So Your Going To Straighten?

For those of you who don't know I have a love hate relationship with my CHI. This little flat iron can give silky results and  reek havoc at the same time on an unsuspecting head. Theres no question about the high performance of this flatiron. It is ranked among my top 5 favorite heat tools as a matter of fact. But for all the great benefits of the CHI if precaution isn't used your hair will suffer the consequences of heat damaged hair. So what can you do to avoid the heat damage monster?

1. Use heat sparingly. Theres no reason to run a flat iron through your tresses daily, doing this will surely leave you on the wrong end of a Dr. Miracles commercial.
2. Always Always Always use a heat protectant. This product is meant to be used on the hair prior to any heat styling, it is designed to coat each strand  in a protective layer in order to reduce the amount of heat your hair is exposed to. CHI has a great protectant.
3. Deep condition is a must. This goes without saying, keeping your hair moisturized and perfectly ph balanced is one of the most important factors to retaining healthy hair with or without heat. Find a Moisturizing conditioner to ensure the moisture is replaced, heat tends to dry the hair.
4. One pass per section. Instead of running that flat iron over your hair two, three, four or eight times, learn how to use smaller sections and perfect getting great results with a single pass over each section. Your hair will thank you for this.

Those are just a few steps that can be taken when using a CHI or similar heat tools on natural or relaxed hair. Ultimately if you don't want to run the risk of an altered curl pattern than my suggestion to you is to stay away from direct heat. If you haven't read my heat damage post go here to understand what heat damage is and how it can affect your hair. Learning how to use heat correctly can save you from commiting to another BC.