Are there Flat Irons for Fine Hair?
What Is a Flat Iron?
A flat iron is a device that can style your hair with two heated ceramic plates. Depending on how you use it, a flat iron can either straighten or curl your hair in various ways. Flat irons are also often called hair straighteners for this reason.
While the name of the device references the term “iron,” the actual heating element of a flat iron is made from ceramic. This results in a hot surface that isn’t as damaging to your hair as other materials.
Are there Flat Irons for Fine Hair?
If you have fine hair, the diameter (width) of your hair strands is small. If you aren’t careful with how you manage it, fine hair can quickly end up damaged over excessive heat or styling. Hair may take months to recover from damage, so you’ll want to minimize the chances of your hair getting damaged in any way possible.
Unfortunately, flat irons are known to cause hair damage. The good news is that if you're careful with temperature and exposure, you can make a straightener part of your weekly routine. Some flat irons can be set to temperatures low enough for fine hair.
Tips for Using a Flat Iron on Fine Hair
Dry hair completely
Regardless if you have fine, normal, or thick hair, before styling your hair with any hot tool, you need to make sure your hair is entirely dry. If you apply heat to wet hair, you risk frizz and breakage. Consider a heat protectant spray to protect and seal your strands.
Turn that heat down!
As we mentioned above, fine hair is much more prone to damage than thick hair, because thinner hair strands mean that the strands are more fragile. So after you've applied heat protection spray (whhttps://www.healthline.com/health/thinning-hair#treatments-and-remediesich you should do every. single. time.) you want to use the lowest heat setting possible on your hot tool. Luckily for you, you can use lower heat and you don't need to keep the iron on each section for too long, which makes styling much quicker for you. The best flat irons have multiple heat settings, and the one you likely want to use is about 250 degrees Fahrenheit. It should be noted that ceramic flat irons are better for fine hair due to their thermal barrier coating.
Separate into sections
Gather together a small amount of hair - one to two inches thick. Clip away the rest of your hair with a hair tie or claw clip. Starting with small sections helps you start at the root and makes sure you have a consistent style throughout. It can also be helpful to put your hair up in rollers while it cools down (if curling or doing a blowout) because it will be more likely to hold its shape. I also recommend to put hair spray on each individual roller as you go for better security.
Tips on Product Use on Fine Hair
Best Types of Styling Products to Use
Everyone has different goals for the look of their hair, so we're going to break it down for you to give you some ideas. In general, when you have fine hair, you don't want to use too many products on it because it quickly reduces volume and adds unnecessary oils to your scalp. But there a few things you can use to help combat these issues.
Using just a little dry shampoo or texturizing spray on the crown of your head can help give your hair volume and keep it from getting oily. These products are made to be oil absorbing and lightweight. Thickening lotions or other thickening products can be helpful too. Fine hair lacks the amount of proteins that thick hair contains naturally, so thickening lotions simply help reconstruct and strengthen your hair follicles.
Best Shampoo and Conditioner Types
There is still much discourse in the beauty community over how often people should be washing their hair. It's been said that those with fine hair should only be washing 3 or 4 times per week, but when you have fine hair and an oily scalp, that isn't always sustainable. I've personally tried not washing my hair every day, and it actually harmed my hair more than it helped it. Ultimately, you want to experiment and do what's best for you. It is okay to wash your hair every day!
But that being said, what should you be washing your hair with? Of course there are lots of thickening shampoos and conditioners out there, which will likely work best for you if you feel like your hair is lacking in proteins. Many people also like volumizing shampoo and conditioner sets, but with the minimalist, slick-back look that's trending, volume may not be your priority. Those with oily fine hair may enjoy a clarifying shampoo and conditioner to rid the scalp of any oil-causing build-up, and those with dry fine hair may prefer a lightweight but oil-based shampoo and conditioner to hydrate the scalp and hair follicles. At the end of the day, it's all about your hair's specific needs; and they may change with age or season!
How to Use Styling Products on Fine Hair
The main thing we all know about fine hair is that it's incredibly difficult to style. It's easy to weigh it down, easy to make it too oily or too dry, and easy to damage. So here are some tips to help you use your specific products:
Best Haircuts for Fine Hair
The great thing about beauty is that it's subjective. You can wear your however you'd like; and you should! But for those who need a little inspiration, we've made a list of popular cuts that look great with fine hair. And the great thing about this list is that they make using a flat iron on your fine hair much, much easier.
- Layers, layers layers! Layers are an easy way to make hair look thicker while not requiring too much styling. They allow for more movement, which gives the illusion that you have more hair than you really do.
- Short layers. Continuing my pro-layers conversation, short layers (especially at the top of your head) give the illusion of natural body and movement, and they really make your hair look thick, especially near your scalp. It may be difficult to put your hair up, but if you tend to wear your hair down every day, you have nothing to lose!
- A shag. Shag haircuts, similar to a layered haircut, make your hair look thicker. And they're super easy to maintain. If you want an air-dry and go type of look, the shag is for you.
- Bangs. While people with fine hair usually shy away from bangs, they can look really chic as long as they're wispy. Curtain bangs or face-framing pieces are easily maintainable alternatives to straight-across bangs for fine hair.
- Textured Pixie. Another easily maintainable cut is a textured pixie cut; and it also provides natural body. You really can't go wrong with these if a short cut is more your vibe.
- Loose curls or waves. The thing about fine hair is that it's not great at holding a curl. But if you aim to create a loose curl or beach wave from the start, you're more likely to get your desired result. I find that my hair holds much longer if I curl it with a flat iron than when I use a curling iron or overnight curl method. I think of it like using scissors to curl the ends of a ribbon.
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