6 Permanent Hair Straightening Mistakes You Need To Stop Making

If you want straight hair that doesn't frizz up or go limp by midday, then make sure you don't move past the heat protectant. We recommend the Toni & Guy Heat Protectant Mist for the job. It's an integral part of your hair straightening process because it provides a barrier between your hair and the high temperature. It absorbs heat, reduces frizz and helps the straightening last longer.

It's important for a hair straightener to have temperature settings rather than just an on-off button. This allows for flexibility in your hairstyling technique and prevents permanent hair damage. When the temperature is too hot, it damages the natural texture of the hair and zaps the moisture right out of it. Avoid this by using the medium setting and moving it continuously through the hair for less than 5 seconds in each section.

If you're the kind of girl who likes to straighten her hair often, it's important to choose the right shampoo and conditioner that will care for your hair adequately. Any regular hair care product won't nourish your hair and keep it away from the damage caused by hair straightening but the TRESemmé Ionic Strength Shampoo and Conditioner will. It's made with Salon Grade Ionic Complex which reinforces the hair's natural strength and prepares it for any kind of styling, which is just what you need!

Whether you're getting late for work or your straightener is taking forever to heat up, straightening wet hair is an absolute no-no. Wet hair is incredibly vulnerable and the heat of a scalding flat iron can sap its moisture. The sizzling sound and burning smell is proof of wet hair being fried rather than straightened. So instead, rough blow dry first and then go in with a hair straightener.

When you don't prep for the in the right way, you're setting yourself up for disaster. We suggest you give the TIGI Straighten Out cream a try before going in with a flat iron. Its thermosetting polymers combat frizz, increase longevity of styling and fight 98% of humidity so that your hair stays straight and sleek the whole night long.

Don't pick up the first flat iron you see. When purchasing it, do your research and look for materials like ceramic, tourmaline and titanium. Flat iron plates made out of ceramic distribute heat more evenly. Titanium glides smoothly through the tresses and is more durable than most materials. Tourmaline emits negative ions which give the hair a smooth, frizz-free finish. Remember sleek, straight hair all begins with the right flat iron.

We get that you're all about achieving Kim K's sleek ponytail look, but there are some serious side effects of hair straightening that you should consider. Dry hair Your hair loses its natural moisture if you're someone who regularly straightens your hair . This is because the main purpose of a straightening iron depends upon removing all of the water within your hair to make it hang perfectly. It also explains why your hair goes back to normal after washing it—your hair is rehydrated, causing your curls to reappear. Over time, consistently straightening your hair drains out all of its natural oils, causing it to become brittle and prone to breakage, which leads us to our next side effect.

If you were looking to deal with those flyaways by straightening your hair, think again. While you may gain some immediate relief from the daily struggle of your hair refusing to just calm down, in the long run the dry nature of your hair will cause it to become frizzier.

The dryness that comes with straightening your hair is responsible for a lot of the other issues that your hair might face. The loss of natural moisture from your hair disrupts the structure of hair strands, making it a lot easier for them to break—this is why you find that you have a lot more split ends that make your hair appear worn out and tired. You might find yourself having to go to the hair salon for a trim more often just to get rid of those damaged ends!

Have you found that the natural sheen of your hair almost disappears after you've straightened it a few times? This is because hair straightening removes everything that is responsible for giving your hair its healthy glow—it strips the hair of its natural oils and moisture, giving rise to duller, lacklustre hair. The side effects above come with regularly straightening your hair. The ones below are more specific permanent hair straightening effects and are longer term.

Even if you've got the perfect hair routine all cracked out with all the right products and everything, this is something that is unfortunately inevitable when it comes to permanent hair straightening. The chemicals that are used to straighten your hair damage the roots, making you significantly more susceptible to hair fall.

Whoa—we know! This may be the deal breaker when it comes to using hair straighteners. The chemicals and heat that are used to straighten your hair, do significant damage to your hair cuticles, in turn slowing down the speed at which your hair grows.

When you straighten your hair, your hair follicles at the roots get damaged. This limits the production of the natural oils that work to moisturise and hydrate your scalp and hair. As a result your scalp becomes dry and itchy and will further lead to flaking.

We get that straightening can be a great way to amp up your hair look and raise that sophistication bar, but in the long run, is it worth it if your natural hair becomes almost unrecognisable? The chemicals that are used on your hair when it is permanently straightened can completely change the texture of your hair, and what's worse, the only way to regain it is to fully grow it out again.

If you're looking for a temporary quick fix for your hair, an alternative to using a straightening iron is to try out a hair straightening cream—this is another way of making your otherwise unmanageable locks more submissive. However, it is quite similar to a hair straightener in that it also uses heat as a means to straighten the hair and also has a lot of the same side effects like increased dryness and coarser hair.