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After having a nightmare result with the inStyler, I bought my daughter the CHI Flat Iron today. I'm not sure how to use it properly and I want to make sure she will use it properly so as not to have another nightmare.
The instructions for the inStyler said that the hair has to be completely dry and you should have no "product" in your hair. Well, she followed those directions and, after using it for a couple of months, it completely fried and broke her hair and she lost a good 4-6" of length. Her hair was a complete disaster.
She is bi-racial and her hair texture is thick and curly/kinky, yet soft. She gets her hair relaxed because she doesn't like the curl/kink
I took her to the stylist and they trimmed her hair so it was even all around, gave her an intenstive conditioner. I also bought her a weekly deep conditioner and other products to put in her hair daily to strengthen it.
Her hair started looking nice again --- it was all even and no longer breaking off and it had a very healthy look. I took her to the stylist again and she said it was fine for her to have a relaxer but to continue with the intensive conditioning treatments and the daily products.
Her hair is straight now (because of the relaxer) but she wants it "perfectly" straight and the only way to do that is with the flat iron. I don't want another disaster with her hair so I need some info on how to use the CHI properly.
I know you're supposed to use a heat protectant on your hair before using. However, is your hair still supposed to be damp from the protectant?? Or, should you use the protectant, blow dry, and then use the CHI? OR, should you just wash, spray in the protectant, air dry and then use the CHI?
My best advice is to take the thing and your daughter to your professional stylist and have them show you how to use it properly the first time. My niece has her hair straightened but her sister does not because she has hair like mine and my brothers. My niece that has her hair straightened does not worry with "completely straight" though, she has it straightened professionally and leaves it at that along with the moisturizer and a good shampoo.
I didn't want to have to pay for a stylist appointment just to find out: is your hair still supposed to be damp from the protectant?? Or, should you use the protectant, blow dry, and then use the CHI? OR, should you just wash, spray in the protectant, air dry and then use the CHI?
Hopefully someone who uses the CHI on a regular basis will chime in. If not, I'll call CHI customer service and hopefully they can help me. I just wanted some "real people" to respond with their "real" experience, etc.
Heat protectant on wet hair and blow dry on a large round or paddle brush until completely dry. Then flat iron the dry hair in thin sections using a comb to pull the hair even and straight and 1-2 fairly quick passes down the hair shaft. Let the hair cool completely before brushing.
Might be worthwhile to get the stylist's opinion on getting a keratin treatment in addition to the relaxer. That will reduce the amount of heat and time she has to spend on her hair on a daily basis and thus reduce breakage overall.
Your hair should be 100% dry when flat ironing it. They make heat protected products you can get at a beauty supply store. That said, if your daughter's hair broke off from another flat iron what exactly happened? A CHI might do the same thing.
The one that broke her hair off was the inStyler --- it's like a rotating curling iron/brush in one. It works great on my hair but totally destroyed her hair! Her hair WAS a good 2-3" below her shoulders but after the inStyler fried it and it broke off, it's now just to the nape of her neck.
What happened was that when she was using the inStyler, she was using it on her hair dry. Because of the texture of her hair, she doesn't wash it everyday -- she usually washes it once a week to 10 days. At the time, unbeknownst to me, she wasn't using any daily products in her hair (like oil, moisturizer, or anything like that) so her hair was as dry as a tumbleweed. Add the intense heat of the inStyler and the result is a disaster. She was using it everyday, too.
Now, very hard lesson learned and she knows better. She's using daily leave-in product to keep her hair from drying out and knows not to use a hot styling tool on hair that isn't properly nourished.
I just wanted to make sure with the CHI and how to use it so she doesn't have to go through this again.
The CHI will do the same thing if she doesn't take care of her hair. It is bascally 'cooking' your hair every time you use it. Make sure she is careful.
The hair should be dry before using the flat iron. If she has had trouble with breakage and damage I would not blowdry, I would let the hair air dry. That will cut down on the amount of heat applied to the hair. To use a flat iron, section off the hair into small sections and pull the iron over each section of heir, careful to not hold it in one spot too long. I also think it would be a good idea to ahve a stylist show you how.
Also, are you sure it was the other styler that was 100% at fault? Her hair is chemically treated. That combined with using heat appliances, even a Chi, can cause damage, especially if used at too high of a temp. Also, not using the right products can have an effect.
The one that broke her hair off was the inStyler --- it's like a rotating curling iron/brush in one. It works great on my hair but totally destroyed her hair! Her hair WAS a good 2-3" below her shoulders but after the inStyler fried it and it broke off, it's now just to the nape of her neck.
What happened was that when she was using the inStyler, she was using it on her hair dry. Because of the texture of her hair, she doesn't wash it everyday -- she usually washes it once a week to 10 days. At the time, unbeknownst to me, she wasn't using any daily products in her hair (like oil, moisturizer, or anything like that) so her hair was as dry as a tumbleweed. Add the intense heat of the inStyler and the result is a disaster. She was using it everyday, too.
Now, very hard lesson learned and she knows better. She's using daily leave-in product to keep her hair from drying out and knows not to use a hot styling tool on hair that isn't properly nourished.
I just wanted to make sure with the CHI and how to use it so she doesn't have to go through this again.
There is your problem. The inStyler isn't the problem. ANY flat iron is going to do the same thing if the hair is in that bad of shape.
If she isn't washing her hair, why is was she using it every day?
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