Even though the pin straight hair fad has long been gone, many women with wavy or curly hair still desire to have the perfect, straight hair. A lot of chemical hair straightening treatments are available in salons, however, most are expensive and damage hair in the long run. Furthermore, chemically straightening your hair does not allow you to try different hairstyles such as ponytails, buns, braids, and long loose waves. Even tucking your hair behind your ear is a no-no.
A handy or home hair straightener, more commonly known as a flat iron, is a cheaper and more versatile alternative to chemical straightening. A flat iron is designed to straighten your hair in just a few minutes by using heat. Flat irons nowadays have more features. Some have interchangeable plates for straightening or crimping in different widths, while some use ionic action to protect against damage by sealing in natural oils and moisture and promotes longer-lasting hair color.
The advantage of these flat irons is that you can bring and use it anywhere, its versatility, and it’s only temporary. You have the freedom to still experiment with different hairstyles. However, be careful in choosing – pick those that have hard ceramic coatings that are sprayed in layers and baked on since tend to perform best and cause less damage. Less expensive units usually do not have ceramic heating elements and some may have a paint-like coating that gives the appearance of ceramic plating. These cheaper coatings wear off very quickly and cause more damage to the hair.
Whatever iron you use, hair damage is inevitable. Nothing beats your natural hair that is well taken cared of.