Lei Chic's step-by-step guide to super straight hair

Beauty School: Flat Out Part 1

Let's get one thing straight: your flat iron skills could use a little – okay, a lot of – refining. Running a hot iron haphazardly through your locks? So not chic. In the first of our two-part style guide, Paul Brown Hawaii master stylist and educator Shawn Rodriguez starts with the basics: how to perfect a seriously sleek look. It's smooth sailing from here.

Optional: Spray damp hair with a heat protectant followed by a volumizing spray at the roots then blow dry.

Rub a pea-sized amount of argan oil through the hair. Starting at the nape of your neck, section off a layer of hair and move the iron in slow, even strokes all the way through and past the ends. Iron one-inch sections at a time for best results and work your way up in tiers. For a more natural look, flip hair slightly under (never over) at the ends.

Tip: Use a duckbill clip to hold hair as you style, available at Sally Beauty Supply, 1140 Kuala St., Suite 106, (808) 455-3501.

Recommended flat iron settings by hair type: 180-360 fine and/or color-treated, 360-410 medium, 410-450 medium to coarse.

Left: For hair framing the sides of your face, switch to vertical sections, moving the iron out and back in a long, smooth arc.

Right: When you reach the crown, start directing your strokes upward, or toward the front of your head, and circle up and back in a long, smooth arc to add volume. (Note: This photo is taken from the front with the iron sweeping toward the back.)

Continue ironing in up and back arcs all the way to the forehead. Run the iron once more over any stray sections then follow with a mist of shine and/or hair spray. Finish with a tiny amount of styling paste to tame baby hairs and flyaways.

{Learn how to get gorgeous beachy curls in Part 2 of our flat iron styling guide.}

Rodriguez is using AKI, a new diamond-coated ceramic flat iron made in Korea in collaboration with Paul Brown, $179.99, available at all Paul Brown salons.