Jesus Built My Flat Iron

I have what could be called “combination” hair. It’s a mix of straight, curly, wavy, and… wiggly. Unless I have it short enough to really boost the waves, I need to do more than just let this shit air dry. I have to pick a direction and actively pursue it, and most of the time, if I’m not fighting late summer humidity, I go with straight.

At one point in my life, I had a Japanese straightening treatment, which gave me fantastic hair for nearly 10 months. But I missed being able to have curls if I wanted. Plus, it was EXPENSIVE. Not wanting to commit to that again, and before the popularity of keratin treatments, I resorted to straightening my hair myself with a drugstore flat iron, and going to a salon for a blowout if I had a special event. I don’t know why it took me so long to realize “Hey, if I buy a better flat iron, I will get better results” but it did.


I spent a lot of time researching hot tools and reading online reviews before I finally settled on the GHD Dark Flat Iron. At over $250, it was kind of a big deal, but I think to myself “This was so worth the money” every single time I use it. And if someone is standing nearby, I actually say it out loud. (I still do this even though I’ve had mine for over a year now.)

If I blow dry my hair first, I can straighten all of it in 12-15 minutes. That alone would make this thing worth what I paid for it. You don’t have to waste time or damage your hair by going over the same areas again and again. Perfectly straight on the first pass. But wait, there’s more! It has ceramic-coated plates, which won’t drag and snag your hair. I hadn’t realized how much my old flat iron did that until I got the new one. The GHD not only makes my hair straighter, but smoother and shinier too. It heats up in less than a minute, and lets you know it’s ready with a couple of beeps. It will shut down after not being used for 30 minutes, so you don’t have to stress if you can’t remember if you shut it off or not and you’re already out somewhere. But the best part is that my hair looks like I “just stepped out of a salon.”

Of course, the products help with getting professional results too. I use Paul Mitchell’s Super Skinny Serum on towel-dried hair before blow drying. I don’t know that it’s the best thing out there, but cuts down on the time it takes to blow dry my hair, which is great because it takes FOREVER to dry my hair even though I have a decent hair dryer. The Skinny Serum also adds shine and reduces frizz, so that’s always good. I’ve also used KMS California Flat Out Straightening Creme, which “smoothes, straightens, and protects against blow dryer damage.” I like it, but I generally use the Skinny Serum instead because I am impatient. I only blow dry and flat iron my hair twice a week, so I’m not overly concerned with heat damage.

Did she say twice a week? Yes! No, it’s NOT gross. I don’t have greasy hair, and twice a week totally works for me. Yes, even when I work out regularly (which is sometimes). And, with the help of my trusty shower cap, my hair STAYS straight even after showering. Sure, I may have to touch up around my hairline where it might have gotten a little wet or where my bangs got weird from being pushed under the cap. But for the most part, I “do” my hair twice a week, and then just brush it in between. The smooth, shiny straightness has STAYING POWER. What more could you want? I can honestly say  this flat iron changed my life.