Choosing the Right Size Flat Iron For Your Hair Type

One of the things you need to decide when purchasing your flat iron is what plate size is best for your hair so that you get the best straightening performance possible with your new iron. Getting the right plate size for your hair type is important for the hair iron to optimally get the looks you are hoping for from your iron.

The best overall plate width for everyone is the one inch size. One inch plates are intended to straighten medium length hair but is a good catch all size for those looking for a versatile iron.

Of course if you have very thin hair you will want a smaller plate in order to best manage these thin locks. This smaller plate size is ideal also for very short hair since it makes getting those small amounts of hair easier to get into smaller half or three-quarter inch plates.

For those with really thick and very long hair larger plates can be used to straighten the hair. Hair of this type does not need the small minuet details from smaller plates and can be done quicker with the larger plates.

Getting the right size of plates for your hair will ensure that you have the right amount of hot plate to run down your hair but not so little that straightening your locks takes all day long.

The Need For Protein For Healthy Hair

We all want our hair to look its best and many women spend lots of money to get the best hair styling products, shampoos, and hair styling tools to get that really great looking hair. Everyone knows that what we do to our hair and how we take care of it has a large impact on how good it appears and how healthy it is. Yet, there is something more than just what kind of hair flat irons you use, it is also what foods you eat. It is hard to believe that the food you eat can have a very large impact on the health of your hair but it is true. What goes into your mouth is what your body uses to grow and maintain those locks on your head so you need to eat what your body needs to have great looking hair.

Hair is made up of almost all protein so your body needs plenty of good quality lean protein in order to have healthy hair. Not getting enough will leave your hair thin causing it to have less body and even less shine. By eating plenty of protein your body can adequately grow plenty of hair that you can style to look absolutely gorgeous.

Best Hair Straighteners for African American Hair

If you are an African American, and have the notoriously difficult to style hair that is very coarse and thick, you may think that you will never be able to have straight hair, or that the only way you can achieve this style is to go through painful and long chemical hair straightening processes. But there is another way; it is possible for you too to have the sexy, sleek straight hair that you crave. All you need to do is to choose the best hair straighteners for African American hair.

Hair straighteners have come along way since the days when of metal plates, now you can get a hair straightener that will actually improve the look of your hair and you don’t have to worry about causing any damage.

The best hair straighteners for African American hair all have one thing in common. They are top quality and they utilize some of the best features that you can find in hair irons. You need to look for an iron that has ceramic plates because the ceramic plates provide a moist heat to the hair instead of a dry damaging heat. The moist heat, and far infrared that ceramic produces infuses each hair sealing in the moisture and closing the cuticle. Because each hair is affected in the straightening process, the results you get are much better and longer lasting. You will not have to worry about your style losing it’s look halfway through the day.

Another feature that you are common in all the best hair straighteners for African American hair is the addition of tourmaline. Tourmaline is a naturally occurring element that is a source of negative ions. These negative ions are the best discovery for straight hair then anything else. When the straightener passes over the hair, the negative ions infuse each hair shaft, sealing in moisture, natural oils and sealing the cuticle. The hairs lay flat against the head and have a radiant, healthy shine that you will not get with any other straighteners. Forget about the frizzy, over processed look that some African American women get when they straighten their hair. With tourmaline, this will not be a problem for you any more. You will now have beautiful, smooth and sleek hair with no need for a load of product to keep it smooth.

African American women should look for a hair straightener that has a high heat, however it is also advisable to get an iron that has a temperature adjustment on it. Typically, the thicker and coarser the hair is, the higher heat that is needed to straighten it. However, everyone has a different make up, and it’s important to consider the differences in an individual’s hair. So you may want to experiment with different temperatures before you automatically go with the highest heat setting.

There are a wide variety of hair irons out there for African American hair, and they are all gentle enough on your hair to use every day, so you can have straight hair everyday without the fuss or expense of chemical straightening procedures that can damage your hair.  

 

Getting The Hair Iron That Is Best For Your Hair

Every woman knows that if you were not lucky enough to be born with that straight luxurious hair that is such a hot look that you can get it anyway by using a hair straightening iron. Of course it is not as simple as grabbing a hair iron and using it on your hair to remove the curl. To get an effective job that will not damage your hair you need to get a quality professional straightener that is the right one for your hair type.

The first thing you need to look at when purchasing the best hair straighteners for you’re your hair is the materials the iron is made from. Irons made with ceramic, tourmaline, and titanium will not damage your hair as those cheap drugstore irons will do as these materials are scientifically proven to take better care of your hair while you straighten.

You will also need to look at the size of the plates you will be using to flatten your hair. Hair irons with smaller plates are best for short or thin hair while the models with larger plates are best for thick and extremely curly hair

Is the Heat From Hair Irons Bad For Your Hair?

Hair straightening irons are extremely popular right now since straight hair is in such high demand by those who were born with naturally curly hair. Many question if the high heat which hair irons expose your hair to is good for the overall health of your hair. If used right these irons will not damage your hair, but if they are not used properly then damage can occur. If the hair iron has exposed metal on the plates or if the user does not use the proper temperature setting with the variable temperature setting than the potential is there to expose hair to unnecessary heat which can cause damage and dry it out.

