8 Things No One Tells You About Straightening Your Hair
Straightening your hair is a style that never seems to go completely out. For something that requires hours of time per week, none of us think too much about it. Let’s take a look at some interesting facts about what we are doing to those lucious locks.
1)PUT OUT NOT DOWNIn order to keep some volume in your hair when you straighten, a good method to use is to pull outward on the strands instead of downward. This is an easy technique to employ with your flat iron to assure that you keep as much volume in your hair as possible.
2) YOU ARE WHAT YOU EATIt is no secret that straightening your hair can dry it out. However, eating properly can help to keep hair as healthy as possible. Some potential suggestions include salmon, avacado, sweet potatoes, almond milk, and basically any type of food that is high in Omega 3’s.
3) AGING HAIR REACTS DIFFERENTLYAs we age, our hair textures may change. You may notice that your hair reacts differently to your flat iron than before. This may require you to adjust the temperature dial on your flat iron.
4) THE PROPER TEMPERATUREThe hotter your flat iron is, the quicker you may get the job done. However, this is not always what is best for your hair. According to an article on allwomenstalk.com, professional stylists agree that the maximum temperature at which you should straighten is about 325 degrees. People with more fine hair should use a lower setting.
5) STEAM IS BADAccording to a recent article by Teen Vogue, the last thing you want when you straighten your hair is steam. In the article Harry Josh, stylist to Miranda Kerr, talks about how the hair should be totally dry when straightening. What makes straightening different than curling is that you should also not use any product on dry hair either. Because the flat iron clamps to the hair, there is nowhere for the product to go. It then gets infused into the hair follicle itself which is not necessarily good.
6) WOMEN SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH THEIR STRIGHT IRONAn article put out by the Today Show and AOL titled “Ideal to Real” states that most women spend about 55 minutes per day doing their hair. This is equal to about 335 hours or 2 weeks every year.
7) YOU CAN HAVE YOUR HAIR STRAIGHTENED WITH CHEMICALSPopular in the African American community, chemical straightening entails a similar process to that of a perm. For a fee, a hair dresser applies chemical to the hair causing it to remain straight. Although this could save some time with a straightening iron, it can cost anywhere between $40 and $75 per treatment.
8) CHEMICAL STRAIGHTENING MAY CAUSE FIBROIDS
According to a Boston University study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, chemical straightening could be linked to fibriods. Fibroids are clumps of cells that form in the uterus causing severe pain. Some scientists believe that chemicals are absorbed through the scalp triggering a hormone that causes fibroids. Further studies are in early phases.
All in all, straightening your hair is generally not something that most of us think that much about. Looking at some facts and tips, however, can help you keep your hair healthy and beautiful.
