How Do Straighteners Work?

Hundreds of people around the world, both men and women, old and young, use hair straighteners every now and again. It may be on rare occasions when they visit the salon, or at home when you’re planning a posh evening in or more frequently for everyday use to tame wild hair. Straighteners are definitely a popular tool, yet it is extremely unlikely that the majority of people who use them are actually aware of the technology employed that makes them work.

You may be aware that hair straighteners are also known as straightening irons. This is actually because straighteners work in a similar way to the iron you use to iron out your clothing. Straighteners use the same combination of heat and pressure in order to flatten out your hair into smooth, silky locks. Within the process, though, there is level of chemical interaction as well.

In the cortex of every strand of hair on your head there exist hydrogen bonds. These bonds are what cause your hair to bend and become curly – so there are more of them in naturally curly hair than in hair that is naturally straight. The intense heat of your straighteners causes these bonds to break, meaning that your hair is prevented from holding its original form and forced into a straight form instead. These bonds can reform when exposed to moisture, which is why styled hair gradually returns to its original form over time, absorbing the moisture that is constantly in the air. If it rains, of course, your hair will lose its style much faster! This is also why your hair loses any heat styling when you wash it.