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I’m in love with all things hair, makeup, fashion and beauty. On this blog you can find anything from reviews on lipstick to supplements, as well as recipes alongside tips to protect your hair this summer! I’m your average girl. I get break outs, I have dry skin, and I like looking and feeling good. I hope I can help you by sharing what I love! If you have any questions let me know by filling out the form on the right hand side of the page!

Let’s talk Straight

Straightening your hair is one of the most common things that girls do all the time. The questions I received were asking if there was a way to get “naturally straightened hair” and the answer is no. You can however get a chemical relaxer, which does chemically (and permanently) straighten the exposed hair. Just like getting a perm, a chemical relaxer uses the same process of breaking bonds and rebuilding them in a straightened state to keep the hair straight! These are usually used on people with naturally curly hair, but some women get them who have some wave and would like to get rid of it.

This can be a long process however and can often be a costly one. You can usually find these treatments offered at hair schools, but they still add up to about $50. So let’s talk about some other straightening tactics and techniques! I want to talk about everything! Product (I know it’s my favorite topic), tools, temperatures, all of it! 
Tools
First comes the actual straightener. While you can spend $25 on an okay one at Walmart, they really aren’t the best. If you straighten your hair once every other week they’re fine, but if you use them 3+ times weekly, you might want to invest in something a little more healthy and reliable. 
I recommend getting the Babyliss Pro Porcelain Ceramic Flat Iron. Bablyiss Pro is a professional brand that doesn’t sell in retail stores like Walmart or Sally’s Beauty. The only store you can buy them at are places like Salon Centric and Cosmoprof, that only sell to licensed professionals. So if you don’t have a licensed friend or family member the only other place to get them is online. Amazon has everything Babyliss at great prices! This flat iron is light weight and has a heat resistant back panel that extends over the edge of the hot plates (so it’s harder to burn yourself). It has a long cord and it lasts forever! It will get up to 450 degrees as well! 
Heat Protectant, I have a lot to say about heat protectant, but I will go more in depth to that in a bit.
A Comb. Is it silly that I feel the need to mention a comb? The sad part is, it isn’t. If you are using a flat iron for curling, or for flipping the ends of your hair in or outward, then you are fine not to use a comb. But if you are straightening your hair all over, you need a comb.
Method
step 1: prepare the hair by making sure it is completely dry. Brush through the hair to remove all tangles and snarls. Turn on the straightener.
step 2: spray quality heat protectant onto the hair
step 3: pick up the section you are planning on straightening. Put a comb into the hair with one hand and begin to slowly run it down the section of the hair. Have it closely followed by the flat iron. Use a comb with teeth that are close together. This creates tension in the hair so it won’t fall during this process.
step 4: Repeat steps 1-3 over the whole head.
the reason I even have this section is because it is so important to comb your hair directly in front of the straightener. I know that quickly running a straightener through your hair a few times seems like it would be less work and mean less damage but it’s the exact opposite! When you go nice and slow (with heat protectant!) you will have longer lasting results! Plus instead of going over the same place 6 times you are doing it once! 2 times max! Give it a try and see if it cuts time for you! 
Temperature 
My heart breaks when I see a woman who has her brand new straightener set on the highest level it can go! YIKES! You don’t really need 450 degrees of direct heat on your hair! start by setting your straightener on 250 degrees. If that isn’t working set it up by 25 degrees each time you use it. DO NOT EXCEED 350 DEGREES! After about 6 months your straightener may seem like it’s lost a little of it’s spark then turn up the heat another 25 degrees. That is what the 450 is for! It extends the life if your straightener by 2 years! If you turn it up 25 degrees every 6 months, that is how long you have before it hits 450! 
Product
Yay! My favorite part! I love product, and I truly feel my success in this industry was elevated 3 fold when I invested my time into product education, and my money into quality product! So here are a few products you should use depending on you hair needs.

Redken Iron Silk 07
This is a spray starch that is my go-to heat protectant. It smells great, is cost efficient, and is overall wonderful! It acts as a hairspray as well as a heat protectant which is also a nice little bonus. Because it is a starch opposed to an oil, it has a lot of shine control. So if you have oily hair or you have a hard time controlling shine this is the way to go! Redken products are a professional brand, which does mean it is only available online, or in a salon. It is usually less online. 
TIGI S Factor Flat Iron Shine Spray
This is one of my new favorite products by TIGI. It is exactly what it says it is. It’s a flat iron heat protectant, and a shine spray. So for those of you with dry hair that wants to add the shine, this will be a better option for  you! Plus it smells like a dream! Unlike other brands I have mentioned here, TIGI has decided to become more mainstream. You can find Bedhead, Catwalk and S Factor products on shelves at Target and Walmart as well as various other places. I do find that it is usually the least expensive online though.

TIGI BedHead Straighten Out

Straighten Out is another TIGI product, but by a more well known brand BedHead! This lotion will do the next step as well as this one! The next step (Add Shine!) talks about using a smoothing serum or milk to help your hair lock in moisture, repair heat damage, and add shine a smoothness. But using this straightening, heat protecting cream is going to do that and protect your hair from the heat of the straightener!

Add Shine!
For some people their hair feels dry, dull or lifeless after straightening, so here are two straightening lotions to keep hair feeling fresh and shiny after straightening. The will also keep away any pesky fly aways!
Redken Sheer Straight 06
This product is a lightweight straightening gel that will smooth fly aways and add shine without making your hair look heavy or greasy. It’s best for people with short, thin or fine hair.
Redken Align 12
This is a polishing milk that will smooth fly aways and add shine as well! It is a little heavier and is optimal for people with long, thick and full hair.

Here are links to buy all of the products and items I mentioned above on amazon! 
***Thanks to Alyssa for asking me this question!***

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