Flat Irons: Choosing the Right One

As with most women, beauty is always one of the top priorities. As well, with most people, the economy is leaving us women with little left to go and get our hair and nails done. In these tough economic times, having the extra money for this in the budget is tough. Thankfully, I'm here to show you that you can still have beautiful hair, as well as save money doing it.

Going to the salon to get your hair done can be both expensive and time consuming. Often times, we leave wondering what magical touch they have to make our hair look so good. Why can't we achieve that same look at home? What magical products are they using? Of course, you can always ask your stylist what shampoo or flat iron they use and the stylist will be more than happy to have you shell out $20 for the shampoo and $150 for the flat iron. Once you get these products home and try them out, will you be able to accomplish the same look? Is it necessary to pay that much for these?

The answer, simply, is no it is not necessary to pay that much for either and yes, with practice, you can achieve the same look. On average, you can pay upwards of $150 for a good flat iron. However, you can also spend on average $50 for a good flat iron at your local beauty supply. Preferably one that does not also do hair at the same location.

You have probably heard the big names like HAI, CHI and HOT Tools around the salon or at the mall. You will also know, then, that these can be very expensive. If you had planned on spending $150 on that CHI flat iron, head to your local beauty supply (the one that does not also have a hair station inside) and spend roughly $50 for a comparable flat iron by Jilbere or Helen of Troy (Helen of Troy is actually HOT Tools. The H-O-T in HOT Tools, is short for Helen of Troy). This right here can save you around $100 that you could also spend on other beauty supplies, groceries or bills.

The largest difference between the more expensive names and the comparable names is the name and the packaging. As far as performance goes, you aren't going to notice a difference. What you really need to look for is what the appliance is made with. Flat irons come with several options that will make, or break, your hair.

The gold plated flat irons will be the least expensive. Aside from the apparent savings on these tools, gold plates have some very negative effects. While they will get hot and straighten your hair, they do have a tendency to cycle on and off, thus creating hot spots and ensuring that you will have to go over the hair several times in order to get it straight. As well, gold plating can be very drying and damaging to the hair shaft itself and when used on a regular basis will leave your hair feeling dried out and frizzy if you do not use a heat protecting product.

The next step up from the gold plating is the ceramic and porcelain plating. As ceramic and porcelain heat up, they naturally emit negative ions which will leave the hair feeling softer, looking shinier and control the frizz. Of course, these appliances still get hot and heat can still be destructive to your hair, the ceramics and porcelains are less destructive. It is still advisable to invest in a heat protection product. Compared to the gold plated irons, ceramic and porcelain irons will reach your desired temperature and remain there, without cycling on and off. Ceramic also heats evenly, thus eliminating any hot spots. Ceramic irons can range anywhere from $20 up while porcelain will usually be around $40 up.

Above ceramic plates you will find titanium, tourmaline and silver. All of these will have a better heat retention and be less destructive on the hair than the average ceramic. Titanium, tourmaline and silver will all leave your hair feeling soft, silky and shiny. These are often the tools you will find in salons. These irons will generally range from $50 up. Again, these appliances do get very hot, generally around 450f and it is recommended that you use a good heat protection product.

So, what else should you be looking out for when choosing your styling appliance? Flat irons will come with two very distinct options. Coated or solid. Coated plated are exactly what they sound like. The plate is coated with the material; gold, ceramic, porcelain, tourmaline, titanium, silver. This coating allows the appliance to be sold at a lower price, but will shorten it's usable lifespan with heavy use. After time, as with all things coated, the coating will wear off and you may notice your hair being yanked as it gets caught where the coating has chipped. Solid plated irons will be more expensive, generally around $80-$100, but the plate life will last longer, as there is nothing on the plate that can chip over time. However, these plates are a bit easier to crack if you drop it or set it down too hard on the counter. As far as performance goes, though, you will have equally happy hair and wallet with either type you choose.

Does size matter? Yes! flat irons, like curling irons, come in different sizes, generally ranging from one inch wide to two and half inches wide. Some brands offer irons with plates less than an inch wide and some offer irons that are roughly the size of a stapler. Choosing the right size will save you a lot of frustration in the end. A common misconception is that a larger plate width will save you time. While this seems like a good theory, it is terribly wrong and often times that large, bulky flat iron will end up in a drawer, never to see the light of day again.

