Flat ironing is an easy thing to do after you have a grasp of the technique. Here are a few tips for you:

1. Check the temperature of the flat iron by putting a piece of paper sprayed with mist between the plates. If the paper dries without scorching, the temperature is good.

2. Separate your hair into sections and work on small amounts of hair at a time to make straightening more effective.

3. Always use the flat iron on clean hair because any grease on the hair might cause damage when being burned by the flat iron.

4. Blowing out your hair first before straightening will give much better effect.

5. Use a wider flat iron for longer and thicker hair because you’ll save time going over all that hair and prevent damage done by applying heat again and again.

6. You can curl your hair with a flat iron too. Just move the flat iron in a twist while it is clamping the hair, and gently pull until the flat iron reaches the ends and the hair is released in a curl. Repeat in the same motion with each section of hair to get the same curl.

7. Never work the flat iron on wet or damp hair! Unless you’re using a wet or dry flat iron which is special, you’ll risk damaging your hair.

8. Use a heat protectant on your hair before ironing to prevent it getting damaged from high heat.

9. Don’t rush to get your hair done. Work on it calmly and slowly to prevent burning yourself and you’ll get better results too.

10. Some people may have different textures of hair on their head, usually curlier at the crown. So you may want to adjust the temperature or work on those curlier sections differently.

11. Be careful with your fingers. You can also use a comb to hold the hair so that you don’t burn your fingers.

Related Posts:

• Best Flat Iron – Main
• How to Use a Flat Iron
• Getting Best Flat Iron Tips
• How to Care for Your Flat Iron?

1. Power and heat
Imagine if you have a very crumpled shirt you need to iron, you will adjust the heat setting of your iron higher, but you won’t go higher than the recommended setting for the fabric the shirt is made of. It’s the same with hair; the curlier it is, the more heat you need.

So you have to check the flat iron you’re buying. Does it have enough power to go up to the heat needed?

Here are the recommended temperatures for different textures of hair:

• Fine hair; bleached, fragile or damaged hair – Below 360F/180C
• Normal hair – 360-380F/180-190C
• Coarse hair; Thick, curly or ethnic hair – 380-410F/190-210C

But what do you do if you’re sharing the flat iron with your sister? Get a flat iron with temperature control!

Temperature Control
Some flat irons come with temperature control where you can adjust the temperature as you like, but some come with fixed temperature. Adjustable temperature is great for sharing the flat iron among others who have different hair texture.

2. Ceramic or tourmaline?
All professional flat irons now have ceramic plates. Only the cheap flat irons have aluminum plates coated with paint to make it look ceramic.

Ceramic plates heat up fast and have constant heat to minimize damage to hair. Because the hard ceramic coatings are baked, the surface doesn’t wear off easily and won’t snag your hair.

Some flat irons infused tourmaline with ceramic to release negative ions which will eliminate frizz and smoothing out your hair. Of course, these come with a higher price tag.

For coarse and very curly or stubborn hair, ceramic plates with tourmaline technology will produce a much better result.

3. Plate Size
Plate size means the width of the plates where heat is released directly to your hair. Below is a table where you can check which plate size is suitable for your hair. Shorter hair will need narrower plates while wider plates work faster on longer and thicker hair.

1-inch flat iron

1.25-inch flat iron

1.5-inch flat iron

2-inch flat iron

4. Weight
Many people tell me that the difference between 1 pound and 1.5 pounds didn’t seem that big when they bought their flat irons, but after straightening hair section by section for half an hour, they wished they bought the lighter one.

If your hair is short and/or thin, a heavier iron shouldn’t be a burden; but if you have thick and/or long hair, definitely get a lightweight iron.

There are a couple of really lightweight flat irons out there weighing only about 10 ounces, like the Solia Professional Ceramic Flat Iron. Most of the others weigh around 1 to 2 pounds.

5. Price
To choose the best flat iron straightener, while price may be a good indicator of quality, it is not the ultimate pointer. Some of the users who’ve tried both cheap and expensive flat irons have claimed that their cheaper flat irons are better. Unless your budget is really tight, get a flat iron that costs $75 or above; that will have professional quality. The rest will depend on its features.

6. Brand and features
Unless you are a beginner or don’t plan to put much use to your flat iron, you should always pick a professional flat iron over a drugstore brand. Although it will cost more – above $75 – you will probably be glad that it lasts longer and produces more quality results.

Here are some features that you will be pleased to have with your flat iron:

1) Ergonomic design
- Much easier to grip and maneuver with when styling hair.

