subject: Flat Iron Tips: Top Five Ways to Extend the Life of your Hair Straightener [print this page] Flat Iron Tips: Top Five Ways to Extend the Life of your Hair Straightener
1. Show Your Cord Some Love
Cord care is important for the life of your iron. It's never a good idea to wrap the cord around the body of the iron, because doing so can result in chipped or cracked plates.
2. Clean Your Plate(s)!
Allowing hair products and natural oils to build up on your flat iron's plates is a bad thing. This build up will eventually become sticky shellac that pulls your hair, resulting in irreversible damage and split ends.
3. Go Green and Save Some!
Always turn off and unplug your flat iron. Flat irons and most electronics are rated for a set number of hours. Your standard run-of-the-mill CHI is rated at around 400 hours of use. Newer models, like U-Smooth and GHD, are rated for more. Every moment your flat iron is on its useful life is ticking away, and so is your investment.
4. Store Right to Spend Light
Many of us are guilty of mashing our flat irons under the sink like a sack of cotton balls, but this may cause a significant reduction in performance. Protect your investment by loosely gathering the cord and gently placing your flat iron in a safe spot, free from items that may scratch or fall on it.
5. Keep it Cool
The plates of your flat iron are designed to heat up and cool down, but the body of your iron is not. Too much hot or cold can cause the body to warp or even crack. Avoid leaving your flat iron in places, like a car, where it may experience these extreme temperatures.
