If you’ve ever used a flat iron to straighten your hair, you know that it can be a quick and effective way to achieve smooth, frizz-free locks. However, if your flat iron pulls your hair, it can be a frustrating and painful experience.
Not only does it damage your hair, but it can also make it difficult to achieve the sleek, straight look you desire. In this article, we’ll explore some common reasons flat irons pull hair and provide seven tips for fixing the problem.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, these tips will help you get the most out of your flat iron and avoid damaging your hair.
First, I will address the most common reason that flat irons will pull your hair and hopefully get 90 percent of you your answer quickly.
Why do straighteners pull hair?
For starters, no straightener should pull your hair. The most often cause of straighteners pulling hair is either a very old flat iron or a dirty one. Flat irons should be replaced every 500-1000 hours or about 2-3 years for people who regularly use their straighteners.
We have a list of some of the best straighteners (or curlers!) you can buy right now. I highly recommend you check it out if you need to purchase a new straightener.
If you have a brand new flat iron, I highly recommend you check out how to clean your straightener to ensure that dirt or hair product hasn’t built up and is causing the painful pulling you’re experiencing.
These two tips should likely have already solved your issue. If not, have no fear! We will be addressing many of the other possibilities below.
Reason #1: Your Flat Iron Might Be Too Hot
We’ve talked about the fact that flat irons can be dangerous to your hair at high heat before, but it is always good to remind people. Heat-based styling methods like flat irons are unnatural and place tremendous stress on your hair. This, in turn, can cause your hair to literally fry while you are straightening it, which can degrade the quality of your hair to the point it frays and catches easily in your straightener.
Some straighteners tout the fact they can go from 0-400+ degrees incredibly quickly. However, you rarely need to go anywhere near the max heat. It is kind of like a car, where you can go 100+ mph, but you really shouldn’t for everyone’s safety.
The FHI heat index shows the reasonable heat range for your hair type. 300-375 is good for almost all hair types except very thick hair. That being said, I wouldn’t recommend going above 400 degrees, even for thick hair. At this point, you should consult a stylist to help you manage your thick locks rather than potentially ruining them by doing it at home.
And since we are already talking about flat iron and heat, make sure to use heat protectant as well! This could be another reason your hair might be snagging. With too much heat (and no heat protectant), your hair can become damaged and brittle, leading to breakage and split ends.
Reason #2: You Straighten Too Large of Sections
The larger the section of hair you try and straighten, the more likely you are to pull your hair.
It is a pretty simple equation, more area straightened = more potential snagging. Those of us in a rush to straighten might not like this, but the reality is, to avoid pulling your hair in the flat iron, you will have to do smaller sections.
Thankfully, this will allow more even straightening in the long term! And, of course, no snagging.
P.S.: For those who do want to save time, you might want to check out the many types of permanent hair straightening solutions out there.
Reason #3: Your Straightener Might Suck
Just to cut the BS, your straightener might just suck. Sometimes the manufacturing process might go awry, and an otherwise high-quality straightener brand delivers a sub-par product that is flawed in some way or another. Or sometimes, we ladies want to get a deal and purchase from a random no-name brand at the store or Amazon. Either way, the reality is some flat irons are better paperweights than straighteners.
At the very beginning, we told you that if your flat iron is too old, you should replace it. The same advice is used here. Much like older flat irons, poorly made ones can have loose plates or plates that aren’t round like they are supposed to be. This is the source of the pulling and snagging you feel when straightening.
To avoid anything like this happening in the future, we recommend only shopping with trusted brands. The amount of grief (and money) you can save by using reliable manufacturers, who oftentimes have warranties, is well worth the extra you might have to pay.
A high-quality brand should last you 2-3 years which means if you have to replace your straightener multiple times a year because you chose a lower-quality brand, you would have just saved money buying the better brand.
Don’t make the mistake that many of us have made in an effort to save money. Find the one you want with the best reviews and stick with that.
Reason #4: You Haven’t Combed
Another issue you might have is your hair may be tangled or knotted before using the hair straightener. This can cause the hair straightener to pull and break your hair as it tries to straighten it. To alleviate this issue, run a comb through your hair and get as many of the tangles out as possible.
A fine tooth comb, detangling spray, and leave-in conditioner are all tools you can use to help you fix any tangled or matted hair you might have before straightening it. You don’t need any of these, but they will make it much easier and far quicker.
Reason #5: Your Hair is Damaged
Without a doubt, the most important thing of all is to make sure your hair isn’t already damaged before trying to straighten it. NEVER try straightening your damaged hair. More often than not, the cause of damaged hair is the overuse of heat-based styling. Although, you might have other things going on, like dyed hair possibly causing damage.
What happens when your hair gets damaged is it becomes brittle and breaks, which causes snagging in your flat iron. You can consult a stylist to give you advice on how to repair your hair, but avoid over-stressing your hair in the future.
Now, I know you will probably still try to do it. Therefore, I should at least give you some advice. If you absolutely need to get your hair straightened for whatever reason, here is what you should do:
- Use frizz-preventing & damaged hair-specific shampoo in the shower
- Apply a strengthening conditioner
- Brush your hair well with a wide-tooth comb
- Use a deep conditioner (1-3 times a week is best)
- Use leave-in conditioner
- Apply a heat-protectant spray or cream through your hair
- Make sure your hair is COMPLETELY dry
- Now you can straighten your hair
With these steps, you can be as safe as possible. However, I still don’t recommend straightening damaged hair. It is 100% your choice; keep in mind this can cause lasting damage to your hair over time.
And those are the main reasons your flat iron pulls or snags your hair! If you still have issues after going through this extensive list, leave a comment below! Or use our contact us page. Have a good day, and good luck!