My GHD flat iron review…
There’s just something about flat irons where after a year or two, they don’t seem to work as good as when you first buy them. I’ve tried all kinds of different makes and models, so this is not a problem that’s brand specific. Rather, I think it has something to do with the materials the plates are made with wearing down over time. Anyway, it was time for a replacement for me, which is why I bought my GHD flat iron in the first place.

Why I chose a GHD flat iron?
My hair isn’t just wavy – I have extremely unruly, tightly curled, and frizzy hair. I’m a frugal person, but honestly, when it comes to my hair… I know I can’t cut corners because not much works for my type of hair.

So while I was picking out my next one, I searched high and low to find the best flat iron. In addition, I needed one available in a smaller size since I have short hair. I also needed to have one that reached a high temperature and had special ion producing plates so it would help, not hurt my naturally dry and dull hair. After about two weeks of research, I finally went with the GHD mini styler flat iron.

What were the results?
Well, my GHD flat iron review is extremely positive. I’ve been using it now for nearly a year and it’s still going strong. It is well made and sturdy, unlike some of the other brands I’ve previously bought. It makes my hair so smooth and sleek. In fact, after I got it, my hairdresser I’ve gone to for years constantly complemented me about how smooth my hair feels now. I’m extremely happy I decided to go with the GHD flat iron.

What did the other GHD flat iron reviews say?
Apparently, I’m not the only one that feels this way. After reading review upon review, people just love their GHD! It’s definitely one of the top rated flat irons on the market today. So not am I satisfied, but so are a lot of other people. This is why I feel confident recommending the GHD flat iron!

My Solia flat iron review…
There were a number of reasons I ended up buying a Solia flat iron….

Available Sizes: First of all, I need a half-inch plate size for the short length of my hair. Unfortunately, there aren’t a whole lot of reputable manufacturers out there that make this size. However if you desire a larger size – no worries – because Solia makes a wide array of options

Prices: One of the other big selling points for me was the price. Upon browsing various Solia flat iron reviews, the consensus seemed to be that they gave you good bang for your buck. At the same time, my hair is so curly I knew that I needed to buy one of the best flat iron. The Solia seemed to be a nice balance of both price and quality.

Effectiveness: As mentioned, my hair is extremely curly so I need something that works. The flat irons sold at the drug store have literally no effect on my hair whatsoever. I can use one of them for an hour straight and my hair will still by curly. So to put it simply, I need the top rated flat irons… the cheaper ones just don’t work for me. The Solia reviews seemed to generally agree that they worked good.

How did my Solia flat iron work once it arrived?
I ordered it online since the price was about half what my local beauty supply store was charging for it. It arrived very quickly, which was good, because I couldn’t wait to try it out! Overall, I am really impressed with the results it delivers for the price. I think it’s a great choice for those on a tight budget. However if you want something a little better and can afford a few bucks more, then this is probably not the best flat iron for you.

Step One:
First blow dry your wet or damp hair with a brush as straight as possible. When you use a flat iron, this step isn’t required. However, because we are improvising here, you really need to pull out every trick to get half-way decent results.

Step Two:
Once dry, clamp the root of the hair with the hot iron and in a gently gliding motion, pull it to the end of your hair. Never let the iron stay in one place and the entire process (from root to end) should only take a few seconds.

Step Three:
Do additional passes on the hair to get it to the desired straightness. However it’s important to note that because this hair tool is round, it’s not going to give you very straight hair. The most annoying part of this technique is that if you have medium to long hair, this can result in hair having a slight curl in all different directions and looking like a mess. I strong recommend you get a hair straightener. You don’t need to have the absolute best flat iron, there are plenty of high quality ones you can buy online at a huge discount. Remember these will give you straight hair for years, so spending $30 to $40 is a small price to pay for beautiful straight hair and effortless styling.

As a hair professional, I have used dozens and dozens of different types of hair irons. All kinds of different brands, shapes, and sizes.  I know what works, and what doesn’t. When it comes to straightening, the honest truth is that it’s better not to make shortcuts. First of all you will get results a zillion times better if you use one of the top rated flat irons. Second of all, your styling time will be a quarter of what it normally would be. When you look at how much time you spend in a week, month, or year doing your hair, this can add up to be hundreds of hours saved.

Step One: Get The Right Flat Iron
When it comes to hair straighteners, you really do get what you pay for. Generally, the cheap ones you can buy at the drugstore just don’t get hot enough and their plates are made out of materials that damage your hair. If you spend a tiny bit more you can get one that will give you amazing hair with little effort.

• Size – You need to pick out the right size. The plates come in widths as small as a half inch (mini styler) and all the way up to 3inch. Generally speaking, the shorter the hair, the smaller the size you should go with. 1” is a good versatile size that accommodates many different lengths of hair.
• Material – Now this is where you really don’t want to cut corner. You want authentic 100% ceramic flat irons. A ceramic hair straightener uses special minerals that when electricity flows through them, they actually improve the texture and shine of your hair, rather than ruining it.

