Choosing Your Own Flat Iron

Flat irons are the solution to every girl’s hair-styling woes. They’re quick and easy to use, and the results are simply wonderful: slick, straight hair anytime you want it without having to go the stylist. Its well worth investing in a flat iron that works for you. Even ceramic flat irons have their uses if you know specifically what you’re after!

So here’s a breakdown of all the different hair irons out there on the market, what sets them apart, and what they’re good for:

Aluminum Irons – Ranging from $20 to $30, aluminum hair irons are cheapest of the bunch. Simply put, it’s an iron with two aluminum plates. These irons are also the lowest-quality irons you could get. Static, frizz and hair breakage are the risks you take when you consciously buy and use an aluminum-plate iron. That’s because the inherent qualities of aluminum aren’t exactly hair friendly: it heats up unevenly, it leaves static charge, and it’s prone to scratches. Buy only when you’re absolutely in need of a hair iron for special occasions, and you can’t afford the other models. Just make sure to carefully check for scratches on the plates, and apply some hair moisturizing creams or sprays on your hair to control static.

Ceramic Flat Irons – Ranging from $50 to $150 dollars, ceramics are the next step from aluminum flat irons. There are two types of hair irons: metal plates (like titanium) that are heavily coated with ceramic materials, and plates consisting entirely of ceramic materials. Both are effective, although pure ceramic plates last longer and are less prone to scratches. The composition of ceramic materials makes the plates smoother and less prone to generating hair static. That makes hair irons the standard choice in hair irons.

Tourmaline Flat Irons – These top-tier irons range in excess of $200 a piece… probably even more for certain brands. Tourmaline is a finely-ground substance infused into ceramic materials, providing a smoother surface than normal hair irons. Tourmaline flat irons also have more protection against static build-up in the hair. These types of irons are designed for professional use, as in for stylists who need a high-quality and dependable iron for regular use.

An additional word of caution: be very careful when buying hair tools from shady dealers. These dealers may claim their tools to be a type of flat irons (i.e. ceramic hair irons, tourmaline flat irons etc.) and sell them to you cheap. However, these ‘fake’ irons simply use aluminum plates lightly coated with materials that will make them appear similar to ceramic or tourmaline hair irons. Make sure that you get the real deal and stick with trusted brand names: Karmin, Corioliss and FHI are some dependable brand names that balance cost and quality, meaning you’ll get quality goods without burning a hole in your pocket.

Aluminum hair tools for a quick and dirty job, ceramic flat irons for a balance between quality and cost, and tourmaline irons for the very best of the line. Now that you’re armed with enough knowledge to make a choice, you can go out there and choose the best hair tool iron that’s waiting just for you!

By: Kristy Carlson

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Kristy is a professional hair stylist and writer for My Hair Styling Tools, a leading supplier of www.myhairstylingtools.com/karmin-m-24.html”>Ceramic Flat Irons.