Is Your Flat Iron Too Hot?

Most of you flat irons owners turn on your iron and pump it up to the highest temperature.  This could result in major damage to your hair.  I just got the 411 on a fantastic tip to assure your locks stay healthy under the heat.  How you ask? Turn on your iron to your desired temperature.  Take a simple piece of white paper.  Clasp the iron plates on to the white paper (almost like you are straightening your hair) and hold for a few seconds.  If the paper turns a slight or darker yellow you know your iron is too hot.  Lower the temperature and try again.

Tourmaline, Titanium, Ionic what does it mean?!

Flat iron, hair dryer, and curling iron technology terms have gone through the roof!  “This dryer has ionpialia technology” or “Get the latest in timonia torque” is what it all sounds to me.  Gibberish!  So I did a quick investigation of these hair appliance terms to help expose the true meaning!  Guess what I found – this stuff really means something and can do wonders for your hair.

What is Tourmaline and why is it important in a styling product?
Tourmaline is a precious gemstone.  When heated, it naturally releases negative ions and far-infrared heat, both of which benefit hair by reducing static and frizz to increase shine. Far-infrared heat is gentle and eliminates potential heat damage to hair.  This is definitely good!

What is Titanium and why is it important in a styling product?
Titanium is a unique metal, as strong as steel but 40% lighter!  It’s the smoothest surface available in a styling tool, retains higher heat longer and distributes temperatures consistently across surfaces.  The end result is less styling time and healthier hair.  I have been using a titianium plate flat iron and think it is definitely better than its ceramic counterpart.  Quicker styling time, higher heat, and a very smooth surface.

What is Ionic and why is it important in a styling product?
Ions close the hair cuticle and reduce the static electricity that dulls hair and causes fly-away frizzies.  During dry winter months this is key!  Ions also break water molecules into tiny, micronized clusters for deeper moisture penetration into hair, and hold the moisture longer for silkier and shinier hair.

Flat Iron Maintenance

These simple tips will help prolong the life of your professional flat iron and keep those bad hair days at bay! 

Hundreds of best-selling, top-rated flat irons, hair straighteners, and styling irons are sold every day, and if you own a flat iron, you know you would be lost without it. If you have that much trust in your hair straightener, shouldn’t you take care of it? A well-loved flat iron equals a happy hairstyle in my book. (Pictured: BaByliss Nano-Titanium Flat Iron)

A Few Minutes a Day
Taking a few extra minutes to care for your flat iron (or curling iron) after each use will not only help prolong its life, it will also ensure it is clean and ready for use the next time you need it. Some extra care goes a long way with a flat iron, and it’s easier than you think. Plus, if you’ve ever had a flat iron die on you, you know all about the bad hair days you must suffer until the new one arrives, so proper care is the way to go.

Caution, it’s HOT
Remember to always use extreme caution when handling your hot flat iron, and keep in mind that the plates of the iron will remain very hot for a short period after you turn it off. You should always wait for the flat iron (or any hair appliance) to completely cool down before cleaning or storing it, and you should always unplug it immediately after use.

 Safety First

 While your flat iron is cooling down, I suggest placing in on a heatproof mat to protect it and your counter tops. Many of the flat iron manufacturers sell heatproof mats along with their irons, and it’s a good idea to get one. I’ve seen them in silicone and in a variety of other heat resistant materials, any of which are fine for resting your hot appliance on while using or during the cooling down period. (Pictured: StyleBell Heatproof Bag/Mat Combo)

Gentle Care, Better Hair
The flat iron plates should be cleaned with a soft cloth and a professional iron cleaner specifically formulated for use flat irons and other heat styling appliances. You should never use any harsh or abrasive cleaners that will damage or scratch the surface of the plates, or reduce the iron’s ability to glide through the hair easily. Make sure to never spray iron cleaner on a hot iron, this could potentially damage the plates of the iron. Always make sure you use iron cleaner on a cool iron to protect your iron from possible damage. I recommend cleaning your flat iron after every use to keep your plates in tip-top shape, and maintain its peak performance. Remember “gummy residue”. Enough said.

Loose Handles?
With regular use, sometimes the handles of the iron may become loose. If this occurs, you can step away like I do, or try to fix it by removing the hinge cover and tightening the nut. Always make sure the iron is unplugged and completely cool before attempting to tighten a loose nut. Remember to replace the hinge cover securely when you are done. If you are unsure, mechanically challenged, or don’t like the idea of taking your favorite appliance apart, please seek professional help! A stylist, a professional salon worker, repair man, or electrical appliance guru should be called in immediately.

Proper Storage Please!
When storing your flat iron, you should never, ever, never wrap the power cord around it. Did I say NEVER? I really cannot stress this point enough. Wrapping the electrical cord around the flat iron causes damage and stress to the connection points and will lead to damage of both the iron and the cord. I wish I could tell you how many people complain that their flat iron broke after 3 months due to cord damage. When storing your flat iron, bundle the cord loosely and lay the cord next to the iron. This will prolong the life of your flat iron, guaranteed.

