Black women have the most difficult hair to manage and maintain, if they don’t know how to do it. Most of them have curls and the best option for them is to go for straightening. Since many women these days don’t want to use chemicals or hot combs to straighten their hair, one option that they have is to use a flat iron. A flat iron not only straightens hair, but also allows black women to create various hairstyles.

Flat irons are convenient to use and help smoothen curls and convert them to straight locks. Since a flat iron also uses heat to treat the hair, one has to be very careful about using it and shouldn’t overheat the hair. One should also use a thermal spray to protect the hair from the heat. The spray can keep the hair healthy and doesn’t end up making it brittle and dry and full of split ends. Apart from the spray, there are hair oils that are made especially for black women and help maintain the hair when the iron is used. When using flat irons, it is always better to use ceramic irons instead of metal ones although the latter are smoother to the touch. Ceramic flat irons are more expensive but prove more beneficial in the long run.

If someone has medium hair, the best way to style it is to go for the straight look. Once the hair is combed and separated with clips, the flat iron should be used from the root to the end. More pressure should be applied near the roots and gradually lessened when the end is near. Once the ironing is done, combing should be done to cool the hair.

A flat iron can also be used to curl hair. The hair should be gripped at the root and the flat iron twisted so that the back of the iron is against the head. The ends can then be turned under or outward, depending on the style one desires.

For short layered hairstyle, a flat iron can be used to create a faux hawk style. To create the faux hawk, hair should be combed from the top of the head to towards the face. The flat iron then needs to be applied in a forward and upward motion to the section of the hair that will form the faux hawk.

For a spiked look, the hair needs to be separated into small sections and the root gripped and pulled upward. The flat iron should be rotated at the end of each section so that the spikes don’t stand up straight. They can be made to go in different directions to create the look.

A flat iron is a much better way to straighten the curls of black women. When applied with care, it can create new looks every other day. However, in the end, one must remember to limit the use of a flat iron and rather be natural except for those special events.