Use straighteners when you want your hair to stand straight
For many women and men, the straightener is a regular part of their daily hair care routine. The straightener is perfect when you want to have full control over your locks. If you find it difficult to blow dry your hair completely straight with a round brush or simply don’t have the time to do a full blowout, a straightener is super handy to have on hand.
If you buy a straightener that suits your hair type, you can get completely straight hair just by running the straightener through your hair once. This is what both hairdressers and other hair experts recommend because it is much gentler on the hair.
Straighteners come in many price ranges and by and large, price and quality go hand in hand. However, I’ve gone out of my way to find a selection of the best straighteners on the market right now in different price ranges – so everyone can get in on the action.
I’m not just making you look at the different types of straighteners on the market right now. I also give you the do’s and dont’s when it comes to using straighteners – and how to choose the best straightener if you want to be able to use the straightener for both straightening and curling your hair.
What is a straightener?
A straightener is one of the most popular hair styling tools on the market and has been for many years. In fact, as the name suggests, a straightener can make your hair perfectly straight – even if you have naturally curly hair. When hair is straightened, it appears much shinier.
Success with a straightener, however, requires that you buy good quality and find a straightener that is specifically designed for your hair type and texture, while making sure to keep your hair healthy.
Hair that is straightened tends to become dry, which is why I would also recommend choosing a shampoo and conditioner that can add a lot of moisture and care to your hair.
Recommendation: If you need a shampoo for dry hair, have a look here
Recommendation: If you need a conditioner for damaged hair, have a look here
Recommendation: If you need a hair treatment for heat damaged hair, have a look here
A straightener consists of two “flat jaws” that can close together around the hair. You can compare a straightener to a hair iron. What usually distinguishes the different straighteners from each other is the material the jaws are made of and the technology the straightener uses – not to mention whether it is a cordless straightener or not.
Recommendation: If you need a cordless straightener, take a look here
Use a good hair oil to nourish your hair with moisture – Your hair is at risk of becoming dry when you use straighteners regularly. I would therefore recommend you use a good hair oil. It can be an argan oil or a coconut oil for hair.
Recommendation: If you need a good hair oil, have a look here
Know the different types of technology
On the surface, many straighteners can look very similar and it can sometimes be hard to understand why some straighteners cost 150 kr and others more than 1000 kr. But that’s because there’s a big difference in what’s hiding beneath the surface.
When you’re shopping for a straightener, it’s a good idea to be familiar with the different terms you’ll come across so you’re sure to choose the straightener that’s best for your hair – and your budget.
Nono straighteners – A nano straightener uses new technology to straighten your hair. A nano straightener has the great advantage of helping your hair retain its natural moisture.
Therefore, hair that is straightened with a nano straightener is also less likely to become dry and worn.
A nano straightener is therefore particularly suitable for those who already have dry or damaged hair. As well as being gentle on your hair, a straightener will also leave you with very shiny hair. That’s because the special nano properties relax the hair and thus lay down the hair fibres. This gives your hair lots of shine.
Ceramic straightener – The ceramic straightener is one of the most sold straighteners. This is largely due to the fact that ceramic straighteners are often in the more affordable ranges and therefore appeal to a wider audience.
A ceramic straightener provides an even heat distribution in the hair and can be used on all hair types. However, a ceramic straightener has its limitations – and if you have very frizzy hair, then a ceramic straightener is not for you. You’ll be much happier with a tourmaline, nano or ionic straightener.
Ionic straightener – Ion technology is one of the latest things we’re seeing in straighteners. Ion technology works by the straightener emitting negatively charged ions.
Our hair already contains positively charged ions and when the negative ions hit the positive ones, you can say that they cancel themselves out and make the hair relax.
For the same reason, ion technology also has formidable anti-frizz properties, making it perfect for those with frizzy hair or hair that tends to get electric.
Recommendation: If you need a heat protection spray, have a look here
Tourmaline Straightener – The tourmaline straightener is also called a crystal straightener because it contains tiny crystals. The crystals contain minerals which act as natural heat protection for the hair and the minerals also go in to make the hair shiny and smooth and easy to style.
A tourmaline straightener is an extremely effective straightener and therefore also super popular among women with curly hair or where the hair is really thick.
With a tourmaline straightener, with a little patience, you will be able to straighten even the most curly hair. However, if your hair is very frizzy, I would recommend using a straightening cream.
Recommendation: If you need a smoothing cream, have a look here
Titanium Straightener – Titanium straighteners are the king of straighteners and the straightener to get if you want to make a hard curly hair completely silky smooth and with a great shine.
Titanium straighteners are far from the cheapest, but if you put a lot of hours into styling your hair and if you dream of completely smooth hair, then there is no better than titanium straighteners.
Remember: Avoid ruining your hair by never turning your straightener up to more than 185 degrees.
Your hair products have a big impact on the final result
You can almost lose your breath standing in front of the shelves full of different hair products, but it’s no secret that if you find the right hair products for your hair – they really do make a difference that’s both noticeable and palpable.
Start your hair styling as soon as you wash your hair. You may want to use a scalp scrub to cleanse your scalp once in a while to remove product residue that can weigh your hair down and cause it to lose volume.
Then choose a good shampoo and conditioner that takes into account both your hair type but also the hairstyle you want to style afterwards. You might need extra volume or anti-frizz products. You can all think about this in your shampoo, conditioner and hair treatment.
Recommendation: If you need a scalp scrub, have a look here
Recommendation: Do you need bamboo pillowcase here
Remember to protect your hair from the heat of the straightener
Although today’s straighteners are gentler on hair than just a few years ago thanks to new technology, it’s still incredibly important to protect your hair from the heat. After all, our hair isn’t meant to reach temperatures above 50 degrees.
