A hair iron is a home styling tool used to temporarily achieve straight, sleek hairstyles modeled by pop stars, celebrities and models. Consumers face a dizzying array of extra features when selecting a hair iron. However, it's important to separate myth from fact to find the flat iron that gives the best results without falling victim to unscientific marketing claims.
How They Work
Hair irons straighten hair by pressing it through heated tongs or plates that vary in width, the most popular size being between 1 and 1 1/2 inches. Much like blowing the hair out with a dryer and flat brush straightens hair, heat temporarily restructures the hydrogen bonds in the inner substance of the hair. A hair iron gives more intense results through application of direct heat to the hair shaft. Once exposed to humidity or wet weather, the hair returns to its natural state. A hair iron can straighten all types of hair, no matter how curly or coarse. But the trick to getting the best result lies in choosing a quality hot tool.
Marketing the Hair Iron
Most hair irons have metal or titanium plates with a ceramic or tourmaline coating. Hair iron manufactures make much to do about these coatings being a "source of negative ions," which purportedly decrease static, lock in moisture and are generally healthier for the hair. However, the cosmetic scientists behind the Beauty Brains consumer website point out that ions must be a part of an element or compound, refuting marketers' claims that "negative ionization" has anything to do with hair straightening. Some hair irons use "nanotechnology," which purportedly has antifungal and antiviral properties. The Beauty Brains indicates that heat of any kind kills bacteria and viruses, again dispelling the myth that nanotechnology is anything but a marketing ploy.
The Best Construction
The Beauty Brains indicates that ceramic- or tourmaline-coated hair irons used by professional stylists are unarguably more efficient than cheap drugstore irons with plain metal plates, which can snag, tear and singe the hair. Of greatest importance is the quality of construction of the heating element in a hair iron. Professional-grade hair irons, which are considerably more expensive than consumer-grade irons, are made with superior elements that heat the iron quickly and evenly and permit the plates to retain heat. Quite simply, this is why they straighten hair better than cheap models. The Beauty Brains' "bottom line" on choosing a hair iron: "You'll need to pay a bit more for high-quality construction but you don't need to pay extra for bogus scientific claims."
Styling Techniques
The key ingredient in getting the best use out of your hair iron is patience. Straightening hair is a timely endeavor, taking between 30 minutes and an hour, or even longer if hair is very dense, coarse and long. Hair should be first clipped to the scalp in small portions. When using a flat iron, only small, thin segments of hair--less than 1 inch in width--should be pressed through the plates at a time. Thicker segments of hair may require a second pass to achieve optimal straightness.
Words of Caution
Regardless of a hair iron's quality, using it too frequently on a high heat setting will damage the hair's outer structure, warns the American Academy of Dermatology. To avoid heat damage, the iron's plates should never be more than 347 degrees F. (the low-medium setting), and even cooler if hair is damp or chemically treated. The AAD indicates that the best way to avoid heat damage is use a hair iron sparingly--no more than two or three times per week.
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