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Heat Styling Basics (2)
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Curling Irons and Hot Rollers
I've combined these two appliances, because while they are different, they work on a similar principle: that
of using heat to add curl to the hair. The most common complaint I hear about curling irons and hot rollers (especially hot rollers) is that the
hair just won't hold a curl. More often than not, the problem isn't with the appliance, but rather it is that the hair hasn't been properly
prepared for curling. Some women still fail to realize that the hair must be completely dry before being styled with a curling iron or hot
rollers. They think that because their curling iron or hot rollers use steam that the hair can be "a little damp" or that because these
appliances heat the hair that they will finish the drying process. In both cases the user is wrong.
The side bonds affected by the heat styling process are the salt and hydrogen bonds in the hair. Both heat
and moisture will break these side bonds. If the hair is damp when you use a heat styling appliance the heat may help to break the side bonds,
but the hair will likely still be damp and the side bonds won't have reformed into the new curl shape. You don't want your curling iron or hot
rollers "completing the drying process" for you, either. The only way the heat removes moisture is by evaporation, or raising the temperature
of the moisture to the boiling point. What you are basically doing when you apply a hot curling iron or hot roller to even slightly damp hair
is cooking it. Doing this can cause irreparable damage to the hair.
So, make sure that your hair is completely dry before you use a curling iron or hot rollers. You also want
to make sure that you use some styling product on your hair as well, either before you dry the hair (like styling gel) or before you use the
appliance in question (like hairspray). This will give the hair more structure and help the curls to last as long as possible.
Flat Irons
I could almost have included flat irons with curling irons and hot rollers, except that there is one mistake
commonly made when using a flat iron, that isn't applicable with the other two heated appliances. Like the curling iron and hot rollers, the
hair must be completely dry before using the flat iron, and you will get better results if you use a styling product as well. However, the most
common mistake women make when using the flat iron is in the way they dry their hair.
Many women think that since they will be straightening the hair with a flat iron, they only need to concern
themselves with getting the hair dry. But if you blow dry the hair straight before using the flat iron, you will find you get much better
results.
Another mistake women make when using a flat iron is overloading the iron. They try to pass too much hair
through the iron at a given time. All this does is create uneven heating and uneven tension, both of which lead to uneven straightening and can
cause damage to the hair on the outsides of the section being straightened because the first impulse is to leave the iron in place longer. The
sections being pressed should be no thicker than 1/8th of an inch (3.125mm). Take the slice of hair, slide it between the pressing plates,
position the iron at the scalp, press together and slide the iron down to the ends in a smooth, even motion. This may mean that flat ironing
your hair takes longer than before, but the results will be well worth it.
Stacy McCurdy - Stylist ©Hairfinder.com
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