Want to know how get that perfect flat iron sleek hair? Now you can with this step-by-step guide on how to flat iron your hair correctly:  

Step 1:
First get the right items together. You will need:
•A flat iron
•Good quality hair brush
•A comb
•Sectioning clips

Step 2:
To get the perfect effect you need to make sure you have clean hair that has been well conditioned, so jump into that shower girl and start washing!  Remember to use a high quality shampoo and conditioner (not necessarily high price) and choose the right one that suits your hair type. Lightly towel dry your hair and then blow dry your hair.

Step 3:
Once your hair is dry, apply a heat protection spray to keep that heat hair damage at bay. Spray over all your hair and then comb through.  This not only protects the hair and stops it from drying out, but it also can give a nice gloss finish to your hair and helps give it that incredible shine.

Step 4:
Section the hair. Ok, so I don’t always do this as correctly as I should.  I will, in a rush, push the top half of my hair in a clip and work on the under layers and then drop the top and finish those.  This isn’t ideal and there is too much hair to work around, so this never gives the proper effect.  What you should do is put half of your hair up and then, with clips, leave 1-2 inches wide of hair (about ½ inch thick) and then clip the rest of the side. As you straighten each section, and as you straighten the section and are happy, release another section from the side clip until you are complete before dropping the top section.

Step 5:
Time to straighten the hair! So we are now ready!  Hold the section, as explained above, taut with one hand and use the other to clamp the flat iron as close to the root as possible. Hold the hair firmly in the flat iron and pull the flat iron down over the small section in one fluid movement.  If it doesn’t come out perfectly straight, pull it through again.

Straighten the rest of your hair by continuing along with small sections. When you have finished the bottom half, release the top clip in small sections and repeat the process you did on the bottom half.

Pointers:
•Don’t do jerky movements as it will leave horizontal lines in your hair and you will have to pull the flat iron through a few more times to get it straight. This isn’t ideal as over flat ironing can dry out the hair.
•Don’t freak out if steam rises from the hot iron. You have just put on some spray that has moisture.  As long as you don’t hear any sizzling sounds!
•Take care around your ears and your scalp as the flat iron is hot and can burn your skin.

Step 6:
Check your hair. Look for any sections you missed and don’t forget to look at the back of your head.

Step 7:
Style your hair. You might want to now still use your flat iron to pull a section in another direction to style it in a certain way.  I tend to pull my fringe at a slight angle away from my face. Do this before you put any styling products in your hair as they can be flammable and you don’t want your hot flat iron on these products.

Try not to use water based styling products as they can cause your hair to go frizzy again.  I use either Loreal Mythic Oil or GHD Smooth & Finish Serum.  It hides any dry ends and gives that added sleekness and gloss that we all love. Add only a little as you don’t want your hair to appear greasy. Apply onto your hands and then rub the mixture onto all your hands and slowly work the bottom bits of your hair before leaving the little amount left to tame flyaways near the top.

If you want, you can create little end flips. This is the same as flat ironing your hair except you can create a little upturn at the end either towards or away from the face.  My hair style doesn’t require this but a lot of my friends do. Basically, all you do is when you get close to the end of the hair and the point you want to “flick/flip”, twist the flat iron in a C motion and you will create a slight flick/flip and also create a nice curl in style.
Having the right tools is just as important as knowing how it’s done. For the best result, you need the best tool. Here are some of the best recommended flat irons:

The best flat irons:
Try to get pro ceramic flat irons. Ceramic plates have negative ions and infrared heat which is more gentle on your hair. It also seals the hair follicles that preserve moisture and gives your hair a nice shine. Be careful of nano-ceramic flat irons as these just have a thin ceramic layer that comes off quickly.  

There are also tourmaline flat irons which are made out of a precious stone. It also has high negative ion output. There are also Titanium flat irons, but these are harder to find.  

Some facts:
The word “ionic” is commonly used in the styling industry to refer to negative ions only. Ceramic flat irons use ceramic heaters, which produce negative ions when heated.

An ion is an atom that’s gained a positive or negative electrical charge. Like with magnets. Opposites attract because neutrality is the natural state of stability and health.

Damaged hair is positively charged from static electricity. The positive charge helps to keep hair follicles open, dried out & brittle.

Negative ions neutralize the charge, closing hair follicles and smoothing the hair shaft. All ceramic flat irons produce them, while materials like tourmaline & titanium boost their output.

One final tip: give your hair a break from heat styling on days when you don’t really need it! It’ll look that much better when it’s time to shine.

So, what’s the best flat iron out there? Well, I am trying to figure that out myself.  I recently had a break in and the burglars stole my GHD, so now I need a new flat iron. I am looking at two options:

1. FHI  heat platform, pro ceramic tourmaline
•Combines 3 distinct Nano technologies (Nano Ti + Nano Ti02+Nano Ag) for cleansing & purifying to leave hair healthier, shinier and more vibrant.
•Wide temperature ranges adjusts from 140° to 450°.
•Tourmaline treated plates for enhancing the condition of the hair.
•Bevelled ceramic plates with 3 baked layers that can flip, twist, straighten and curl.
•Damp to dry versatility. Protects hair colour and retards fading.

2.GHD classic
•Sleek design: allows for better handling for all types of styling
•Protective plate guard: to safely cover hot plates when you need to style and go.
•Ceramic heaters and contoured plates: glide through your hair for smoother, snag-free styling.
•Rounded barrel: easily create curls, waves, flicks and the perfect straight.
•Sleep mode: heaters automatically switch off if not used for 30 minutes.
•Universal voltage: optimum performance wherever you travel.< br />•Universal voltage 110v to 230v for worldwide travel use.
•Advanced ceramic heaters aluminium plates help seal the cuticle and create static-free shine.
•Emits infrared heat and negative ions, both of which are less damaging to the hair and reducing static

Please submit your thoughts on other options and/or which of the two you would pick.  The prices aren’t too different, so it comes down to which is better.  

Article by: Hayley Vann-Herbert http://www.beautybulletin.com/blog-directory/our-bloggers/hayley-vann