How to use straighteners on coloured and dyed hair.

How can we use straighteners in a way that’s safe for coloured and dyed hair?

We all know that using hair straighteners is bad for our hair, whatever condition it’s in. The damage that hair straighteners can do is well-documented. The irony (geddit?) is that we use hair straighteners to make our look shiny, glossy and fabulous! 

Today, the sad news is that using hair straighteners regularly can also dramatically wash out our hair colour. That’s why it’s important to only use the Best hair straighteners for coloured hair to give your colour the best chance of looking luscious for longer.

funny tweet

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Keep your colours bright and long lasting.

With the recent trend for vibrant hair colour ideas such as blues, lilac and reds – that tend to have a shorter lifespan than natural colours – it’s more important than ever to know how to care for your coloured hair.

Check out some of the hot colours this year for ideas and inspiration.

hair colour ideas 2021 pinterest board

Are straighteners bad for coloured hair?

It’s a fact that straighteners can make your hair dye fade faster.

This amazing video by Californian hairdresser Guy Tang went viral a couple of years ago for showing the effects of straightener heat on coloured hair. It’s worth a watch to see the dramatic effects of a flat hair iron turned up to 400 degrees!

Which are the best hair straighteners for coloured hair?

The best straighteners for coloured hair depend on your hair type and condition and how often you plan to use them.

Thankfully today, there are a growing range of hair straighteners that are kinder to coloured hair. With temperature controls, keratin infused plates and special conditioning gizmos, here are the rond up of hte best.

You can read more about each one in our best hair straighteners for coloured hair reviews.

Best straighteners for coloured hair at a glance.

StraightenerLooks likeBest forRatingBuy now
Dyson Corrale q? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B086TVHMLP&Format= SL160 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=colouredhairc 21&language=en GBbest straighteners for coloured hairCordless wonder. five star icon Edited 1
Remington Colour Protectq? encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=GB&ASIN=B07DT9TTL2&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format= SL160 &tag=colouredhairc 21best straighteners for coloured hair remington colour protectBudget. three star icon Edited 1
Cloud Nine The Original Iron Hair Straightener.q? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B084MKMXYF&Format= SL160 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=colouredhairc 21&language=en GBbest straighteners for coloured hair cloud nineThicker hair. five star icon Edited 1
ghd Gold Styler Professionalq? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B000CSLJDW&Format= SL160 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=colouredhairc 21&language=en GBbest straighteners for coloured hair ghd gold stylerEveything! five star icon Edited 1
ghd Platinum + Smart Stylerq? encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=GB&ASIN=B07H1T4YR1&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format= SL160 &tag=colouredhairc 21best straighteners for coloured hair ghd platinumPoker straight hair. four star icon Edited

TOP PICK!

ghd Gold Styler Professional Ceramic Hair Straighteners.

q? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0842R4373&Format= SL250 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=colouredhairc 21&language=en GB

Best hair straighteners for: Everything!

These are the straighteners that all other straighteners want to be. A high quality, lower heat appliance that looks after our coloured manes while giving us the most fabulous, swishy hair results.

How to use straighteners with coloured hair.

So without further ado, we’re going to show you how you yes, you CAN keep using your beloved straighteners with coloured hair, but there are a few steps you can take that will mean less damage.

Don’t forget to use a good heat protection spray before you start!


What you’ll need.

  • Wet hair that’s been lovingly washed and conditioned with a colour shampoo and conditioner that’s right for your hair.
  • A good hair heat protection spray .
  • A natural hair brush that won’t stretch or break your hair, and a comb for the straightening part.
  • Hair sectioning clips to help hold your hair in manageable sections.
  • A smooth and shine spray.
  • One of the straighteners on our Best hair straighteners for coloured hair list!

Let’s go!

Time approx: 30 mins.

Step one: Warm up straighteners

Turn on your hair straighteners and leave them to warm up while you move onto the next step.

Luke warm straighteners will pull and rip your hair so wait until they’re at the optimum temperature before you start using them.

Step two: Protect your hair

Next, you’ll need to dry your hair and make sure it’s completely free of moisture before you put the irons anywhere near it. 

Before you pick up the hair dryer, give your hair a few squirts of your heat protection spray of choice. Make sure it is absorbed from end to end. Protecting your roots is just as important as the frizzier ends. Now you’re ready to blow dry your hair.

Step three: Dry your hair

Because we’re aiming to minimise the amount of heat that your hair has to endure, it’s best to leave your hair until it has air dried a little. If you leave it to air dry too long, you’ll be at risk of haystack hair that will need more ironing out. But we don’t want it sopping wet either so a happy medium is the golden goal.

The important thing here is that you’re not styling it yet. You just need to brush it through to lengthen and condition it as you dry it. 

Step four: Section your hair

Now your hair is completely dry, divide it into manageable sections with the clips. How many you have depends on your hair type and your skill! If you have thick hair, you’ll need more sections to get the best results.

hair in sections

Step five: Spray again

Now your straighteners should be ready and hot. Why we love the ghds for coloured hair is the straighteners use an optimum temperature of 185 degrees to straighten your hair. Some hair straighteners go up to 400 degrees! 

While these will save time and arm aches when it comes to styling, in the long run these will totally frazzle your colour and damage your hair. 

Grab the section you want to start on and give it another spritz with the hair heat protection spray. Wait a couple of seconds for it to sink in before moving to the next stage.

Step six: Comb and straighten

This is the tricky part. With your comb, comb the section downward while placing the flat iron on the section behind it. Now, slowly and carefully slide both the comb and the straighteners right down to the ends of your hair. 

Repeat this as few times as you possibly can to get the desired result. The fewer times the better so be careful not to overdo it. If there’s any smoke or burning smell coming from your hair, stop and wait for it to cool down.

Step seven: Shine spray!

Once you’ve completed your whole head, seal in the shine with your smooth and shine spray to keep it protected and looking glossy! You can also apply some serum to the ends to seal them and set the whole look with hairspray if your hair is prone to flyaways.

straight hair results

Can I use straighteners to curl my hair?

The wonderful thing about straighteners is that, despite their name, you don’t just have to use them to make your hair straight. There are a few tips and techniques you can learn to put curls or waves in your hair.

Remember these Do’s and Don’ts.

DO:

  • Wait until your hair is partly dry before using the hair dryer to dry it.
  • Always use a hair heat protection spray.
  • Try out how to use straighteners to make curls or waves.

DON’T:

  • Don’t straighten your coloured hair every day.
  • Don’t EVER put straighteners on wet hair.
  • Don’t over-iron. If your hair smokes or smells of burning STOP.

Follow our advice on how to use straighteners with coloured hair and you’ll keep that colour locked in and fabulous for longer.