What Do We Know So Far on Hair Straightening?

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WIRED's Gear members have an array of curl types, needs, and hair-styling tricks, and we've all tried a lot of hair straighteners in our lifetimes. Some flat irons have left us with crispy ends and cramped hands, while others, like the ones listed here, gave us sleek hair. There's a dizzying number of options around, but hopefully our favorite titanium hair straightener can help narrow down your search.

Updated December 2021: We've added more of our favorite tourmaline hair straightener, including the Bio Ionic 3-in-1 tool, the L'ange iron that blows cool air, and two honorable mentions.

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Modern technologies have come up with ceramic hair straightener that are user-friendly. You no longer have to visit a salon if you want straight hair. However, using a hair straightener may not be easy for someone who has not used it before. Though flat irons are simple to use, one needs to be aware of the associated factors to ensure safety. If you are a beginner, here is a simple guide on how to use hair straightener at home.

Before you straighten hair at home, you need to prep your hair. Pollution, grease, various styling products, and dirt make your hair frizzy and unmanageable (1). Therefore, you need to wash your hair before straightening it.

Use a hydrating and nourishing shampoo to make your hair soft. Before you apply the flat iron on hair, make sure your hair is dry. Do not use a hair straightener on wet hair.

Choosing the right type of hair straightener is as important as preparing your hair for the straightening method. The market is flooded with plenty of straightening brands, and the abundance of options may end up confusing you. Here Checkout these Hair Straighteners as few options you can consider. Using a bad iron may end up damaging the hair severely.

Among many types of straighteners, flat irons are the best ones. They may be a little expensive compared to other types but are the best in terms of safety. When you are shopping for one, try to pick a straightener that comes with ceramic coating. This type of product is gentle for hair and provides hair with extra shine and health.

Personal image, as it relates to external beauty, has attracted much attention from the cosmetic industry, and capillary aesthetics is a leader in consumption in this area. There is a great diversity of products targeting both the treatment and beautification of hair. Among them, hair straighteners stand out with a high demand by costumers aiming at beauty, social acceptance and ease of daily hair maintenance. However, this kind of treatment affects the chemical structure of keratin and of the hair fibre, bringing up some safety concerns. Moreover, the development of hair is a dynamic and cyclic process, where the duration of growth cycles depends not only on where hair grows, but also on issues such as the individual's age, dietary habits and hormonal factors. Thus, although hair fibres are composed of dead epidermal cells, when they emerge from the scalp, there is a huge variation in natural wave and the response to hair cosmetics. Although it is possible to give the hair a cosmetically favourable appearance through the use of cosmetic products, for good results in any hair treatment, it is essential to understand the mechanisms of the process. Important information, such as the composition and structure of the hair fibres, and the composition of products and techniques available for hair straightening, must be taken into account so that the straightening process can be designed appropriately, avoiding undesirable side effects for hair fibre and for health. This review aims to address the morphology, chemical composition and molecular structure of hair fibres, as well as the products and techniques used for chemical hair relaxing, their potential risk to hair fibre and to health and the legal aspects of their use.

Attempts at beautification, mainly in women, especially involve the skin and its annexes 1. Personal image, as it relates to external beauty, has been the target of investment in the beauty industry, and in this context, the branch of capillary aesthetics has attracted much attention from the cosmetic industry because it is considered a leader in consumption in this area 2. As hair is one of the few physical features that can be easily modified to create a totally different style, be it in length, colour, or shape 3, there is a great diversity of products targeted for both the treatment and the beautification of hair; among them, hair relaxers and straighteners stand out. Generally, the term ‘relaxer’ refers to products intended for the treatment of kinky hair, while ‘straightener’ refers to products used for the treatment of curly hair – in this work, the term ‘straightener’ is used when referring to both products. The reasons for the use of hair dryer include beauty, social acceptance and ease of daily hair maintenance 1. However, these cosmetics affect only the hair shaft. As the newly developing hair will not be affected by these alterations, the new emerging hair will grow with its natural, original shape, and therefore, hair straightening needs to be repeated every 4–6 weeks 3. Thus, the emphasis in this cosmetic treatment should be only on new growth, as repeated treatments can lead to hair breakage 3, and scalp and hair disorders 4, among others 1, 4-6. Moreover, although the hair fibres are composed of dead epidermal cells, when they emerge from the scalp, there is huge variation in natural wave and the response to hair cosmetics 5. Consequently, for obtaining good results, it is essential to understand the mechanism of the process and other important information such as the composition of natural hair fibres, the composition of products and techniques available for hair straightening. Thus, this review aims to address a comprehensive summary of the morphology, chemical composition and molecular structure of hair fibres, as well as the products and techniques used for chemical hair straightening, their potential risk to hair fibre and to health and legal aspects of their use.