How to Flat Iron Hair the Healthy Way

Learn how to flat iron hair the healthy way with the tips and information below.

Clean Hair

Starting off with a clean head of hair is the very first step in how to flat iron hair the healthy way.

Always start off with hair that has been freshly shampooed to remove buildup. This is especially important if you have been conditioner-washing regularly. Never flat iron hair that is dirty.
Deep condition your hair to infuse it with moisture in preparation for heat styling.
Use a light leave-in conditioner or use a light-hand with a creamy leave-in conditioner. Using too much will cause build up on your flatiron.

Proper Drying

Proper drying is an important element to learn how to flat iron hair the healthy way.

To prepare your hair to dry softly, apply a serum or a light moisturizer to your hair.
Make sure your hair is detangled well because it is important to have tangle-free hair when flat ironing
You can dry your hair with various methods: air drying, sitting under a dryer, or blow drying.

If you choose to air dry your hair, make sure you have it set in a way that will air dry your hair all over. You may want to put it into 4 braids to keep it detangled and help the air reach all portions of the hair. You can even air dry over night and flat iron in the morning to save on time.
You can sit under a dryer with the same 4 braids as mentioned above. Use a cooler setting since you’ll be using extra heat when flat ironing. This will help your hair dry faster if you’re in a rush.
If you’re going to blow dry your hair, use a professional quality blow dryer such as a Chi or Sedu to avoid overdrying your hair. These dryers create negative ions which help moisture stay in your hair. Using these types of dryers, you’ll notice that your dries hair will feel soft to the touch instead of dry and brittle.

Professional Flat Iron

The type of flat iron you use is also important in flat ironing your hair the healthy way.

Use a good quality, professional flat iron that is true ceramic all the way through. You’ll generally want to spend between $75 and $200 for a good flat iron. You can get a very nice Sedu or Chi or Solia around $110 at Folica.com.
Conair and other drug store flat irons are mostly ceramic coated instead of being true ceramic irons and thus will not offer a smooth surface for your hair which can cause damage over time.
Keep your flat iron clean after every use by using a flat iron cleaner and a towel to remove any build up that may result from styling products.

Heat Protectant

If you're not using a heat protectant, you'll never learn how to flat iron hair the healthy way.

You’ll be protecting your hair from start to finish from heat if you properly shampoo and condition your hair.
Leave-in conditioners will also help protect your hair from heat by supplying much needed moisture.
For flat ironing, you should also always use some type of serum. Serum is made of silicones which coat your hair strand and protects it from heat. As well as protecting your hair from heat, you’re also helping to lock the moisture into your hair from the deep conditioning and leave-in conditioning.
For extra protection, you can use a heat protecting spray over every strand as you flat iron. Unfortunately, sometimes these result in greasy hair. Ion Heat Protecting Spray from Sally Beauty Supply is a good choice that is not very greasy at all. However, I prefer simply using a serum.

Right Technique

The truth is that you can never learn how to flat iron hair the healthy way without learning the right techniques to do so. Have a look at these an incorporate them into yourregimen when straightening.

Using the right temperate on your flat iron can make the difference in healthy flat ironing vs non-healthy flat ironing. You’ll need to look at the texture of your hair as well as the health of your hair.
Look at the directions that came with your flat iron. If you have curly hair, it will generally suggest temperatures above 300 degrees.
Start off at a lower temperature and work your way up. Never start first at a high temperature.
Section off your hair and start at the nape working your way to the front. Part your hair in very small sections.
Use your flat iron starting at the root (but not so close that you burn your scalp) and at a medium pace, move the flat iron down to the ends of your hair and let go. Look to see what level of straightness you’ve achieved. Determine if you’ll need to do a second swipe or if maybe you need to adjust your temperature.
How much smoke did you see coming from your flat iron? If you see a lot of smoke, that could mean that your hair is still well or you have too much styling product on it that has not dried. If you’re using a spray heat protectant before each swipe, you may notice more smoke as the heat protectant is evaporating from the heat of the iron.
Did you notice a smell? If you smell something burning, you should re-adjust the temperate settings of your iron. You should also check your iron and make sure it is clean. Typically, old styling products will cause a burning smell as the iron heats up and begins to burn the left-over product.

Using the information above on clean hair, proper drying, professional flat iron, heat protectant, and right technique, you should be well covered in knowing how to flat iron hair the healthy way.