My £1 hack brings your old hair straighteners back to life – you’ll never have kinks again & it stops damage too
IF you’re like the majority of us, chances are you’ve never cleaned your old straighteners.
But just like our hair brushes, these devices, too, grow a thick layer of product build-up over time – which is why your tresses don’t seem as shiny.
Luckily, one beauty lover, from Sweden, has come to rescue with the ultimate hack – and it will make your straighteners as good as new for just a quid.
The trick here, @vmsarchives revealed on TikTok, is using a manicure essential – a bit of acetone, which you can find at most drugstores on the high street for as little as £1.
Once you’ve got your hands on the nail must-have, the brunette beauty advised to apply a little on a damp towel and wipe the straightener plates with the DIY cleaner.
This, she said in the video, should effectively banish all the stubborn build-up that’s stuck to the device.
”Be careful and make sure it’s not hot and wipe of the acetone with a LIGHTLY damp towel after, just for safety,” the Swede instructed in the caption.
According to the beauty fanatic, not only will your straightener thank you – but so will your locks, especially when you’re trying to achieve a bouncy blow-out without visiting the hair salon.
The clip, which has been liked close to 60k times in just one day, also saw the woman show off her jaw-dropping salon-worthy hairdo, which left people stunned.
Dozens flocked to comments to share their thoughts, with many confessing they had never thought of giving their devices a good wipe.
One admitted: ”Your suppose to clean a straightener, I’ve been going 7 years without cleaning it.”
Another said: ”The way I never even thought about product build up on a straightener, you’re so smart.”
”Oh I didn’t know you were supposed to clean them. No wonder I can’t do pretty curls lol,” someone else thanked the beauty whizz for sharing the information.
However, not everyone was sold on the hack – and some even reckon it’s a disaster waiting to happen.
One critic warned: ”Don’t do this if your straightener is coated, just wipe with isopropyl alcohol.”
The 4 stages of the hair growth cycle
Hair experts at Philip Kingsley shared the four stages of the hair growtn cycle are: Anagen, Catagen, Telogen and Exogen
Anagen Phase: Also known as the ‘Growth Phase’ or ‘Active Phase’, is when the cells in the root of your hair are most rapidly dividing so more new hair is formed.
During the Anagen Phase, hair grows around half an inch a month [about six inches a year], and faster in the summer than in winter.
This phase of the hair growth cycle lasts an average of three to five years.
Catagen Phase: Following the Anagen Phase, your hair cycle enters a short transitional phase known as the Catagen Phase, which signals the end of active hair growth and cuts individual hairs off from the blood supply and from the cells that produce new hair.
Approximately three percent of all hairs are in this stage at any time and it lasts for around 10 days.
Telogen Phase: The third stage of your natural hair growth cycle is the Telogen Phase, a resting period when strands remain in their follicles but are not actively growing.
An estimate of 10-15 percent of your hairs are in the Telogen Phase at any given moment.
The Telogen Phase lasts around three months or 100 days.
Exogen Phase: The final stage of the Hair Growth Cycle, when individual hair strands are released from their follicles and fall out.
Now the whole process begins again.
”This sounds like a fire hazard,” a second thought.
”Just use rubbing alcohol! Acetone can break down the outside of the flat iron or the coating on most ceramic plates, your hair is beautiful,” someone else claimed.
What do the experts say?
Although this hack may sound like a dream, especially if you’re rushing, experts have advised to steer clear of rubbing acetone on the ceramic plates.
According to the team at Hur Hair, this harsh chemical will damage the material – but there’s an easy solution.
”Instead, and only if required, dampen your soft cloth only slightly with a little warm water,” they explained.
”Remember, taking care of your hair straightener will make sure that it effectively works every time you use it!”