Flat Irons Buying Guide

Flat irons are used by professionals to give hair styles a smooth look. Hair is placed between two heated plates and the flat iron is drawn slowly along the length of the hair, warming it and sealing in moisture. This results in sleek, shiny hair – movie star hair.

How do you choose thefor your needs? For years the only available flat irons had metal plates that heated unevenly and gave women dried out hair that would break, leaving them with split ends. Products to repair the damage from these flat irons are a part of hair care women thought they would need to purchase forever. Deep conditioning treatments, some that leave hair limp and lifeless.

Today's flat irons are far different from those metal nightmares of the recent past. Thanks to leaps in technology we can enjoy soft, sleek and smooth hair from these hair tools. Split ends? No way! Good quality flat irons no longer have plain metal plates and are actually beneficial to hair. For instance, with the introduction of ceramic plates, infared heat sealed in moisture, reducing the need for any greasy conditioning treatments.

When searching for the perfect flat iron, consider the following aspects before making any purchase:

Plates:
Plates come in differing widths. A wide plate smooths more hair at one time, while a narrow plate is versatile in styling. Plates with narrow, rounded edges can be used to flatten hair, style flips, or even to create springy curls. Some professional stylists use a flat iron in place of curling irons.

Material:
Flat irons are still available with metal plates. These plates do not heat evenly, may grab hair and perform poorly overall. New high quality models use ceramic plates or ceramic/tourmaline plates. These plates heat gently and do not burn hair. They seal the hair follicle, stop moisture loss and are responsible for that movie star look.

*Tourmaline is a semiprecious stone. It is ground into a fine powder and ceramic is impregnated with the powder. Tourmaline creates negative ions and this technology reduces frizz. Professionals and women styling at home praise the results.