Aging Hair

Not like we don’t have to worry enough already about our aging skin, we now have anti-aging shampoos and conditioners? Seems lately I find myself writing a lot about aging and your skin and hair, but these are the two most worrisome factors when aging. I asked women what they wanted to know about most and this is what they said,”Tell me how to get my hair and skin back!”

Well, heaven knows I would love to, believe me. I am not taking to kindly to the thought of turning…well, the age that I will be turning soon! And yes, if I had an abundance of money you can bet your last dollar I would spend some, lots, okay, a substantial amount on some “younger” looking methods, ie: face lift? maybe a little nip & tuck, just pull everything up. Don’t get me wrong, I am most of the time happy with my appearance but my mother was right, time goes by way too fast.

With all the styling we do, hair straightening, chemical treatments, and such just to look beautiful all day it’s no wonder we have time to eat and sleep. Did you know that after 30 most women’s hair will start to thin out? I almost cried when I heard this, I mean I only have a few strands left, am I going to be nearing the age of 80 taking the local bus down to my hairstylist only to find out she doesn’t have my color in hair extensions? Trust me this is a scary thought for our fine & thin haired people out there.

Well, as already discussed in the last blog post, vitamins and all the other suggestions made for hair and skin are essential to the health of our hair. But, did you know that you can now purchase Age Defying shampoo and Younger Looking conditioner? This is a tremendous break through!

Dr. Reed, a New York City Dermatologist says “Chemically treat your hair as infrequently as possible, and avoid anything that pulls on hair, such as tight rollers, ponytails, weaves, and braids. “Not only can they cause breakage, but they can destroy your roots permanently, rendering them unable to produce hair,”

Hair Extensions are a great way to add volume and length. clip-in hair extensions are a good way to add it when you want and avoid the above mentioned damage. Hair weaving is different than hair extensions, hair extensions are done in a much less hurtful, damaging way. (depending on the stylist and method she uses!)

Take 5,000 micrograms of biotin (a B vitamin) daily and use protein-laced styling products. As your hair thins, it gets weaker and less able to support its own weight, leading to breakage and loss. Protein fortifies the hair shaft. It can actually stick itself into hair and pull splitting sections together. Isn’t that amazing? Your split ends can be brought back together by protein!

For use in our forever aging hair I suggest using Nexxus Y Serum Younger Looking Hair shampoo and conditioner or Nature’s Gate Stayin’ Alive Anti-aging shampoo and conditioner.

Y Serum younger looking hair system transforms aged, abused hair into youthful, radiant, and healthy hair… reversing the multiple signs of aging in just days. This revolutionary, 3-step program delivers abundant doses of youth-enhancing ingredients at each stage of the daily hair care regimen.

Y Serum Shampoo gets rid of impurities without disturbing hair’s delicate structure. This mild and nurturing formulation bathes hair in rare and anti-aging ingredients.

Y Serum Conditioner formulation reverses the signs of aging hair, transforming mature, coarse, dull, and brittle hair into youthful, radiant, silky soft, and healthier hair. You are looking to spend about      $60.00 for the package of 3 or get it cheaper online.

Natures Gate- Stayin’ Alive Anti-Aging Shampoo Gently cleanses hair while helping protect against environmental damage, the effects of UV radiation and the stress of daily blow drying and styling.
Hair looks and feels revived and young! Retail $ 14.99, but I found it for just over $ 10.00 on line. Price is same for conditioner.

Natures Gate-Conditioner: Help hair look younger, feel softer and rejuvenated! This conditioner gives hair a new lease on life, without weighing it down. Infused with certified organic botanicals and a proprietary blend of proteins, its never too early to start an anti-aging program for your tresses.

I am going to try the Nexxus line and am quite excited about starting the Vegetal Silica/Nexxus hair plan. I hope you will join me and in three months from now I’d like to hear all comments, see photos and have a final blog on the use of the Nexxus product or the Nature’s Gate along with the Vegetal Silica/Horsetail plan.  We can see and share final results if enough of us do this together. Till next time, Good Luck,

Niki

Advances in Hair Straightening Irons

Getting straight hair has gotten easier over the past few years with major advances in professional hair tools. Of course the biggest steps has been the creation of ceramic plates for hair straighteners. These ceramic hair straighteners are less damaging to the hair than old metal plates, which did not heat up evenly and damaged the hair. Most hair straightening tools utilize these ceramic plates now, but the difference between the professional hair straighteners and the cheaper models is how the ceramic is used on the iron. Professional straighteners are solid ceramic or even tourmaline ceramic hair straightener while the lesser models are only ceramic coated. This ceramic coating can come off the straightening iron easily which will expose the hair to the metal underneath and potentially damage it.

Ionic technology has also made hair straightening tools much easier on the hair and more effective at creating long straight locks of hair. Hair straighteners which utilize this ionic technology block harmful negative ions from your hair, and this leaves your hair smoother and dries it out less in the straightening process. The more you can minimize the heat damage to your hair with ionic hair straighteners the better your straight hair look will be on you and the more often you can perform the process without long term damage to your hair.