It’s Worth Repeating
A flat iron will take several minutes to cool down completely after use. To avoid burning your counter top or vanity, you really should invest in a heat resistant mat or heatproof bag specifically designed to cover the flat iron’s plates. A heatproof mat protects your counter surfaces while the iron is cooling down, and also keeps your flat iron plates clean and protected from damage during storage and travel. A mat is a great resting place, but for travel and storage, if you can get a heatproof bag, it would be a better investment in the long run.

Prevent Damage

 Keep in mind that any styling products used on your hair will cause build up on your flat iron plates over time. This leads to excess stickiness on the plate surface, and results in poor styling results. The gummy residue on the plates can also cause damaging stress to your hair by pulling and snagging the strands, causing split ends and breakage. Flat irons are meant to glide through your hair smoothly, so it’s very important to make sure your iron is clean before each and every use. Gummy residue? Split ends? Damage? You should be running to pick up some professional iron cleaner before you even finish this article. (Pictured: Hot Tools Professional Iron Cleaner)

Taking care of your flat iron not only prolongs its life, it also ensures better performance and smoother slip through your hair as you style. Plus, exercising caution with any heat appliance is always recommended, safety first!

 

And of course, if you’re in the market for a new flat iron, our Best Flat Irons section features the most-wanted irons around!

Hair Clinic: My Silver Hair Turns Brown after I Flat Iron?

Question:

“I have beautiful silver African American hair.  I just started to flat iron my hair, however, when I use my iron my beautiful silver hair turns a brownish tint.  Is there anything I can use to prevent this from happening?”

Answers from our Expert Stylists:

Kaz Amor, Redken Haircare Consultant- “There are a couple of reasons why this might be happening: 1) the hair might have product buildup and when the flat iron makes contact with the residue, it is causing it to turn brown or 2) the iron’s temperature is too high, causing the hair to be scorched. If the hair has buildup, I recommend shampooing with Redken Hair Cleansing Cream. This will remove any buildup from the hair. You should also check the iron to make sure there is no product buildup on the plates that could be transferring onto the hair. I would also recommend using Redken’s Blonde Glam Color Enhancer in Perfect Platinum to keep silver hair from turning yellow. In either case, the hair should be protected from the heat regardless so I also recommend using any of our products from Redken’s Heat Styling line to strengthen and help protect the hair from the heat of the iron.”

Roslyn Baker, Soft & Beautiful Haircare Consultant – “Thermal implements can discolor the hair.  Because the gray hair is translucent, the appearance of the discoloration is more apparent.  What causes the discoloration?  Thermal irons release a carbon-type residue, especially when they are too hot. Always have a white cotton cloth or tissue handy BEFORE applying a curling iron or flat iron to the hair.  Test the iron on the cloth before applying it to the hair.  If the tissue turns brown, then you must wait until the iron cools down.  Keep retesting it until the cloth has no color.  You have to keep this process going throughout the styling process because electric irons can escalate in temperature if they are just sitting idle.  It’s also a great idea to use a thermal barrier on the hair to protect it against the heat of the irons.  The Soft & Beautiful STYLEPROTEC Hair Gloss is a perfect solution.  Just apply a few drops in the palm and rub throughout the hair and use a comb to evenly distribute.  If the hair is already discolored consider this homemade remedy to brighten the hair:  Mix your favorite shampoo with small amount of Hydrogen Peroxide.  Shampoo the hair and allow it to sit about 5 minutes.”

Product Review: New HAI Elite HaiDraStik

HAI Elite has just come out with a new wet to dry flat iron!  You all probably know HAI for its famous HAI Convertable Iron and the HAI Elite DigiStik.  Those irons are definitely staples in the industry.  Did you know that the Frederik Fekkai salon in Beverly Hills uses the HAI Irons?  HAI has decided to take it a step forward and introduce a new Damp to Dry flat iron/styler that can iron your hair and dry it at the same time!  Remember you should only use a Damp to Dry iron on 90% dry hair.  Otherwise it can damage your hair.