As with most things, the larger it is, the heavier it is. The larger flat irons will not allow you to get all the way to the root of your hair as easily, as well as becoming heavy and difficult to wield when it comes time to do the back of your head. Also, people tend to attempt to straighten larger chunks of hair, which means not all of the hair is going to come into contact with the plate and you will need to go over that particular chunk more times to achieve the look you desire. If you have very long hair and really want that large flat iron, I recommend you use wider, thinner chunks of hair, instead of thicker, thinner chunks.

Thinner flat irons will be lighter and allow you to get to the root of your hair easier. If you have short hair, you will probably be looking at these anyhow, but if you have long hair, do not rule them out based on their size. Because they are small, you will be forced to use smaller chunks of hair, thus ensuring that all the hair comes into contact with the plate. Smaller irons can actually save you time in the long run, as you will spend less time trying to get that one little chunk straight.

If your hair comes to the middle of your back, or is longer, I recommend a flat iron that is one and a half to two inches wide. If your hair is shorter than this, I recommend a flat iron that is one inch wide. If your hair is very short, or if you're looking for a second flat iron to do your bangs with, I recommend one of the smaller, stapler sized flat irons.

Another flat iron you may run into is one that claims to be wet/dry. According to the maker of this flat iron you may use it on wet hair, thus cutting out the part where you either air dry or blow dry your hair. These irons can be recognized by grooves and holes running along the outer edge of the flat iron plates. These grooves and holes are placed there to allow any steam to escape. I do not recommend using anything with that much heat on wet hair, as this will be disastrous. If you really want to apply something with this much heat to your wet hair, I would recommend your hair being mostly dry. Slightly damp hair will fare much better than wet hair when it is introduced to those hot plates. As with any other styling appliance, use a heat protection product on your hair before using the iron.

And one last flat iron you may be faced with in your search is one that has a curved plate. This may seem counterproductive to achieving straight hair, but it is not. The curved plates will allow you to get some lift at the root and a flip at the ends, while having straight hair in between. Achieving this look with your average flat plated iron may be a bit more difficult and will take more practice.

Here are some things to consider when looking for that perfect flat iron. First of all, how much do you want to spend? How long is your hair? How much time do you want to invest in straightening your hair? Is this a gift for somebody else? If it's a gift, how much time is the recipient actually going to spend straightening their hair? Think about all of this before you walk into the beauty supply, as the associate helping you will more than likely be asking you these same questions to assist you in finding the perfect appliance.

You've done all your research, found the flat iron you love, invested in a heat protection product and get home, now what? First, read the manufacturer's instructions for use, care and storage of your iron. This is important. Your local beauty supply (the one that does not also do hair) will have products that will help you keep your flat iron clean of all product build-up. If you are really trying to be good on your budget, glass cleaner works just as well if you use it frequently.

Creating that fresh from the salon look will take some practice. Now that you're home with your new toy, play around with it and find a straightening routine that works best for you. Some people start at the back, underneath and work their way up and forward. Others starts at the top, front and work their way down and back. There is no rule as to which way you must straighten your hair, except to do it in a way that's most comfortable with you. As these appliances all get very hot, it is important to always keep your flat iron moving when it is in contact with your hair. Do not stop and let the iron stay in one place, as you can do serious damage to the hair stuck between the plates.

Is heat protection really that important? Doesn't the ceramic (or tourmaline, titanium, silver) plate do less damage to my hair? Will the heat protection product leave my hair feeling oily or greasy? Yes, heat protection is very important, even with your most expensive flat irons. As of yet, there is not a heat styling appliance that will do no damage to your hair, even if they say so on that late night infomercial. The heat protection product will act as a barrier between the hot plate and your hair, while still allowing the appliance to do it's job. If you use too much of this product, your hair may look greasy or oily.

This is not one of those products where the more you use, the better off you are. Use this product semi-sparingly and if you notice smoke or smell something burning, this is often a good sign. What you are seeing or smelling is usually not your hair, but the heat protection product being burnt off, presuming you have used the product correctly. Many companies offer some sort of heat protection product, so I recommend asking the associate at your local beauty supply (the one that does not also do hair) about the different options. Investing in heat protection is not like investing in a car. Paying more for the product does not make it better, as often times when it comes to beauty products you are only paying for the name and packaging, instead of the actual product. Some very popular, yet inexpensive heat protection products are Turn Up the Heat by Beyond the Zone and Heat Protection Spray by Ion.

And that's all there is to it, besides the practicing. It is important to know exactly what you want to achieve and how much you want to pay. Beauty is important, but so is saving money during these tough times. Do not be misled by marketing gimmicks that tell you the only way to have beautiful hair is to pay an arm and a leg for it. This ploy is effective, but once you've done some research you will see that it is nothing more than marketing.