Kristy Klien

Buying a Hair Straightener

Buying a good hair straightener isn’t as easy as it sounds; there are a couple of things you should check before settling for any straightener:

Buying a good hair straightener isn’t as easy as it sounds; there are a couple of things you should check before settling for any straightener:

Heat and power: Temperature is vital when it comes to using a hair iron to straighten or style any kind of hair. It's even more important when it comes to super curly hair, as the curlier your hair the higher the temperature you’ll need to get good results. Therefore, we recommend a flat iron with a variable heat setting between 140 F for fine hair or touch ups and 410 F for thick hair or extra quick straightening.

Genuine plates: Ceramic is a common preference as it’s made for every type of hair and equally distributes the heat for a safe and evenly straightened look all around. Smooth ceramic plates heat up quicker than metal plates and can be used for straightening, curling, creating waves or quick flips for any hair type. Titanium is a lightweight and durable element which gets the job done faster and easier than ceramic but may be too hot to handle for some users, so they prefer tourmaline instead. Tourmaline crystals have ionic advantages and a gentle but efficient performance. Although ceramic and titanium also include ionic technology, tourmaline releases the most negative ions to ensure a faster, smoother and shinier frizz free head of hair.

Plate size: If you have short hair, you may want to opt for a narrower iron, something that is only 1” to1 ½” wide. Narrow irons are also effective if you already have straight hair and are using the iron to create other styles. The most common size for hair straighteners are 1 ¼” to 1 ½”. However, if you have very long and thick hair you may want to try up to a 2” or 3” plate size in order to save time and get larger amounts of hair between the plates with every pass.

Additional features: It’s recommended to get a flat iron with a 360° swivel cord to avoid tangling, and always make sure the iron has a temperature control since thick hair needs higher temperatures than thin hair.  At the same time, look for a light weight flat iron that feels good in your hand and is easy for you to maneuver so you won’t get a tired arm before you’ve finished styling. An optional feature which is best for those who travel frequently and need a straightener which is compatible with the different voltage outputs in each country is a universal voltage to be used anywhere in the world.

To purchase a professional hair straightener you can look for it online and offline in catalogues and retail outlets, but regardless of where you buy it or what brand it is, remember to take these factors into consideration to ensure the best and safest styling for your hair. 

Article Tags: Hair Straightener, Flat Iron

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