What happens when we use hot styling tools like hair dryers, straighteners or curling irons is that we melt the keratin in our hair. Our hair is made up of over 90% keratin. The keratin is sensitive to heat and if you use straighteners that are more than 175 – 185 degrees hot, then the keratin will start to melt and leave a lasting damage on your hair.
When the keratin melts, your hair becomes porous and breaks easily. It also becomes extra dry and has a hard time holding on to the moisture you offer it with delicious hair products.
Recommendation: If you need a heat protection spray, have a look here
How a heat protectant hair spray works
All experts recommend that you always use some form of heat protection for your hair whether you plan to blow dry it, curl it or straighten it. You can get heat protection spray for hair and you can also get it as creams.
Personally, I find that heat protectant hair spray works best because it is easy to distribute in the hair.
The heat protectant spray goes in and puts a thin coating on each strand of hair, which acts as a barrier so the heat can’t penetrate and destroy the hair’s core. However, this doesn’t mean that the heat from the straightener won’t work and straighten your hair. It just means that you won’t damage your hair. This is therefore a step you should never skip.
If you can only afford one hair styling product, let it be a heat protectant spray to protect your hair.
Avoid using straighteners on newly permed hair – If you’ve had permanent curls and regretted it, don’t resort to trying to pull out the curls with a flat iron for the first 14 days after you’ve had your hair permed. Your hair will be severely damaged.
Mistakes you shouldn’t make when straightening your hair
You must be careful with your straightener and have respect for your hair. So here are the 4 most common mistakes people make with their straighteners. Then you have the opportunity to avoid them.
- Never forget heat protection – The absolute most important thing when straightening your hair is not to forget the heat protection spray. Your hair can take a beating from the heat of the straightener if you don’t remember to protect it every time you use hot hair styling tools like hairdryers, straighteners and curling irons. Recommendation: If you need a heat protection spray, have a look here
- Remember to brush your hair first – To get a good result with the straightener, it is important that the hair is straightened and is free of filter. Because if you straighten hair that hasn’t been combed, the straightener will glide over the filters and give you frizzy hair instead of smooth, shiny hair.
- Never use too much heat – Many people make the horrible mistake of automatically turning up the heat, thinking that the straightener will do a better job. This is not the case. In fact, it’s incredibly rare to need to use the very high temperatures. It’s usually only if you need to straighten really frizzy hair.
- The straightener is not a hair dryer – Your straightener should only be used on completely dry hair and not to remove the last bit of moisture in your hair after blow-drying or air-drying your hair. If you straighten hair that is still damp, you will damage your hair much more than if you straighten dry hair.
- Use your straightener as an iron – If you’re on holiday and there’s no iron in your hotel room, you can actually get away with using your flat iron as an iron. Turn the iron up to the lowest heat setting and let the fabric slide between the two “jaws”.
Straightener vs. straightening brush
In recent years, straightening brushes have started to appear on the market, advertising that they can straighten hair while brushing it. Both hair styling tools use heat.
But where the straightening brush is designed as a brush that is heated, it will indeed be able to relax the hair a lot while brushing it, making the hair smoother.
But you’ll never get the same results as you can with a straightener. That’s because when you use a straightener, your hair is under pressure from two sides at the same time as it’s being exposed to heat. It straightens hair more effectively in the same way as when you squeeze the curls out of fabric with an iron.
Recommendation: If you need a straightening brush, have a look here
Guide – How to make curls with a straightener
If you choose a straightener that has rounded edges, you can use it as a curling iron and create those beautiful big curls that are all the rage at the moment.
It’s actually incredibly simple and a quick way to liven up long straight hair or make the ponytail a little more exciting.
- Give your hair lots of volume while drying it – It’s all about adding volume to your hair while using your hairdryer. You can do this with a volume spray and by using a hairdryer diffuser to lift hair from the scalp. Recommendation: If you need a hair dryer, have a look here Recommendation: If you need a volume spray, have a look here
- It’s easiest to curl 2nd day hair. – It is easiest to curl 2nd day hair. That’s true whether you’re using your flat iron or a real curling iron. When your hair is freshly washed, it’s simply too hard to make it hold the curl.
- Use heat protectant spray for hair – It’s super important that you always remember to protect your hair from the heat of the straightener. So use a heat protectant spray for your hair. You can also use a curl activator or another hair product for curly hair. Recommendation: If you need a curling cream, have a look here Recommendation: If you need a curling spray, have a look here
- Divide your hair into 6 sections – You need to curl a small amount of hair at a time, so it may be easier if you start by dividing your hair into 6 sections – 3 on each side of your head. Then start curling one section at a time at the nape of your neck and work your way towards your temple.
- Curl SMALL locks of hair at a time – You won’t get good, long-lasting results if you try to curl too many strands at once. The heat from the straightener simply can’t penetrate and do the job. So curl small chunks of hair at a time. Recommendation: If you need hair elastics, have a look here
- Always turn your curls away from your face – When curling your hair, make sure the curls are facing away from your face. It opens up your face and makes you look younger.
- How to curl every strand of hair – Tease out a lock of hair and grip the ends with your straightener. Then twist the hair around the straightener to curl away from your face.
- Hold the curl in your hand – When the curl is done and you let go with the straightener, hold the curl lightly in your hand until it cools. That way the curl will hold its shape more easily.
- Finish with a hairspray for curls – When you’re done curling your hair, finish it off with a curl spray. You can also use other types of hairspray. But a curl spray is specially designed to hold the curl and protect it from moisture. Recommendation: If you need a hairspray for curly hair, have a look here