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Are steam flat irons better for your hair? Let's talk about it sis...
Everybody and their mama knows that our natural hair swag is straight GORGEOUS, very versatile and a true testimony to Black Girl Magic.
Still though:
While many of us enjoy our natural curls, kinks, and coils, many of us yearn for a style changeup once in a while that allows us to enjoy a few days of bone straight, silky hair.
Like Pac said, "I aint mad atya"....
So look:
There are a few tricks you can use to straighten your hair, but the method that delivers the most impactful results is heat.
Applying heat to natural hair has a bad reputation for triggering a nasty bout with dryness, dull appearances, and split ends. So, it is no wonder that there may be a question mark floating in the natural hair atmosphere about whether the trendy use of steam flat irons is better for your hair than the tried-and-true traditional flat irons.
Sooooo....
One way to find out "Are steam flat irons better for your hair?", is to understand how steam hair straighteners actually work and function.
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Steam flat irons utilize a vapor infusion technology that straightens hair with triggering damage. Steam is released as you straighten your hair, and this creates moisture, which contributes to your effort to minimize drying. Type 3 and type 4 hair often requires moisture to establish curl definition. Steam-infused flat irons produce enough moisture to enable you to tame your coils and create the style that you wish to achieve.
Steam flat irons have various settings, similar to a traditional flat iron, which means you can operate these on low, medium or high settings.
[See NEW Article: Best Hair Steamers for Natural Hair]
There are two schools of thought in the natural hair community as it relates to using heat on natural hair. Some natural hair mavens strongly believe that you should avoid using heat on your hair at all costs.
Their opinion is that excessive use of heat on natural hair tends to weaken the strands, making them susceptible to breakage, and we all want to avoid nasty breakage. So it kind of comes down to the amount of heat you use in their opinion.
Also, they believe that the repetitive use of heat may disrupt the curl pattern.
The other school of thought is that you absolutely can use heat to straighten your hair, but there is one caveat; it must be steam.
You can also figure out non-steam straighteners are for you or are steam flat irons better for your hair when you peep the benefits and advantages of the steam models.
And to be honest...
...several advantages may accompany using a steam straightener with vapor infusion technology.
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Steam flat irons are wonderful for natural hair; however, they still use heat to achieve results. As with any heating tool, you must take steps to ensure that you use the safest temperature for your hair. Also, the same rules for not leaving the iron on any individual section of your hair still apply. Avoid leaving the heat on a single section for an excessive amount of time, or this may cause damage.
Always use a thermal protectant on your hair when applying heat. This action will protect the hair from damage.
Soooo.... Are steam flat irons better for your hair?
Healthwise, yes. Steam flat irons are better for your kinky-curly because they are kinder and gentler to your natural hair than traditional flat irons. Although they might not give you the straightest and most sleek straightening job like a BabyLissPro flat iron.
Still though:
Steam flat irons can assist you in sealing in moisture, unlike traditional flat irons that may rob your hair of its moisture.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Melissa Lee
Melissa Lee is a Contributing Editor to NHP and a former owner of the BlackhairOMG website. She formed 4C Trichology Growth Services, LLC., a US based hair care consultation service. She has also contributed as a writer and consultant for various hair and beauty websites. Melissa can be followed on Twitter here.