First, make sure hair is dry. Straightening wet hair = cooking your strands, and they’ll get all dry and crispy and nasty. No bueno! To further avoid the hair cooking tip, buy only ceramic flat irons. Metal ones are too harsh. Next, divide hair into 1″ sections. Use your flat iron to straighten each section in turn, doing no more than 2 passes per section. (If your iron is high quality, that’s all you’ll need.) When you get to the end of each section, use your wrist to flip hair upwards and away from your face. That’s all there is to it! Whether you’re ready for your comeback like Winona or, like LL Cool J, you’ve been here for years, peeps are sure to take notice of your saucy style.

Okay, well you couldn’t actually iron your head unless you wanted third degree burns all over your face; the idea was to place your hair on a flat surface and iron away. Still, the entire process was incredibly dangerous, and damaging to your hair to boot. Plus, since you couldn’t actually flat iron the hairs closest to your head, it didn’t look amazing either.

Luckily, there are high quality ceramic flat irons available over the place nowadays! You don’t have to be a rocket scientist (or even a professional hair stylist) to know how to use one, they heat up quickly, and they seal the natural moisture into your hair’s cuticles to prevent dryness, damage and frizz. Hooray for the twenty-first century! We’ve come a long way, babies.  Choose from a CHI flat iron, GHD flat irons, or more!

Okay, maybe that part is my imagination. But nevertheless, her hair is fabulous. Wanna bite her style? You know you do! And luckily for you, it’s not terribly difficult if you have the right tools, starting with ceramic flat irons. Why ceramic flat irons over regular metal ones? Because metal flat irons (and curling irons, for that matter) are liable to cook your hair, or at least dry it out and leave it really frizzy and in need of a deep conditioning treatment. No likey. Ceramic flat irons and ceramic curling irons, however, will seal the moisture into your hair’s cuticle and leave it suitably lush.

Once you have a decent flat iron, divide your hair into manageable smaller sections - like 1″ or so. Then run the iron down the length of your hair, section by section. (Don’t iron the same section more than once or twice - you don’t need it and it will just cause unnecessary follicular trauma.) Part your hair on one side and push your (hopefully longish) bangs behind one ear. Ta-da, you’re Thandie! Okay, not quite, but I bet you’re still very pretty. Have you ever thought of modeling? Let me give you my card.

Do you own a ceramic flat iron? Then you can have Nicole Richie's hair!

I know Nicole Richie hasn’t always been the, ahem, pinnacle of class, but she’s really come a long way since her days as Paris Hilton’s BFF on The Simple Life! You can literally see the transformation just by glancing at her. When she first came onto the scene, she had worn-out, ratty-looking extensions, but now she’s all grown-up - and her hair looks amazing. This pretty modern bob is my favorite hairstyle ever, and since my hair is around this length, I was really excited to learn that the key to creating the look is already in my beauty arsenal. I’m talking about ceramic flat irons! Here’s how to get Nicole’s lovely look in just 3 easy steps:

1. Start with dry hair. Apply a heat protective serum.
2. Take your ceramic flat iron - one with 1″ plates should work fine (like these CHI flat irons - and iron your hair in small sections, until all sections have been straightened.
3. Finish with a shine serum, and make sure to sweep your bangs to one side (if you have them).

It’s that easy! Why do you think Nicole looks so self-satisfied in that picture? I think it’s because she can’t believe that a style so easy can look so luxe! Try it out if you have a bob - you won’t believe how much better it’ll look, with practically zero effort on your part. You’re welcome!

1. 100% ceramic plates. Some flat irons claim to be ceramic, but on closer inspection, you’ll find that they actually have metal plates with a layer or two of ceramic baked on. Not good! The metal plates will become exposed in time, and you’ll end up right back at square one, with a metal flat iron.
2. A high quality manufacturer. A reputable company, like CHI, makes flat irons that are built to last. They may cost a little bit extra, but the value makes the investment worthwhile.
3. Size. What size flat iron do you need? That depends. Small ones are easy to use and good for travel, but ones with larger plates make it easier to straighten your hair quickly. The most common choice is 1″ to 2″ plates.
4. Variable heat settings. This gives you the ability to raise or lower the temperature on your flat iron. Make sure to use the lowest setting possible in order to protect your hair while still achieving great results.

I love the sleek, yet curly, side ponytail!

I have been a huge Lauren Graham fan ever since Gilmore Girls and I am so excited that she has a new show coming out soon.  Have you seen the previews for Parenthood?  Its about time she got back on TV!  I loved her look on the red carpet here.  The side swept ponytail that is sleek in front and loosely curled in the back is so easy to recreate when you have a ceramic flat iron.  Since you can use your ceramic flat iron to both straighten and curl your hair, it really is like having two tools in one.  First,  I would straighten your hair all over so you can get the sleekness of this look.  Then, create a deep side part that goes back about an inch and a half from  your forehead.  Secure that section of your hair with a bobby pin that matches your hair color.  Tease the crown of your hair slightly to achieve a bit of height and then smooth back that hair into a low ponytail that sits slightly to the side at the nape of your neck.  Then take your ceramic flat iron and use it as a curling iron, wrapping half inch sections around the barrel and curling up.  Let the curls fall loosely and you have the perfect hairdo for day or night!

You can use a ceramic flat iron to make subtle waves like America Ferrera's!

When it comes to women’s hairstyles, I’ve found that people generally fall into one of two camps: Those who love straight hair, and those who prefer waves and/or curls. My personal taste, however, is somewhere in the middle: I like it when women have gorgeous mostly-straight-but-kinda-wavy hair. Not sure what I’m talking about? Check out America Ferrera on the red carpet! This ‘do is exactly what I’m talking about, and women everywhere can replicate the look at home with ceramic flat irons. Even though ceramic flat irons are hugely popular styling tools, not everyone knows that they can be used to create waves or even curls in addition to giving your hair a smooth, straight appearance. If you want America’s hair, start by blowdrying clean hair and applying a shine serum with heat protectant. Then straighten your hair with a ceramic flat iron in 1″ sections; when you get near the bottom of each section, a simple flick of the wrist will give your hair a little wave! Then give yourself a side part and tie your hair back in a low ponytail at the nape of your neck. You will love this look! It’s so easy to do, and it can look both casual and fancy, depending on how you accessorize and what you’re wearing.

Taylor's hairstylist uses a ceramic straight iron to achieve her flawless look.

Taylor Swift is almost always seen with her blond hair vibrantly curly.  That is why I almost didn’t recognize her in this picture with her hair straightened.  She is one of the lucky people who looks great with her hair straight or curly.  Instead of being jealous though - which I am a little, I can’t lie - I’ve decided to use her hair as a source of inspiration.  I have naturally curly hair which I am usually okay with.  But there are days I just want to tame the look of my curls and have that kind of sleek, run-your-hands-through-it-so-it-cascades-down-your-shoulder-type-of-hair.  Now, I definitely have experimented with all kinds of ways to straighten my hair throughout the years and my hair was showing some damage from all of my little science projects.  So, I went on a bit of a straightening hiatus to get my hair back in balance.  While my hair was “resting,” ceramic flat irons came into popularity.  I’m back on the straightening bandwagon!  The ceramic plates really reduce the amount of damage that occurs with your hair follicles.  And the way they evenly distribute heat means that my hair is sleek and styled in a much more time efficient manner.  Trust me when I say that if you are straightening junkie like me, you need a ceramic flat iron to help you with your addiction!