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.