2) 360-degree swivel cord
- Doesn’t tangle up too easily when you work with your hair. You will hate to fight with the cord when in a hurry, I assure you.

3) Safe handles
- The handle part of the flat iron shouldn’t be hot while you iron your hair, or you will burn your hand! Most flat irons are safe to grip with one hand, but some people prefer to use both hands while using the flat iron. If you are one of them, you should find one which outer parts of the plates don’t get hot.

4) Auto shut-off
- Safety feature in case you leave your flat iron idle for too long.

5) Fast heating
- Heats up in a blink to let you get to work fast!

6) Slightly curved plate edges
- You can also create curls and waves with this kind of flat iron.

7) Warranty
- Most flat irons come with one year limited warranty, but check to make sure it does.

8 ) Wet to Dry
- Some flat irons can work on damp (just toweled-dry) hair or dry hair. This is because of steam vents on the flat iron that will release the excess moisture. This feature can save you quite a bit of time.

Related Posts:

• Best Flat Iron – Main
• How to choose a flat iron
• Flat Iron Tips
• How to Use a Flat Iron

Thinking of investing in a flat iron but unsure which one to get?

First and foremost, you have to find out what kind of hair you have. Hair with short, medium to long length will react differently to different types of flat iron. The same can be said for hair thickness, and whether your hair is naturally curly or straight.

Types of Flat Iron:
A ceramic flat iron is high recommended for starters and professional hair stylist alike. Unlike cheaper consumer flat irons, a ceramic flat iron produces negative ions and far infrared heat which is much gentle on hair. In other words, it diffuses heat better and result in less damage.

A tourmaline flat iron or a titanium flat iron combines these elements with ceramic to increase the ionic output and shine. These types of irons work best for people with curly hair.

Size factor:
If you have natural straight hair and you just want to smooth or de-frizz, flat irons that come with plates that are 1” – 1.5” wide would be sufficient for you. This width is fine for most hair types, and works best with hair of short-medium length. For finer hair, a narrower plate is sufficient as smaller irons are lighter and easier to control.

If you have longer, thicker or curly hair, flat irons with 2” plates or larger would be a better choice as a small iron would make styling more tedious.

Temperature:
Flat iron with variable temperature settings provides more styling flexibility and control. However, you don’t need more heat than necessary when styling your hair.

A decent flat iron with a temperature setting around 300 – 380 degrees F is good enough for normal hair.

For fine, damaged or chemically treated hair, a lower heat setting is preferable to cut down the damage. The opposite could be said for thick, coarse, extra curly and stubborn hair, which requires a higher heat setting (350 – 400 degrees F) to style.

Budget:
If price is an issue, don’t worry. Yes, you can splurge and spend upwards of $125 on your flat iron, but you can also get a comparable model with many of the same features for around $75. The models are cheaper if you don’t need the tourmaline technology. Good flat irons with only ceramic technology and variable heat setting can be obtained for $50.

Other notes to consider:
You may chose to invest in a professional flat iron or one with a small brand from a drugstore. However, it is important to keep in mind that most consumer flat irons are generally made with cheap materials, poorly designed, and are not intended for long usage.

Certain consumer flat irons claim to be “ceramic” or “tourmaline”. The ugly truth is, most of them are made with aluminum plates coated with regular paint. This coating usually comes off after a few uses, and as a result, hair gets caught and broken between the plates, which may lead to hair damage. Hence it is important to know if the flat iron you’re intending to buy is true to its claim.

Related Posts:

• Best Flat Iron – Main
• Best Flat Iron Guide
• Getting Best Flat Iron Tips
• How to Care for Your Flat Iron?

A flat iron is probably your best friend if you love straight, sleek and shiny hair but have natural curls. Unfortunately, the easiest route to straightening your hair may not be the healthiest for your hair. Therefore, there are some steps that you have to take to ensure that your hair styles straight and frizz free.

