopping too long at one point
It is recommended not to pass the iron more than three times through the same strand. The ideal is to pass it only once, slowly, through the entire lock; without stopping at one point for too long. Otherwise, you will have marks on your hair and, worst of all, you will burn it. Remember: The less time you expose your hair to heat, the better.
- Do not divide the hair into sections or untangle it
When using the irons, the most effective thing is to divide the hair into sections and iron it lock by lock.
It is also important to always untangle the hair with a brush before ironing it. If there are knots when passing the iron, the hair can break.
- Ironing the hair at too high a temperature
Ironing the hair at a higher temperature is not more effective. Applying too much heat to your hair damages it and can even burn it.
It is best to buy an iron with a temperature regulator to be able to adjust it according to our needs. In general terms, these are the appropriate temperatures for each type of hair:
Between 120 and 150º for fine and fragile hair. We remind you that if these are the characteristics of your hair, it is very important that you do not abuse the irons.
180º for normal and fragile hair. This temperature will allow you to straighten or wave your hair without damaging it.
190º - 210º for normal and resistant hair.
- Choose the most expensive and largest iron
When buying a hair straightener, it is very common to think that the more expensive it is, the less it will damage the hair. However, it's not always like that. For this reason, we explain what characteristics you should look at when getting one:
Always choose an iron that allows you to regulate the temperature so as not to subject your hair to too much heat and burn it.
The best irons and the most respectful of your hair are those with ceramic or titanium plates.
Make sure that the plates are tiltable so that they do not leave marks on your hair when using them.
That they are light, easy to grip, and with a long and rotating cable to make them much more comfortable to use.
Decide on those that automatically turn off after a while without using them.
Test them out to make sure they glide easily through your hair.
- Not cleaning the plates
It is very important to clean the hair straighteners approximately every 15 days. Dirty plates, with traces of hair products or poorly preserved can end up being very harmful to the hair.
To clean them, once they are unplugged and cold, simply wipe the plates with a make-up remover wipe or a cloth moistened with lukewarm water. Avoid using aggressive cleaning products so as not to damage the ceramic.