Straightening hair is much common than one thinks, not only on occasion but people also use flat irons just because they want a change. Frequent usage of the straightening tool requires that you have your flat iron at home as you can’t visit the beauty parlor or hairdresser that frequently. However, there are several hair straighteners available in the market most of them are best for some hair types but not good for others. It doesn’t mean that no flat iron is versatile if you choose your flat iron carefully you can find the flat iron which works on all hair types.
You can’t buy any flat iron without proper research as there is a great probability that you end up choosing the wrong flat iron for your hair. If you don’t know how to select the right flat iron for your hair then you have landed in the right place as this article will guide you about the features on which a flat iron should be inspected before purchasing.
Features of hair straightener:
Contents
Generally, features of hair straightener can be categorized into three subcategories for convenience of understanding.
- Generic features
- Hair specific features
- Additional features
Generic Features:
Generic features are those features that are necessary for your flat iron to have irrespective of your hair type. Not only flat iron but other hair styling tools like hair curler, hairdryer and hair straightening brush should also have these features.
Variable Temperature Control:
Your flat iron must have variable temperature control as this feature is a basic necessity for a flat iron to be versatile. If flat iron has just one temperature setting it can’t be used for all hair types.
Temperature indicator:
LED temperature indicator tells you about the current heat settings and hence is necessary or flat iron to have because there is no other way to know how hot your flat iron is. Every flat iron has this feature.
Technology:
The technology used in a flat iron determines the quality of your hairstyle. Ionic technology is the most commonly used technology and it boosts the shine and removes frizz.
Ionic technology injects negative ions into your hair cuticles which keep your hair moisturized so that your hair looks shiny and full of life.
Heating material:
MCH heater, PTC heater, and far-infrared heater are commonly used in flat iron for heating purposes. Each heating technology has its pros and cons but all three of them are good in general and there is no need for getting into the details of it, just make sure that your flat iron is equipped with either of the heating technologies mentioned above.
Hair specific features:
Plate construction:
There are usually 3 types of material used in the construction of plates for flat iron i.e. ceramic, titanium, and tourmaline. Each material has its property, that’s why it is placed under hair specific features. After you read this section you can decide for yourself which material suits best according to your hair type.
Ceramic material:
Ceramic material has the property of uniform heat distribution across the plates which gives you even and uniform hairstyles and it minimizes the hair damage for fragile hair. So this material is best for people having fragile hair. Uniform hairstyles are not something that only people with fragile hair types want so this material is equally good for people with coarse, thick, and stubborn hair types.
Titanium material:
Titanium is the metal having instant heat up and deep heat penetration property. This type of material usually works best against coarse and thick hair types or people with curly and kinky hair.
Titanium flat iron can also be used for fine and fragile hair but not recommended If you are new to hair styling and straightening as it might get hot and you might end up damaging your hair.
Tourmaline material:
Tourmaline is finely ground crystal which is t not used for the construction of plates rather it is only coated over the ceramic or titanium plates to avoid hair from sticking to the surface of the plates. Tourmaline coating is highly preferred as it prevents hair damage.
Note:
One thing that you can check before buying a hair straightening tool is their power consumption or wattage. The wattage of the tool determines the amount of electricity it is going to consume. The quiet hair dryer is the one that consumes the minimum amount of power for hair styling.
Maximum temperature achievability:
This feature means that how high can your flat iron go, actually this feature is different from variable temperature range.
Variable temperature determines the number of settings on which flat iron can be set e.g. 250F, 300F, 350F, 400F, and 450F is a good temperature range with 5 heat settings while a flat iron with 250F and 450F is not a good temperature variation with only 2 heat settings. However, the maximum temperature achievability is the same on both flat irons hence both flat iron are equally good based on maximum temperature achievability while the former is better based on the variable temperature range.
Additional Features:
Additional features are those features that are not necessary but somehow determine the quality of your hairstyle and hairstyling experience. It is a plus if your flat iron has additional features.
Dual Voltage:
Dual voltage means that a flat iron can be used on 110V or 220V. This feature is desirable when you are traveling to some other country which follows some other electricity standards.
Swivel Cord:
Having swivel cord means that it can be rotated around its axis and doesn’t intervene when you move flat iron on different angels. This feature adds value to the hairstyling experience.
Auto shutoff feature:
Auto shutoff features turn the flat iron off after either 30 or 60 minutes which is a safety feature in case you forget to turn off the flat iron and it also saves the energy.
Attachments:
Attachments like pouch, comb, clips, and heat protection gloves ease the hairstyling experience and protect your hand and your tool.
The technology of Using Sensors:
Nowadays, the technology of sensors is used in different electronic items. In flat irons, automatic shut off feature is used on behalf of these sensors when they sense that your product is too hot and can burn your hair. Similarly, in other technology gadgets like hoverboards, these sensors are used for better control and reliability factor.
Conclusions:
Choosing the right flat iron for your hair type is mandatory to achieve salon-grade professional hairstyles while maintaining the health of your hair. Not everyone knows the possible features of flat iron and hence there is a good chance of choosing a wrong flat iron. This article provides you a proper guide about making the right decision while choosing a flat iron.