How to choose hair straightener?
To choose your hair straightener it is crucial to navigate through the offers and basic parameters. Wondering what is the difference between a classic, steam or ionizing hair straightener, which one will least stress your hair or whether to choose a ceramic or tourmaline surface? We will help you understand the basic concepts and choose the right straightener for your hair.
When choosing a hair straightener, it is crucial to clarify few basic things:
- Choose the ideal iron according to the quality of your hair. Weak hair always bears less than thick hair.
If you will not only straighten your hair, but also curl it, choose from irons for curls and waves.
- If you need to straighten your hair, while adding volume, you can use an ironing brush.
Basic parameters for the selection of hair irons
Material of the soleplate
Surface of the soleplate is one of the most important parameters when choosing a straightener. Therefore, it is worth it to pay close attention. There are hair straighteners with ironing surfaces on the market made from:
In addition, some soleplates are impregnated with oils that are released into the hair during straightening. This will make your hair look healthier and shinier.
Size of arms and soleplate
Hair straighteners are divided into two types according to shoulder width:
With classic narrow hair straightener, you can achieve both perfectly straightened hair and also curled one. Therefore, if you do not have very stubborn and thick hair, choose a narrow iron.
Temperature
While some hair irons have only one preset temperature to which the soleplate heats, others can be controlled with buttons.
It is recommended to select hair straighteners with adjustable temperature. If your hair is softer, dyed, or of poor quality, high temperatures may be more harmful to them. Therefore, it is good to set the lower temperature so that the ironing is effective and at the same time you do not unnecessarily damage your hair.
Temperatures for conventional irons should range from 100 to 230 ° C, with:
Lower temperatures are usually used for ceramic irons, higher temperatures for titanium irons. You may even come across smart straighteners on the market, which set the temperature to fit your type of hair.
TIP: You can also use adjustable temperature if more people use the iron at home. Everyone can set the degree that suits them. Remember, lower the temperature your hair is exposed to, less damage will be caused.
Heating time
When choosing a hair straightener, be sure to look at the time it takes to heat the soleplate. While with less powerful hair straighteners the heating time is matter of minutes, with powerful ones you will usually wait just few seconds.
This information will be important for you especially in the future, when you will need it almost instantly warm and ready to straighten your hair. Women who straighten their hair daily will save a lot of time in the bathroom.
The cable length
Pay attention to the length of the cable for your straightener in the bathroom. And since the distance of socket from mirror differs in each bathroom, estimate the ideal length of the iron cable eg. according to the length of your hair dryer. Usually it is about 2 meters.
Function
Modern straighteners also have useful features that make straightening easier, while helping to prevent damaging your hair.
The positively charged ions present in hair make it dry and cause hair to break and destroy. Ionizing hair irons produce negatively charged ions, which are transferred to the hair during straightening. There, they neutralize positively charged ions while providing hair with moisture, shine and static electricity.
The auto-off feature is useful bonus for hair straighteners. This will help you stop worrying whether you turned the iron off or not. Because even if you leave the iron on and leave the house, it will turn itself off after some time.
Thanks to the display you can safely know what temperature the straightener is set to. It can also signal warming up. The functions that appear on the display vary depending on the manufacturer and the type of iron.
A diode will tell you if the straightener is heated to the right temperature. If it flashes, the iron is heating up. When lit, the iron is ready for straightening. This again varies according to the manufacturer and the type of straightener.
You can also use the swivel cable at the end of the iron, especially if you plan to curl your hair regularly. The cable will not get tangled or twisted and you will be able to handle the straightener much better.
How to properly iron your hair
Principles of proper hair straightening
Good hair straightening practice minimizes the risk of hair damage. What principles should be followed?
1. Dry your hair perfectly before straightening
Do not attempt to straighten wet or damp hair with a straightener. You could burn and irreparably damage it. Iron only perfectly dried hair.
2. Straighten only combed hair
Before you iron your hair, comb it out. Heat from the iron could break the hair in the knots. For better straightening, divide your hair straight into 3 parts - on each side and at the back.
