Curls might rule the catwalks at the moment, but our love affair with straight locks could be rekindled if girl of the moment Katie Holmes is anything to go by. If this is the case, simply cutting the crusts off your sandwiches isn't going to be enough, you need the inside track on sleek techniques to give you the edge.

It goes like this -
1. Hair straighteners are designed for occasional, not daily use, as they work at a high temperature and can cause damage.

2. Don't rely solely on straightening irons – blow-dry hair smooth first.

3. Always use a styling spray before heat straightening – this acts as a barrier between hair and heat.

4. Steam straighteners add moisture to the hair, allowing for glossy, silky results.

5. Don't try to straighten too much hair at once – keeping the sections small will avoid ridges forming at the roots.

Wearing pin-straight styles should be reserved for special occasions, such as a job interview, where hair needs to ooze polished professionalism, or a date where you likewise want to shine. It's the flat surface, reflection ratio for all you Eva Longoria-type science lovers out there - aquaholics on a beach holiday shouldn't even try.

Remove some of the hard slog involved in taming rogue locks with products specifically for straight finishes, such as KMS Flat out Shampoo and Conditioner, $19.16 each. Post-towel-drying, detangling tamers KMS Flat out Smoothing Serum, $20.76, Senscience Moisturising Mist, $22.46, and PPS Smootheez Serum $16.76, each encourage wet hair to straighten up and lie right.

Don't rely solely on straightening irons – blow-dry hair smooth first with the crucial blow-dry the correct hairbrush is key. Medium or large radial brushes with natural bristles and flat paddle brushes with rubber pins are best. Ghd have a wide range of brushes and sizes.

Comb through first and then roughly blow-dry for a couple of minutes. Clip the top sections of hair out of the way and select brush-wide underneath sections, starting from the back of the head and working forwards.

Ensure each one is completely dry before moving on to the next. Do it right and you should only need to use straighteners through the top sections, leaving your style with more vitality. Use a heat-protection product, such as Redken Smooth Down Heat Glide, $20.00, first. Use a smooth action from root to tip and two or three strokes each time and go straight to gorgeous.

This article is courtesy of Recreate Yourself, who stock all the great products mentioned, click on the banner below to find them....