I’ll admit: before I learned how to straighten hair, I was frying my strands into oblivion. As a pre-teen, I had one of those wet-to-straight flat irons (remember those?) that emitted a cloud of steam and made a sizzling sound when you clamped down on strands. At some point, I came to my senses and realized that frying my hair wasn’t the best move, especially for my butt-length strands. I went on a long hiatus from the straightening game—until recently.
Straight strands are back in style and who am I to ignore the latest hair trends? Lucky for me, flat iron technology has gotten some major upgrades over the past fifteen years. I am technically still using a wet-to-dry–the Dyson Airstrait Straightener. But, unlike my ancient version from middle school, which used scorching plates to dry hair, Dyson’s uses high speed air to dry and straighten simultaneously for a much healthier blow dry and straighten.
To help refresh my memory on how to straighten hair, I went straight (pun intended) to the pros. Celebrity stylist and founder of haircare brand, Rōz, Mara Roszak, and Garnier hairstylist, Millie Morales, spilled all of their hair straightening tips and tricks. Read on for their advice and their 5 expert-approved steps for hair straightening.
Step 1: Start with clean hair.
Roszak advises that you start by washing with a “hydrating and thoroughly cleansing shampoo and conditioner” because it “will ensure your style lasts longer, removing the buildup during the cleanse, then the hydrating ingredients help with the smoothing and sealing of the cuticle.”
I wash my hair with 14th Night Nourishing Shampoo and Nourishing Conditioner followed by the Nourishing Hair Mask for good measure. Roszak’s pro tips: “Comb through the conditioner in the shower and use a hair towel that will help to de-frizz and remove a ton of excess moisture.”
Roszak says second-day hair is ideal, since it ensures your strands are completely dry. But make sure there’s no oil at the roots. “Flat ironing can highlight that and or create a greasy look,” she says. “In this case, be mindful of starting the flat iron away from the root about one inch down from the part and hairline.” And of course, you can always enlist the help of a refreshing dry shampoo if needed.
Step 2: Make sure your hair is fully dry.
“Make sure your hair is completely dry and untangled and do a good blow-dry first,” recommends Morales. To detangle, I use the K18 Leave-In Hair Mask (I swear that’s why my hair is as healthy as it is because of its damage-reversing formula.) Then, as a heat protectant, Roszak recommends her RŌZ Santa Lucia Styling Oil, which I’m a big fan of as well. Not only does it look gorgeous sitting on my bathroom counter, but it also makes for the smoothest strands, which is especially important when straightening.
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