• Prepare your hair by deep conditioning it first. The product will have instructions as to how long you should let the conditioner sit before rinsing it out.
• After you’ve wash out all traces of the deep conditioner, wash your hair with a straightening shampoo, followed with a straightening conditioner.
• While your hair is damp, apply styling cream from mid-shaft down. Having trouble with curly, coarse hair? Use a straightening balm that will eliminate frizz while providing protection for your hair. Use a heat-protective spray to prevent hair damage caused by heat.
• Blow dry your hair section by section.
• Your hair should be thoroughly dry before you use your flat iron on it. It is important to dry your hair completely as using a flat iron on wet hair isn’t successful. Be sure that your hair is fully dry, from the tips to the roots.
• Heat up the flat iron at the right temperature. Usually, a lower temperature is used for fine hair that requires just a bit of touch up; a higher temperature is used for thick, curly hair that is stubborn to tame.
• An instruction manual is normally included with your flat iron to help you decide which temperature is more suitable for you.
• If you are not sure what temperature is right, it is important to not put the flat iron on the highest setting when you start using it on your hair. Start at a low setting and gradually increase until you get the right temperature.
• Starting at the back of the head, part your hair horizontally and pin up hair for ease of working.
• Take a one or two-inch wide section of hair each time and clamp the iron down near the scalp, but not too near till it causes burning the scalp. Move the flat iron steadily towards the tip of your hair. Curve the iron ever so slightly near the end for a more natural look. Repeat until your hair has been straightened.
• When all hair is straightened, rub a bit of serum gloss between your hands and palm it over hair to get rid of any remaining frizz and for extra shine.

Related Posts:

• Best Flat Iron – Main
• Getting Best Flat Iron Tips
• How to Care for Your Flat Iron?
• Flat Iron Tips

Many reviewers have claimed that their flat irons damage or break prematurely. This sometimes may be due to innate defects from manufacturing process, but more often than not this is due to careless management of the device or lack of proper care to the hair-styling apparatus. For the purpose of prolonging the life of your flat iron as well as ensuring your safety while using it, these are the basic steps to care for your flat iron:

• Take this as a word of advice – UNPLUG your flat iron immediately after use to ensure your own safety.
• Your hair or hair-styling products that you apply on your hair will build up undesired residue on the plates of your flat iron over time. This residue will make the plates become sticky and the flat iron no longer can glide smoothly through your hair. Hair-pulling or snagging will happen then, unless you clean your flat iron plates regularly.
• In order to make sure that your flat iron won’t die on you like a bolt from the blue, take a few minutes to cleanse it after each usage.
• The plates of the flat iron will remain hot for a several minutes even after you have turned it off. Hence, it is important to place it on a heatproof mat and let it cool off before any cleansing process.
• When the flat iron is almost cooled down, use a damp, soft cloth to wipe the surfaces of the plates. Any new residue will be removed.
• For stubborn buildup, you can use a professional spray solution to loosen it before wiping it off.
• For the purpose of protecting the surfaces of the plates, never use any sharp, harsh or abrasive cleaner or cloth to do the cleaning. The dirt at any crevices or creases on the handles can be easily clean up by using a cotton swab.
• One very important note – Never ever wrap the electrical cord around your flat iron! This will loosen or damage the electrical connection of the power cord. Just loosely bundle up the wires, taking care not to bend the wire too much near the connection part with the flat iron.
• Some simple fixing like tightening the screws of the plates to maintain the hair-gripping ability after months of usage is a must in prolonging the life cycle of the flat iron. If you are afraid of damaging the flat iron, ask a favor from the hair stylists, they will be able to tighten your flat iron at ease.

Related Posts:

• Best Flat Iron – Main
• How to Use a Flat Iron
• How to choose a flat iron
• Best Flat Iron Guide

Best Flat Iron Tips

If you like to style your hair at home, you are most like to have a flat iron. If you do your hair style quite often, the bill from a stylist can be pill up high. Buying your own flat iron and straightening hair at home is definitely less expensive and more convenient then regular visit to a beauty salon.

Well, if you plan to style your hair at home and save some money on hair style bill, buying and getting your right flat iron is important.

Getting Best Flat Iron Tips

If your hair is short, then you should use a flat iron that is one inch wide. If you hard is long, then you should use a flat iron that is one and one half inches wides.

Besides that, personally I prefer to use and buy a flat iron that has tourmaline plates for the ionic technology. Ionic technology has to do with the release of negative ions that have positive effect on hairstyling. This ionic technology will leave your hair in much silkier, smoother and tamer.

For a flat iron to make hair straightening a breeze, allow adjusting multiple heat setting is important. If your flat iron didn’t get hot enough, it’s will not straightening your hair. But if it’s too hot, it’s might damage your hair too. You might need to have some experience in this to get a feel of what is right for your own hair. Different hair such as more fragile or finer hair need lower temperature heat setting. So to have multiple heat setting is as crucial as to get the right job done.

Anyway, thanks for reading this best flat iron tips, more review to come for recommending the best flat iron!

Related Posts:

• Best Flat Iron – Main
• How to choose a flat iron
• Best Flat Iron Guide