Some women think that this is inevitable anyway, given the amount of punishment they put their hair through to get it straight. Is it really worth splashing out on an expensive straightener, when a cheap one would do the job just as well?
The answer, of course, is “Yes.” Because cheap irons don’t do the job just as well. Their temperature gets hot enough to cause damage to the hair – without getting hot enough to style it properly. Mechanically, they abrade well conditioned hair, and reduce less-than-perfect locks to the texture of straw.
Good quality hair straighteners, meanwhile, can be used on an everyday basis to create salon quality looks that last – without a haystack in sight.
So, why are cheap straighteners not always the bargain they appear to be?
Firstly, cheap irons tend to have cheap elements. These introduce ‘hot spots’ to the hair, scorching it without styling. The user will be tempted to keep redoing the same area, worsening the damage. In addition, a poorly designed iron will probably have a nonadjustable heat setting. At the very least, it won’t do the job you bought it for, which was to straighten your hair.
Compare this to a moderately priced, but well made straightener such as the Vidal Sassoon Gold Series. This 170 Watt styler has 20 heat settings and numerous other features – yet costs less than many unknown brands.
Another problem comes with the plates. The best models have ceramic or titanium plates, but these are rare in cheap retail store brands. Instead the plates are metal – aluminium or steel, sometimes with an inferior chrome or gold plating.
Although these cheap straighteners feel smooth, they are actually very abrasive. Even the best conditioned hair will stick and tear, and even pull out from the roots. Imagine how a poor head of thick curls would look after tangling with those! In addition, some are actually painted to look like a more expensive product. These are the worst buy of all.
Those that are ceramic often have just a thin ceramic coating over inferior metal. Once the flat iron has been used a few times, the coating flakes off and your hair will start to suffer.
Good quality ceramic straighteners, on the other hand, are resistant to wear and tear, heat up quickly with no hot spots, and often have other features like tourmaline and infra red technology to combat heat damage. They totally eliminate frizz and, over time, can actually improve the condition of dry and damaged hair – the exact opposite of what most people believe!
FHI straighteners employ the very latest technology, and are excellent for fine and damaged hair. But if you’re on a tight budget then basic ceramic irons, from makers like Chi and Revlon, are easily affordable and still score highly in reviews. Spend just a bit more, and you can get some of that ionic technology. Both Babyliss and Corioliss have special edition ionic stylers available online at the moment – both in pink, the hottest ‘in’ colour.