Description:   The HAI HaiDraStik is a 1.5 inch nano tourmaline iron with ceramic plates.  The iron has water channel strips so that the moisture from your hair can be quick evaporated from the thermal holes.  The iron goes up to 390 degrees F in just under 6 seconds and has a digital temperature gauge.  It comes with a 3 year warranty as well.
Feel:  The iron is a lightweight iron and is easy to use.  It is obviously heavier than a one inch iron but it won’t tire your arms.  The digital control is easy to use although it took reading the instructions manual to really figure it out.  There are 6 fixed temperatures on the temperature control which is a little different then what I am used to.  I usually can adjust the temperature to any temperature.  But I didn’t mind this.   
Usage:  I kept my hair a little damp after blow drying.  I turned it on to the lowest degree temperature and started to test out.  I then continued to adjust until I felt that I was getting the appropriate one pass straightening.  I felt that my hair straightened best at 360 – 390 degrees F.  You could use the lower temperature if you have fine hair or chemically treated hair.  It took me about 15 minutes to iron my entire head which is about average.   
Results:  The HAI HaiDraStik did really dry my hair while it straightened.  Remember my hair was about 90% dry so it doesn’t take much but it did do its job.  What I liked about it was that I didn’t hear any sizzling noises while I was straightening.  (Which yes I have heard with other non damp to dry irons)  The straightening results were great.  It straightened my hair within one pass – of course at the highest temperature.  The results were shiny, smooth, and silky.

Read more and buy the HAI HaiDraStik for $159.99.

Queen Latifah’s Oscars Hair and Hair Style!

Queen Latifah looked amazing on the red carpet with her slicked back hair.  Julie Baker, Quenn Latifah’s hair stylist told StyleBell that “Latifah’s dress is very elegant, modern and chic, and her hair needed to complement this, so we decided on a modern chignon which features very smooth hair, a side part, bangs that swoop down in front, a low bun in the back that is off to the side.”  StyleBell must agree that Baker did a fanstastic job.  Wondering what flat iron Baker used on Queen Latifah?  It was no other than the FHI Heat styling iron.  Buy FHI Heat here plus get $20 off today!

Curling with a Flat Iron, Finally!

How can you curl your hair with a flat iron?  This is a MAJOR question asked daily. Honestly I have always found it difficult to curl with a flat iron.  I usually tell my readers to just invest in a $30 curling iron because it is so hard.  

That being said, I just came across this video that may be the key to accomplishing soft beautiful flat iron curls.  The stylist positions the flat iron vertically pointing downwards and uses it as a tong!  He moves the iron down and twists the iron allowing your hair to gently roll through the plates.  I have completely been doing it the wrong way!  

So I decided to warm up my flat iron, which of course is right next to my laptop, and turn that baby on.  Within 60 seconds, and literally for the first time, I curled my hair with a flat iron!!!  Take a look at my picture.  

 

The images are ok – but think what I could do with 5 minutes.  Soft beautiful curls are awaiting you, finally!  Watch this video immediately.  He is using a GHD flat iron, my all time fav iron!

GHD MK4 Flat Iron Review

With so many flat irons on the market, how do you really know which one is right for you? I’ve been testing them out to see how each one works, and why. Today I’d like to share my review of the latest wonder from GHD, the GHD MK4 1″ Ceramic Flat Iron. Touted as one of the best flat irons on the market, I absolutely loved it.

Incorporating state-of-the-art styling technology, the GHD MK4 Straightener and Styler looks very similar to a lot of flat irons out there, but that’s where the similarities end. It’s different, and really, it’s better. All of you CHI fanatics take note, if you ever try a GHD, you’ll see what I’m talking about, and if you currently use a ‘drugstore variety’ flat iron, you’ll be amazed.

The MK4 has a rounded barrel for improved curling and styling, and let me tell you, it curls as easily as it straightens, giving you the ultimate in versatility. You should know that most flat irons will produce curls, but with this iron, it was easy and the curls were nice. I chalk that up to the way this ceramic iron smoothed my strands. It took out all the texture. It didn’t just ‘flatten’, it smoothed. And curled. Major props for that.

The GHD MK4 also has advanced ceramic heaters that are designed to sense the porosity of your hair type to apply and maintain the perfect amount of heat with every glide. That’s cool. Really cool. The iron stayed hot the whole time – no damaging ‘hot spots’ like some other brands – you know who you are! But honestly, it didn’t need to stay hot so long because it straightened my hair super-fast.

The ceramic plates that promise smooth, static free glides took out all my frizz in no time. Some flat irons have been known to create static on hair – especially ones with Tourmaline – so static-free was a huge plus. This iron also had an extremely good grip of my hair while styling, which is very important when choosing a flat iron, because it usually translates into quicker styling with less passes down the same section of hair. Additionally, the ghd MK4 has great tension control, which means I didn’t have to give myself carpal tunnel squeezing the plates together super hard as I straightened each section of my hair. Minimal tension worked just fine thank you.

This iron comes nicely packaged with a step-by-step DVD included in the box which is great for you newbies, but obviously you can always catch a styling video here on our blog if you need some extra help – check out Flat Iron Styling with GHD.

This iron gets two snaps up in Z formation. Watch out competition (ahem CHI), there’s a top player in town, the GHD MK4 has arrived and it’s fabulous! I hope more people get past the pricey price point and give it a try, it really is worth it.

P.S. The ghd MK4 also has an awesome auto adjust feature for international voltages so I can style my way around the world, if I ever get to do that…