Flat Irons

Sleek, sexy hair gets its start from a smooth and even blowout, but the real secret to truly smooth hair that lasts is a flat iron.

Which Width?

Flat irons come in a variety of widths, ranging from less than an inch to more than two. With wide irons you can cover more hair at once resulting in a faster experience. Small width irons are perfect for bangs and can even be used to add soft curls and bounce at the hair’s ends.

Polished Shine

Heat from a flat iron works to seal hair’s cuticles for beautiful, frizz-free styles that shine. When straightening hair, firmly squeeze the handle together while gently gliding the iron from roots to tips. Take care not to leave iron in one spot for too long or you may singe strands.

Straightening Techniques

Begin with a lower section of hair and work up to the top, front sections. Start at the scalp, firmly clamping sections small enough to remain completely inside the iron. Gently glide iron away from scalp and hairline until reaching the ends. Repeat if necessary.

A Good Iron Isn’t Hard to Find

Look for these features in a curling iron before making your next purchase:

Temperature Gauge — coarse hair requires higher settings, while fine hair needs much less heat
Swivel Cord — reaching hair on the back of the head is hard enough, but at least with a swivel cord you have a better range of movement
Ceramic or Tourmaline surface – heats hair faster and more evenly than traditional metal and doesn’t dry it out

Other features you may want to consider

Wet-to-dry hair straighteners allow you to skip blow-drying your hair before straightening, minimizing heat damage.

Steam hair straighteners have steam vents which extract moisture from damp hair, drying hair and sealing the cuticle at the same time.