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Getting a salon style blowout at home is no easy task. After all, that’s why you pay the big bucks to get your hair done professionally. However, with the right tools on hand, you can get an amazing looking hairstyle. In fact, your number one tool for sleek, beautiful, and stick straight hair is a flat iron.

The problem is, most people don’t understand the mistakes they’re making when using a flat iron.

But don’t worry, we’re here to set the record straight so you don’t frazzle those beautiful locks of yours trying to emulate what your favorite hairstylist does every few months.

Mistakes You’re Making with Your Flat Iron

1. Not Using Heat-Protectant Spray

If you don’t put some heat-protectant spray on your hair before flat ironing it, chances are you’re frying your hair and you don’t even know it. In fact, any time you use any type of heating tool you should put some protection spray on your clean, slightly damp hair to prevent breakage, splitting, and to maintain your natural hair texture.

Check to make sure you use the right spray for your hair type so you get the best protection possible.

2. You Repeatedly Flat Iron the Same Piece of Hair

Okay, sometimes the first run through doesn’t straighten your hair all the way, we get it. But the thing is, if you keep straightening the same piece of hair over and over again, you risk damaging your strands.

Make sure there’s enough tension every time you pass your flat iron over your hair, twisting the iron at a 45 degree angle downwards to guarantee the ends get smoothed out.

3. You’ve Never Cleaned Your Iron

You may not realize this, but cleaning your flat iron is a must. Burnt product and dust can collect at the edges of your flat iron, which can reduce the efficiency of your heat styling tool. Not to mention, this built up scum can cause your hair to snag every time you run it through the iron, which makes for a lumpy straighten and broken hair.

To clean it, use alcohol on a cooled down iron to remove any residue that may have built up. You can also wipe the warm (though unplugged) flat iron down using a damp towel to get the same cleaning effect.

4. You Fail to Let Your Hair Cool

Did you know that it’s during the cooling process that your amazing hair style sets into its very best look? Well, it does. So, rather than immediately style your hair after flat ironing it with a steaming hot styling tool, take a second to relax, let your hair cool, and then style it.

5. You Flat Iron Bleach Blond Strands

If you color your hair, you should know that you have to give your hair special treatment. You can’t use the same shampoos and conditioners and you need to use special styling products. But did you know you can’t use your flat iron on its highest heat setting either?

The problem with straightening colored hair is that the heat opens up the hair cuticles and leaches out the color molecules turning your dye job into a dud. This can easily happen to redheads and brunettes, but the heat affects bleached hair the most.

And there you have it! The top five mistakes you’re making when you flat iron your hair in hopes of achieving the perfect blow out look you get after spending hundreds of dollars to get your hair done in the salon.

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