Once you have got yourself a high quality iron, such as FHI flat irons, CHI, or another leading brand, you are ready to begin. Also, be sure you’re doing this in front of a big bright mirror. Ideally, if possible, the best mirrors to work in front of are the multi-panel mirrors, because they can make seeing in back of your head a bit easier.

How To Straighten Your Hair With a Flat Iron

Step 1: Dry Your Hair
This step may seem like common sense, but you would be surprised how many people try to straighten their hair while it is still damp or even soaking wet. This is a big no-no! It damages your hair by literally boiling the water on the hair follicles. There are some irons out there which claim to be able to handle wet hair, but I’m skeptical. Until I see proof that they’ve found a way to do it that doesn’t damage hair when it’s wet, I’m staying away from them.

Step 2: Brush Your Hair
Take a hair and briefly brush it in the directions you would like it to sit once it’s been straightened. This helps tremendously by having the hair follicles aimed in the right direction, so you’re not “going against the grain” so to speak when you’re straightening it.

Step 3: Separate Hair
Unless you have short hair, you’ll probably want to separate sections using clips in order to make it easier. Although this isn’t absolutely necessary, this is the technique professionals use.

Step 4: Begin Ironing
Now it’s time to start! Begin at the roots of the hair and clamp down. Gently pull it through the ends of your hair in a fluid gliding motion. Never allow the plates to sit on your hair in a stationary position. Your hair should always be moving through them when they are making contact. The entire process – from the root to the end – should take no more than several seconds.

Step 5: Final Touch
Now there are two ways to do this. Some people like to do one pass on every section and then go back and do additional passes, if necessary. Other people like to focus on one area at a time, getting it perfect before moving onto another section of hair. Personally, I prefer the first method of doing a rough pass on all of it, then going back and doing additional passes. That way I can see how each section looks in comparison to the others.

Step 6: Apply Finish
There are several flat iron hair products which can be applied after you’ve ironed to give it that finished look and help minimize any minor frizz or flyaways that may be present. Optionally, there are also thermal hair protection products you can apply before you begin that help protect your hair against heat damage. I recommend using these.

Step 7: Style Your Hair
If you would like to use any pomade or hairspray, now is the time to use it. However it’s important to note that many water based protects, such as gel, serums, and even some pomades, may cause your hair to curl. Unfortunately their labels won’t tell you if they will do this or not, so the only way to find out is with trial and error. Now you know how to straighten your hair with a flat iron! But again, I can’t reiterate the first and most important step, which is to use a good flat iron.

The honest truth is that when it comes to hair straighteners, there is a huge difference in how well they work. The top rated flat irons work differently than the ones you get at the drugstore. This is because they are made with ceramic and tourmaline. Yes, a lot of the ones at your local store may claim on the package they are ceramic, but they’re not. The reason is that the best ceramic flat irons use a very rare mineral called tourmaline. When electricity flows through them, it creates physical process that results in negative ions. What does that mean? Well, in a nutshell, they defrizz your hair and re-align the parts of the hair follicle so they align straight. This is why you need a brand like CHI, GHD, or T3. And when you buy them online, they are surprisingly cheap.

For years I tried getting by on the cheaper irons you get at the store so I learned this lesson the hard way. Not only did they not straighten my hair, but they also caused some pretty nasty heat damage. My hair had a “processed” feel that was frizzy and frail. When you use the hair irons made with tourmaline plates, the negative ions actually help to prevent this type of damage.

My experience with a Solia ceramic iron
I’m sad to say this, but it took me years before I started trying out the good brands. Then I bought a Solia ceramic flat iron online. At the time the price was just shy of a hundred dollars, which at the time I thought was way too expensive, but after the first time I used it I totally changed my mind.

It came in the mail and I opened the box and gave it a whirl. The first thing I noticed when using it was how fast it would straighten the hair. It would be pretty straight after one pass and perfectly straight after a couple passes. The other thing I noticed after using it regularly (and my old hair grew out and got cut off) was that my hair was much more soft. My stylist would even comment to me everytime I saw her that my hair felt so silky and smooth. And she had been cutting my hair for years so she knew it better than anyone else! I had all kinds of expensive shampoos and conditioners and they never made it as soft as my Solia ceramic flat iron did.

My experience with a CHI ceramic iron
Because the CHI brand seems to be all the rage, I finally decided to hop on the bandwagon and order one for myself. I think I spent around the same amount as I did on my Solia – just under $100 for it. I also ordered it online because that was by far the cheapest option. I checked at a few local places that sold them and they charged usually 40-70% higher than the prices you can get on the web. I got the 1” size and it worked equally as effective as my Solia, but by far I was more impressed with some of the newest ones to hit the market this year. They use even more tourmaline and leave your hair so silky smooth and pin straight.

