The Ultimate Beauty Guide

Run your flat iron over the same piece of hair twice. It’s actually counter productive to keep going over and over the same piece of hair, and highly damaging. Aim for one slow pass down each section of hair.

Use a thermal heat protectant that coats the hair with protective ingredients (usually silicone-based) to reduce the amount of damage caused by high heats from flat irons and curling irons.

Put a high-heat product on wet or damp hair, even if the tool claims to be a ‘wet-to-dry’ product.

Be aware of your curling patterns. Curling the hair away from the face opens up the face and neck more and is generally more flattering, however using an alternating pattern of pieces curled towards and away will give a more natural result.

Start with your heat settings at the highest point. Even the thickest curls don’t need to be tended to at 400 degrees Fahrenheit — start low and if you feel like you need more, adjust slowly. Remember: With both curling and straightening, it’s not about how the hair heats up, but the way it cools back down into formation.

Apply mousse (for curls) or a straightening balm (for flat ironed lengths) to assist the process. Working with mousse first for hold allows you to avoid excessive hairspray at the end.