# How to properly use a Flat Iron? (or rather how a stylist should use one)



## user3 (Dec 9, 2005)

Ok. So when I go to my stylist she kept kind of pulling at my hair with the flat iron. She would start close to my roots and go down a few inches but then release the iron and go a litte ways back up my hair but when she did this the down motion changed and she would yank/pull at my hair. Just want to add that she didn't keep the iron closed when she went back up the hair and she did the backup motion a few times on each strand.
About half way through she asked me if it was hurting and she said many of clients complained about other irons pulling on their hair. She was testing a new one out on me. I told her no because it didn't hurt but I thought to myself "well of course the other irons pull because you freaking pulling hard on our hair when you do that weird backtracking".
I asked if that is how you should use a flat iron and she told me YES!

Now I myself  have only had my hair flat ironed my me or my mother. I have seen it done on other people and I have seen other people do their own hair. I have also used a flat iron on a friends hair.
Now, I start at the root slide/glide the iron down the bottom of the hair and if needed I go back up to the root and do another slide/glide down the hair. WITHOUT pulling and yanking or doing a repeat motion before I get to the bottom. This is also how I have witnessed it being done by others.

Curious does anyone do it like my stylist does? Am I doing it wrong?


**Side note**
I have a sneaky feeling that she is getting back at me in her own way. I just won't let her color my hair. I just started back coloring it after a few years of not coloring and I like to do it myself unless I changed my mind and want to do a more complicated coloring. She seems to not like the fact that I do it at home. She also seemed a bit taken back when I told her I wanted some layering in the front. When she got done I told her I actually wanted more layers than that but that would be fine for now so I can slowly get use to having layers again in the front.
Now I pay her $34-36 for the cut can't recall which one plus I always give her a $10 tip. I would think she would be happy with me as a client. I have a simple cut and I think I am a pretty good tipper. She seemed POed that day. She didn't seem to really want to Flat iron my hair. Keep in mind I had my hair Thermal reconditioned back in May so really using the flat iron on my hair only makes it less puffy and thick looking. It's not like she had to work through some major curls.

Just thought I'd add in this side note


Sorry for the long post. I just want to make sure I am using the flat iron right and that if my stylist might be "mistreating" my hair. I might just find someone else if that seems to be the case.


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## miz_becki (Dec 9, 2005)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Zap2it* 
_Ok. So when I go to my stylist she kept kind of pulling at my hair with the flat iron. She would start close to my roots and go down a few inches but then release the iron and go a litte ways back up my hair but when she did this the down motion changed and she would yank/pull at my hair. Just want to add that she didn't keep the iron closed when she went back up the hair and she did the backup motion a few times on each strand.
About half way through she asked me if it was hurting and she said many of clients complained about other irons pulling on their hair. She was testing a new one out on me. I told her no because it didn't hurt but I thought to myself "well of course the other irons pull because you freaking pulling hard on our hair when you do that weird backtracking".
I asked if that is how you should use a flat iron and she told me YES!

Now I myself  have only had my hair flat ironed my me or my mother. I have seen it done on other people and I have seen other people do their own hair. I have also used a flat iron on a friends hair.
Now, I start at the root slide/glide the iron down the bottom of the hair and if needed I go back up to the root and do another slide/glide down the hair. WITHOUT pulling and yanking or doing a repeat motion before I get to the bottom. This is also how I have witnessed it being done by others.

Curious does anyone do it like my stylist does? Am I doing it wrong?


**Side note**
I have a sneaky feeling that she is getting back at me in her own way. I just won't let her color my hair. I just started back coloring it after a few years of not coloring and I like to do it myself unless I changed my mind and want to do a more complicated coloring. She seems to not like the fact that I do it at home. She also seemed a bit taken back when I told her I wanted some layering in the front. When she got done I told her I actually wanted more layers than that but that would be fine for now so I can slowly get use to having layers again in the front.
Now I pay her $34-36 for the cut can't recall which one plus I always give her a $10 tip. I would think she would be happy with me as a client. I have a simple cut and I think I am a pretty good tipper. She seemed POed that day. She didn't seem to really want to Flat iron my hair. Keep in mind I had my hair Thermal reconditioned back in May so really using the flat iron on my hair only makes it less puffy and thick looking. It's not like she had to work through some major curls.