So if you want to know how to straighten your hair perfectly, the secret is to only go with the best flat iron brands instead of the cheap ones. It’s that simple!

So what’s the secret?
A lot of people say you get what you pay for, but I don’t always believe that. Let’s be honest, a lot of times that top you buy for $10 isn’t much different in quality than one you buy for a $120 at a department store. But the one thing I learned (the hard way) is that when it comes to flat irons for hair… this rule absolutely holds true! The best flat irons which costs a few bucks more are sooo much better than the ones you get at CVS or something. I mean it has seriously cut my styling time by like 90%! What you want to go with are ceramic flat irons or a tourmaline flat iron.

For years I always got by on the cheap ones that you just get at the drugstore. I figured they couldn’t be that different than the ones that cost a few bucks more. Wow I could not have been more wrong. The best flat iron brands, like GHD, CHI, Farouk, Tourmaline, and Solia work so much better. The reason is that they are actually made different.

These “best” ones are made with ceramic and tourmaline plates. Why do you want those? Well, those make something called negative ions. These actually improve your hair rather than ruin it. They make your hair softer and because there’s not the heat damage with cheaper models, your hair is less frizzy. They also reduces static electricity in your hair which also helps to tame that frizz.

The other secret…
It’s super important to pick the right size for a flat iron. As you know they come in sizes from half an inch to two inches or more.  If you have long hair the bigger ones can definitely help make the process faster. I use a one inch because I have medium length hair and I like the versatility it offers me with making my hair a little wavy around the bangs and the ears. There are also one that are called mini-stylers that are ½ to ¾” of and inch and work good if you have short hair.

Good tips to follow…
If you want to straighten your hair fast, it is a lot easier to do it if your hair is already dry. I know this seems like common sense but you would be surprised how many people think it doesn’t matter. It takes a lot longer and I also just don’t like doing it even if the iron is designed to be used on wet hair. Because even if it dries the strands of hair the scalp of your head and the hair close to it is still wet. That’s just going to screw up your style and that hair at the base will curl once it dries. This is why I am so against this technique.

The #1 most important tip!
I can’t stress how important this is. As mentioned, you really need to have a high quality hair straightener. Once you use the top rated flat irons you will understand this first hand for yourself. It’s worth spending a little bit more for something that will give you amazing hair for years to come!

Get the right size and type of flat iron
This is, by far, the most important thing to do right. Hair straighteners come in all different sizes. They base the sizes off the width of the iron. So if it’s 1” wide, it’s a 1” iron (okay that’s obvious so I probably didn’t have to mention that). But anyway, this is where the biggest mistake is made…

Probably 95% of them sold today are one inch or more. While this works great on a girl’s hair because it’s longer, if you have hair under 6” it’s not a good idea. The reason is that it leaves the hair too pin straight. Also on the sides of your head (like by your ears) you may have shorter hair, and a one inch iron is just too big to keep it looking natural.

So what’s the solution? Well, you need to have the right size – and that is a 1/2” flat iron. Unfortunately, not many manufacturers make them because chicks don’t like that size. And the ones they sell at drugstores and local stores are crappy quality and don’t heat up enough. But if you shop online, you can get some that are this size by great brands that actually work. I recommend GHD flat irons (that’s what I use) but CHI flat irons work good too. You can get them at some high end salons buy they markup them up like crazy. If you get them online, they usually have big discounts, free shipping, and all that good stuff.

The other thing you need to do is get a thermal protector before you iron your hair. What the heck is that? Well, it’s usually a serum or lotion that you put on your hair to protect it from heat damage. You don’t need to put much on, a quarter-sized squirt into your palm is plenty. Rub this through your hair and you can then use your iron. You can pick some of this up a your local drugstore in the hair isle. But the one I found that I like the best is called the “Catwalk Fashionista Smooth & Shine.” It comes in a 8 ounce purple bottle. It’s around $10 to $15 but one bottle lasts me almost a year. The girl that cuts my hair recommended this to me a couple years ago and it definitely works the best. It keeps your hair soft instead of fried which happens with the ones that get really hot, like CHI flat irons.

How do I use it?
Honestly, some people like to pretend it’s rocket science, but it’s pretty simple if you follow this advice. After you put the thermal protector in your hair, plug in your iron and let it heat up. The good ones will heat up in less than 10 seconds. Then take it and run it through your hair. Try and pull it in the direction you want your hair to sit it will make it easier. So if you want the hair to go forward over your forehead, then pull the hair through the iron in that direction. Don’t ever “clip” your hair in the flat iron and let it sit. That will burn it You always want the hair moving when it’s touching your hair… or “gliding” as my hair girl says, ha.

So that’s your answer of how to straighten your hair for guys. But yeah, most important, you need a high quality 1/2” size. Go with the best flat irons which costs a few bucks more… trust me you’ll be glad you did and these things last for years so it’s like a one-time investment, and good hair for years is definitely worth $50 to $100!