Before you do anything, you will need to start with clean, dry hair. Follow these guidelines from start to finish for optimal results.



Wash:

Wash hair in warm water with a high quality shampoo. Rinse with warm water. Then, treat with a high quality moisturizing conditioner. Depending on the conditioner, you may want to leave the conditioner in your hair for a few minutes to give your hair added moisture.

After conditioning hair, rinse in cool water. Washing your hair in warm water helps the hair cuticle to open up, allowing you to get rid of build up during the shampoo. Once your hair is clean, rinsing it in cool water after your conditioning treatment causes the hair shaft to close and smooth itself, simultaneously sealing in moisture and enhancing the conditioning treatment. When the hair shaft is smooth instead of rough, each individual strand is more reflective and shiny. This helps give your hair even more luster and sheen.

Dry:

Be sure to start by using your fingers or a towel to gently squeeze out excess moisture in a downward motion keeping hair flat to help keep the hair cuticle closed. Do not dry hair vigorously with your hands or a towel. Next, apply a shine enhancing, heat protectant product to hair. Examples include a calming or straightening serum, leave-in conditioner, or other heat protectant product. This will help keep your hair soft and flexible.

Next, select your brush. For most hairstyles, you will want to use either a large round brush, or a large flat brush. Whichever style brush you use, make sure the brush's bristles are made of boar's hair. Plastic bristles and some other types of brushes can actually rob hair of moisture and nutrients. Natural boar's hair bristles help keep essential oils and healthy moisture in your tresses where it belongs.

As you dry your hair, use downward strokes with your brush. Make sure that you dry your hair with the hairdryer tip pointed downward along the direction of your hair. Be sure not to point the dryer in the opposite direction as your hair. This will cause the hair cuticle to become rough and hair will be less reflective once your style is finished.

Continue with your hairdryer just until hair is dry and flat. Do not overdry your hair. Also, keep in mind that it is not recommended to use the Sedu flat iron on wet or damp hair. Once hair is dry, we recommend using a heat protectant protein spray before straightening.

Straighten:

Next, you will use your flat iron to create the hairstyle of your choice. Before you start, be sure you are using the Sedu with the correct plate size. For long hair, the 1.5" iron is best. For shorter hair, use the 1" iron.

When it comes to straightening, be semi-conservative with the heat level of your flat iron, which ranges from 270 degrees to 450 degrees. These irons are plenty effective on medium heat levels (300 - 370 degrees). There is no need to use it on the highest heat setting unless your hair is especially stubborn or coarse. If your hair is fine or brittle, be sure use a very low heat setting.

Once you begin straightening, work with small, two-inch sections of hair. By using two-inch sections, you will be able to straighten each section quickly with just one or two straightening applications. Using thicker sections will only result in needing many more heat transactions over each section. This will over treat the hair strands in direct contact with the plate, and will leave the strands in the middle of the section unstraightened. Straightening small sections will give you the most even result.

You will want to start by straightening the sections near the bottom of your scalp. Work your way across the bottom layers of your hair and then move on to the next layer up. As you work your way from the bottom layers up, you may want to use clips to keep the upper layers of your hair out of the way in the beginning.

Finish:

Once hair is straightened, you can finish off your look and add even more gloss and shine by applying a finishing product. Use a shine enhancing finishing spray or apply a small amount of a glossing product. Be conservative in your application of these products. Using too much can weigh your hair down. Using the right amount will ensure your hair looks healthy and natural.

Styling:

Your flat iron can be used to create a wide variety of hairstyles including stick straight, soft waves, as well as flipped out and flipped in styles. Select the style you desire:

Straight

One of the most popular looks that users want to achieve is the sleek, stick-straight look. To get this look, insert a 2-inch section of hair between the plates, then squeeze the handle together and glide slowly through hair from the roots to the ends. Maintain a smooth, steady straightening motion and keep your flat iron straight throughout the length of your hair. Most importantly, keep it straight through the tips of your hair. Do not angle the iron unless you want a flipped in or out look (See below).

Soft Body

Your flat iron can also be used to add soft, smooth body to your hair. To create this look, insert a 2-inch section of hair between the plates of your flat iron and gently squeeze the handle together. Glide iron to the ends, then wind hair back around the iron. Release plates.

Flipped Out

Insert a 2-inch section of hair between the plates, then squeeze the handle together and glide slowly through hair from the roots, slightly flip out the ends.

Flipped In

Insert a 2-inch section of hair between the plates, then squeeze the handle together and glide slowly through hair from the roots, slightly flip in the ends.

By following this styling guide, you will be able to achieve that coveted, sleek lustre and sheen with your Sedu flat iron. By practicing, you will be able to improve your skills and be able to style your hair in less time and with even better results. Enjoy your new hairstyle!