Hair straighteners are devices used to flatten and straighten the hair shafts. This is done primarily for cosmetic purposes, so that the hair looks smoother, straighter and sleeker.
Hair straighteners essentially help break down the bonds of hydrogen, which are situated in the hair’s cortex. These bonds make the hair curly and once they are broken down, the hair becomes straight, which give rise to the term of “bonding” or straightening the hair. Once the bonding process has been implemented, the hair remains straight until water is applied to the hair shaft, which reverses the job done by the hair straighteners and brings the hair back to its natural shape.
There are many different types of hair straighteners and the most popular are hair irons and hot combs. Chemicals can also be applied in order to straighten the hair. Hair can be straightened permanently or temporarily with the use of special shampoos, gels and conditioners.
Semi-permanent hair straightening techniques use chemicals which are applied to the hair shafts, and these keep the hair straight even after several washes. In fact, until new hair grows from the roots. Non-permanent hair straighteners keep the hair straight until the next wash or for a few days. Permanent hair straightening techniques ensure that the hair remains straight until it is cut off.
Hair irons and straighteners offer one type of non-permanent hair straightening. The hair irons are run over dry hair and they flatten, press and straighten the hair. The heat emitted from the hair irons helps temporarily modify the texture of the hair. Hot combs also work on the same principle as hair irons. Gels are also applied on freshly shampooed hair in order to keep it straight but these work best with short hair. Anything below shoulder length hair requires either a hair iron or a hot comb for best results.
Hair straighteners were first used in the 1900s by African-Americans who typically have tightly curled hair. They used hair straighteners in order to straighten their curls which resulted in a type of hairstyle known as the conk. It was only after the Black Power movement of the 1960s that Afro curls came into vogue.
Hair straighteners became phenomenally popular in the US and in Europe in the mid 1990s. Hair straighteners are now used to either curl hair or straighten it and men have also begun using them too.
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