Just thought I'd add in this side note


Sorry for the long post. I just want to make sure I am using the flat iron right and that if my stylist might be "mistreating" my hair. I might just find someone else if that seems to be the case._

 
I flat iron my hair the way you do it and my stylist does it the same way as me and you. I'd go to someone else that stuff can really damage your hair.


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## pumpkincat210 (Dec 9, 2005)

Go only down.. I can imagine the heat going up the hair shaft would be very damaging.
And if you think she's getting back at you, I'd go somewhere else fast!


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## kimmy (Dec 9, 2005)

the way you're doing it is the correct way to use a flat iron :] you should always do the entire length of the hair when using a flat iron, starting from the roots and ending at the very bottom of the hair, otherwise you get those nasty little subtle creases where you went back and re-did only a portion. 

using a flat iron the way she's using it can cause heat damage in uneven patterns on your hair from the overheating of her going back and re-doing just a small portion of it. it's no secret that flat irons cause damage to hair, but the damage is a little easier to control and remedy when it's even, therefore starting at the roots and going all the way is always a better technique than going half way and then overlapping to do the other half.

i hope that helps answer your question at least a little bit :]


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## user3 (Dec 9, 2005)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *pumpkincat210* 
_Go only down.. I can imagine the heat going up the hair shaft would be very damaging.
And if you think she's getting back at you, I'd go somewhere else fast!_

 


It's really hard to explain but she will redo small areas at time. She doesn't actually keep the iron closed and go back up the hair. KWIM



I am thinking I should just go back to the gal I used for about year. It's a 30min drive but always did a great job and would NEVER abuse my hair.


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## user3 (Dec 9, 2005)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *THE ANTHEM* 
_using a flat iron the way she's using it can cause heat damage in uneven patterns on your hair from the overheating of her going back and re-doing just a small portion of it._

 



That's exactly  what I was worried about! I have worked too hard for that gal to fry my hair!

I am so happy to find out I am not the freak here. LOL 
I was thinking that maybe she was doing some "new" technique but something just didn't seem right.


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## baby_yousei (Dec 9, 2005)

My stylist always goes down the full length of the section and then go back and redo it again, so 2x per section, but he never does just part of the section and he never pulls!!  So definitely go to your other stylist, this one sounds like she doesn't know what she's doing AND a pain to deal with.


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## so_siqqq (Dec 9, 2005)

The best way to flat iron hair is to do it section by section and in thin pieces, not a thick section of hair. Spray or apply whatever kind of heat protecting product you like and start flat ironing from the roots to the ends and do it again once more. You do have to pull some what. You have to pull the flat iron but don't pull it so hard that it hurts or pulls hair out. You have to pull becauseas you run the flat iron clamped to your hair the heat and tension manipulates the hair to because straight kind of like curling hair with curlers.

Oh, and try not to flat iron the same section more than twice becuase if you do it takes away the shine from your hair and just really damages it.


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## Pink_minx (Dec 9, 2005)

thats weird you should def. go to the stylist that is 30 minutes away from you its worth the drive if she or he is gonna do a better job than this lady.  I would not go back to that lady!


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## Dreamergirl3 (Dec 11, 2005)

Welp thats the way I flatiron my hair too ladies! I always wondered if I was doing it right. Especially since my HAI iron gets really hot when I want it too and wouldnt want to be damaging my hair even more!


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## Eye<3Colour (Dec 11, 2005)

ooo what would i do w/out my flat iron!!! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 i just got my hair done yesterday and i love how she flat irons my hair. she does such an awesome job!! yah, your girl isn't do it right at all!!! and is she spraying the sections w/heat protecter? such a must!! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 but yes, i do it the way she does and everyone else here too!!


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