This depends on your particular iron, but 10-20 seconds is usually about right. If you can't achieve a crimp in that time, your iron may not be hot enough. If that's too long it's probably too hot for your hair.
If your hair is severely damaged, it will not be possible to get a color that requires pre-lightening, such as pink, without risking severe damage and breakage.
No. The origin of this myth goes back to the price of tea. Tea used to be very expensive, and sticking your pinky out was historically a trendy thing for...