Help me with my hair

[Pumpkin]

So today my hair was professionally straightened which I really like and would be enjoy doing more often. Sadly, any attempts at this at home have been unsuccessful. So I spoke to the hairdresser today and she said I will need:

-A high quality hair straightener that gets to high temps
-A light hair oil (she said to start from the center of my hair down, not from the root down)
-A round brush
-A comb

Does anyone know anything about this stuff? Can anyone suggests brands that would be good? Any other tips and advice?

[LocoColt04]

Well, when it comes to my own hair, it's "dry" and I'm done with it. I have, on occasion, needed to straighten it though, and everything you listed (sans hair oil) was definitely necessary to get it straight all the way down to the root. If you can have someone help you until you get used to it, that would be best. It's tough working on your own head, especially if your hair is thick enough to have multiple layers at all stages of the scalp.

Start from the back of the head though, and work your way forward. I know that much for certain. You'll spend a lot of time leaning forward to get everything at the base of your skull, so grab a chair and sit in it backward so you can have some support while you straighten your hair. You'll also want a compact or other sort of hand mirror so you can reflect the back of your head off of the mirror in the bathroom/vanity/etc so you can check your progress.

[Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World]

Warm up some oil, something like coconut oil or avocado oil is best. Put it in your hair to condition it. Make sure it gets all up in those hairs.
Let it sit for a few hours so that it can penetrate well. Perhaps even overnight.

Now brush your hair out. Rid yourself of any tangles. You can start heating up the straightener now.

Once you have gotten rid of those nasty tangles you can get to straightening your luscious and well conditioned hair. I trust you know how to do this.

Use the comb to get a good part of your choice and guide your hair where you want it.

[Alive-Cat]

I don't know anything about hair products
But undoubtably everyone else does!

All I know is more expensive straighteners work better.

[Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World]

I know things.

[Shorty]

Coconut oil is amazing, but be so careful when it comes to oil in hair because it can easily go overboard and leave you looking too greasy.

Find a ceramic hair straightener. It doesn't matter if it's "high quality" (see: expensive). If it's ceramic, it'll get the job done.

I just section my hair off into different parts and straighten it that way. Make sure your hair is totally and 100% dried before straightening! There are tons of youtube videos on how to straighten and maintain curly hair, I bet they could help.

[Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World]

Yes. Ceramic is best. In a lot of different things, actually. Not just for straighteners. But the best straighteners are ceramic. Also ceramic knives are fantastic for... stuff.

And also yes, the oil can make your hair super greasy looking. It may take a couple times of times to find the right amount, which obviously will depend on how much hairs you have.

As for sectioning and layering, I'm not the best at that. so. ask actually girls that one.

[Shiny]

Depending on the texture of your hair and it's natural oils you may not need something like coconut or avocado oil. Something like biosilk could work because it's very light. Thicker oils like Moroccan oil could sit in the hair for longer.

[fire_of_avalon]

There's a really cheap drugstore brand of hair product that has a spray-on thermal protector to use on your hair a few minutes before you use high heat. I use a little of that and let it sit a while before I straighten my hair. Like Shiny said, unless your hair is pretty dry or you're going to straighten it everyday (which is p. inadvisable tbh) you may not need to oil it up.

Chi straighteners are the best. I don't care what anybody says, I have had my hair straightened with cheapo straighteners, mid-level and Chi, and Chi always makes it look and feel best. That being said they are stupid expensive and I would never, ever buy one for myself. I have a Revlon straightener that I have used for years and years and it works pretty well.

Also, the temperature setting you use depends on your hair type. Do you have thick, curly hair? Use high heat. Do you have fine, wavy hair? Use low heat. You always want to use the lowest setting you can get away with, because the higher the heat the more damage you're causing your hair.

I don't think you have to have a round brush if you're going for sleek, stick straight hair. Round brushes are for adding volume, like when you do a blow-out. Now if you want straight + root volume a round brush is a good idea.

EDIT: As far as sectioning your hair out, I do it from the underside to the topside. Start off by sectioning your hair at about ear level, and pile the top half on top of your head with a clip. Work in sections no larger than 3 inches across and not very chunky, should be about the thickness of a sheet of paper if you can manage that. Pull down additional sections as necessary, working with the same "size." Do the top layers of your hair and bangs last.
My advice (based on what I do when I straighten) is this: Don't wash your hair after it is straight. If you really like the straight style and want to wear it for multiple days, go as long as you can without washing it. Straightening your hair every day is really bad for it. Just keep it brushed and touch it up as necessary.

[Pumpkin]

Thanks for the help you guys, I really appreciate it

[blackmage_nuke]

My friend forund a hair straightener in a bathroom and thought it was a necktie iron. (and used it as such)

[Alive-Cat]

I made a thread about hair too it's like we're on the same wavelength man yeah man hair man you gotta talk about it

Years ago a girl put mayonnaise on my hair and said it was good for me. I sat there for like an hour with it. To this day I don't know if she was playing some kind of crafty practical joke on me/getting some weird kind of passive aggressive revenge on me for I don't know leaving the toilet seat up or something

[noxious.sunshine]

Mayo is a good moisturizer for your hair, tho.

Chi straighteners are the best. Look on eBay or Craigslist for a used cheaper one. You could probably find one for like $30 or $40.