Issue link: https://www.ahpindiestylist.com/i/1520596
Explore your benefits at associatedhairprofessionals.com 59 may unravel—your client might have to roll the ends to get a good look. Clients with coily hair types may not do well with wash-and-go styles and comb coils, but they should manage all the other basic styles beautifully. ey may prefer to wear their hair in an afro hairstyle rather than a wash-and-go style because of their tight ringlets. Regardless of curl type, mixing up the basic natural styles gives the client more options and lets you, as the hair professional, create beautiful hairstyles for all their life occasions. HEAT HAPPENS Maintaining natural hair can be challenging for some clients, especially if they still want the option to achieve a straight, flat-ironed look. Frequent flat ironing or using high heat to achieve pin- straight hair can cause heat damage to the hair. e client's curl pattern and hair texture will determine the temperature of their flat iron or hot tool and which type of tool they should use. Ceramic plates on flat irons allow for an even distribution of heat and have a lower potential to burn the hair. Ceramic coating of plates can chip off and cause snagging, so it is best for your clients to use flat iron plates made fully of ceramic. Titanium plates heat up fast and transfer heat faster. If you use them properly, there is less potential for heat damage, but leaving the plates on the hair too long can cause more heat damage. Titanium flat irons are for professional use only. Tourmaline is a crystal material that's crushed up and used to coat flat- iron plates. It makes the hair shinier, straighter, and less frizzy than any other option of flat iron. It uses less heat, allowing the hair to stay moisturized. e looser the curl pattern, the less temperature it needs. e tighter the curl pattern, the more heat needed. Flat irons should never go over 425°F. Always tell your clients to use a heat protectant on their hair when using a hot tool. INSTILL CLIENT CONFIDENCE As a hair professional, knowing more about multiple types of hair and educating your clients builds trust and loyalty. e more you learn about their hair care and how you present it to your clients can change your career. Remember to listen to your client's likes and dislikes and style them according to their curl pattern and preferences. Tell them about the ingredients they need to have in their products for their specific hair type and suggest certain product lines for them to purchase to maintain their hair between appointments. If they do decide to flat iron and use heat tools, explain the maintenance to them so they can avoid heat damage. Sooner or later, your client will learn to embrace their natural hair and all its versatility. Note 1. Che-Jung Chang et al., "Use of Straighteners and Other Hair Products and Incident Uterine Cancer," Journal of the National Cancer Institute 114, no. 12 (December 2022): 1636–45, academic.oup.com/jnci/ article/114/12/1636/6759686.