3. Wear protective equipment
Once the hair has been combed and divided, use a protective agent designed to protect hair from heat .
4. Do not use hair spray or hardener
Definitely do not straighten hair after using either hair spray or hardener. The product could get baked in your hair and it would be difficult to comb out.
5. Set appropriate temperature
The golden rule for straightening is the higher the temperature, the greater the burden on the hair. Therefore, we recommend setting the iron to:
Try to avoid temperatures above 200 ° C. Owners of stubborn, uncoloured and thick hair are the only ones who can really use such temperatures.
6. Straighten thin strands
Do not try to speed up process and iron really thin strands. It will be enough to run over them once, or twice to save them from repeated exposure to heat and damage. Straighten a strand of hair from head to tip.
7. Do not attempt to straighten your hair every day
Everyday ironing will damage quality of your hair. Therefore, be considerate and let your hair rest from time to time.
Classic hair irons are ideal for standard ironing, but can also curl hair. You can choose not only from all possible materials and widths of ironing surfaces, temperature range and other functions, but also from different colors and designs. The price range differs depending on features. So you can decide for yourself whether you need an ordinary hair straightener or you want to invest in a more expensive piece with special features.
Do you have curly or thick hair that is impossible to handle by classic iron? Then you will need a steam straightener. It can iron hair with steam, which minimizes thermal shock while accelerating ironing. Thanks to this, it straightens hair almost without damage. The steam iron can even be combined with special products with Pro-keratin. Steam from the iron transports the nutrition to the depth of the hair fiber, returning the hair shiny gloss and quality.
Ionizing or ionic straightener is ideal for anyone who cares about the quality of their hair. The negative ions produced by the iron are able to neutralize the positive, harmful ions in the hair and thus moisturize the hair, reduce brittleness and increase shine. At first glance, hair is healthier, more beautiful and smoother after using an ionizing iron. It is therefore worth investing in it.
Are you going on holiday or on a business trip and your hair iron takes up a lot of trunk space? Then you will need a travel iron. Thanks to its small size, it fits easily into your luggage or handbag. Even though the mini iron is considerably smaller than classic one, it does not detract from its quality. You can choose from the same quality materials and features as with classic hair irons.
Professional hair irons are the right hands of hairdressers and stylists. They are made of high quality and durable materials, can last several hours at a time and have a much longer life than irons for domestic use. They often come with longer cable and special features that make it easier for professionals to work. You can choose from classic ones, steaming and ionizing professional irons with various materials of straightening surfaces.
Do you like not only smoothly ironed hair, but also romantic waves? Choose from narrow irons for waves and curls. The design of these irons is specially adapted for easier manipulation during process of curling than conventional irons. The arms of the irons are rounded to make them slide better. Ironing surfaces are narrow, making natural waves easier. Hair irons and curls are ideal for thin and normal hair.
Straightening hair brushes are designed to maintain the natural volume of hair during ironing. They combine a hair straightener with brush. And that's why the result is a smooth, straight hair with a volume you never create with the hair straightener. With an ironing brush, you simply create volume for fine hair and tame even thick, unruly hair. Quickly, gently and without static electricity in your hair.
Glossary - hair irons
Hanging loop
The hanging loop is the accessory of many hair irons. It is located at the end of the iron handle and helps us store the appliance in the suspended position. Especially those who do not have much space in the bathroom can use the possibility of hanging the hair iron on a hook.
Ionization
Ionization is a function that neutralizes harmful cations in the hair. At the same time, the anions or negative ions emitted by the hair iron add moisture to the hair and eliminate unwanted static electricity. Hair is shinier, smoother and looks healthier with an ionizer.
Swivel cord
The swivel cord is an extraordinary gadget, thanks to which the hair straightener is easier to handle. The cord does not twist and tangle when ironing or curling hair. This also greatly reduces the risk of damage to the cable and destruction of the iron.
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