How to choose a hair straightener

Women, probably, are never satisfied with their appearance. Those who have straight hair from nature, dream of chic curls, and owners of violent curls certainly want to straighten them. However, the latter is easy to understand: strands of small imps are often disobedient. And no serums and balms without a good rectifier can not cope with them.

The best manufacturers of hair straighteners - which company to choose

Despite the narrow scope of application, rectifiers are very popular and are produced by many manufacturers of small household appliances. Each of them is trying to stand out from the competition, and here appear on the shelves of shops a wide variety of models of straightening combs, irons and even tips for hair dryers.

The best products of this kind are produced by the Italian company Ga.Ma, but there are other manufacturers that make high-quality equipment:

• Babyliss;
• Philips;
• Braun;
• Rowenta;
• Valera.

In our ranking You can learn more about the best rectifiers of these brands and even choose the right model for you. But before you go shopping, you should understand what parameters and characteristics of devices you need to pay attention to.

The principle of operation and the device of hair straighteners

The lion's share of hair straighteners is presented in the form of irons, although outwardly they look more like wide tongs with flat heating plates. They need to clamp each curl and smooth it along the entire length. Inside the handle-case there is a thermostat that sets the maximum heating temperature, as well as other types of protection that prevent overheating of the iron.

“Dry” rectifiers are very effective, but they work quite aggressively. The high temperature of the plates and the simultaneous smoothing with forceps make it possible to level the strands literally in one pass.

In the process of heating, excess moisture, or rather hydrogen compounds, evaporate from the rods, which cause the hair to curl into rings. Have you noticed how your curly hair rises in wet weather? This is how an excess of water twists the strands - a hot iron struggles with it.

The similar principle of work and at an electric hairbrush rectifier. Here, too, excess moisture is expelled from the curls, only the heating and mechanical alignment are performed not by the plates, but by the red-hot metal teeth.

Steam straighteners work like regular irons, except for the hot surface of the tongs, hot steam acts on the hair. Such models damage the structure of rods less and therefore allow daily use. And you can recognize them by the holes on the plates and a small container with water, which is located on one of the paws of the forceps.

Types of hair straighteners

Standard straightening irons

The most popular and simple type of hair straightening technique. We considered its structure and principle of operation above, without affecting the main thing - the material of manufacture (or coating) of heating plates.

For example, metal tongs are not the best choice, because they heat up unevenly and can burn hair. But tourmaline and ceramic smooth smooth curls at once across the width, and even in their own way take care of your hair.

Pros:

• Convenient to use;
• High heating temperature accelerates the styling process;
• Large selection of models with plates of different materials;
• The effect of straightening can last several days;
• Most modern irons already come with a useful ionization function;
• The presence of the thermostat to select the appropriate mode;
• Rectifier with narrow plates, you can make the original shape curls.

Minuses:

• With frequent use, hair begins to split;
• Splendid, good ironing is expensive;
• Do not use on wet hair.

Steam irons

These are the same forceps, but with a different design of the legs. On one of them there are holes through which steam is supplied (water is poured into the built-in small reservoir). Due to the lower temperature, such irons cause the least damage to the hair, but work no less effectively.

Pros:

• The ability to choose the appropriate temperature regime;
• Some models come with cloves for efficient straightening;
• Do not damage the hair;
• The steam makes the curls smooth and shiny;
• You can use at least every day.

Minuses:

• Expensive unit;
• For refilling only purified softened water is suitable.

Multistylery

This is not quite rectifiers, although this possibility is also provided in the multifunctional device. In the set to the styler there always comes a whole set of nozzles: an iron, a round hairbrush, several types of pieces.

All of them are alternately worn on the base of the handle, allowing you to do any styling on both straight and curly hair. Such a universal technique will appeal to lovers often change their image.

Pros:

• Fast and uniform heating;
• Many nozzles for styling experiments;
• Straightening plates usually come with a ceramic coating;
• In most cases it is completed with a cooling mat and a bag for transportation.

Minuses:

• Lack of thermostat;
• High price;
• Pretty dense forceps - thin hair can get stuck in them.

Hairbrush rectifier

Somewhat unusual, but convenient unit recently in great demand. It has the appearance of a familiar massage comb with metal teeth, at the ends of which there are protective rubber pads (so as not to accidentally burn the scalp).

When turned on, the teeth heat up, and you, sweeping along the curls with a hot brush, simultaneously comb and pull them out. Such a device causes minimal damage to the head of hair, but copes only with slightly curly locks.

Pros:

• Simplicity and ease of use;
• Decent service life;
• Careful attitude to hair;
• Aligns the curls from the roots, at the same time giving volume to the hairstyle;
• There are no plates, so the mechanical effect is more gentle.

Minuses:

• Can not cope with violent curls.

Hair straightener selection options

Plate type

It is this parameter that determines the cost of the device, ease of use, and even service life. But the main thing is that the health of your hair depends on the quality of the heating plates.

1. Metallic

They are considered the most harmful. They heat up unevenly, and therefore it is necessary to hold the iron on the curls several times to achieve the desired effect. Such rectifiers are cheaper than others, but experts do not recommend them for frequent use. In extreme cases, you can choose a budget model with anodized coating - it is more gentle.

2. Ceramic

Today it is the most popular material for the manufacture of rectifier plates. This coating treats hair gently, it heats evenly and ensures perfect straightening of curls across the entire width. Also, it perfectly “gets along” with the thermostat, obediently maintaining a constant temperature, and also makes the hair smooth and shiny.

There are few negative aspects of ceramics. The only drawback is the sticking of cosmetic products for laying on the surface of the plates. Therefore, after each use, the device should be wiped with a damp cloth.

3. Teflon

Irons with “non-stick” coating treat hair especially carefully.Experts recommend the use of such straighteners for weak and soft hair. Slipping, as well as the result, is perfect here, but there are also some minuses. A thin Teflon layer is erased with time, and the further use of such an iron can seriously harm the hair.

4. Marble

One more harmless variant of execution of nippers for alignment of hair. Marble coating has properties similar to ceramics and Teflon coating, but has its own advantages.

Such irons are distinguished by perfect gliding and a slight effect of cooling the hair after exposure to high temperature. Most often, the marble coating is performed on one of the two plates ironing.

5. Tourmaline

Even better material, surpassing even marble in its properties. Such coverage can often be found in professional models of rectifiers. In the process of laying tourmaline plates emit negative ions that neutralize static electricity and heal hair.

6. Titanium and Diamond

The most expensive and durable type of iron for leveling. They gently, but effectively smooth the hair, almost without damaging their structure, while they themselves are not too demanding to care. But for home use such an expensive purchase is not necessary, even if you do styling every morning. This is a technique for beauty salons.

Plate width

Size ironing should be correlated with the thickness and length of their hair. Wide plates up to 8 cm are best suited for straightening thick and long curls. With them you will quickly cope with styling. For short and medium-length strands, a small width of 2.5–4 cm will be sufficient.

Power and temperature

Rectifiers, unlike hair dryers, do not need high power, so most of the ironing is produced with a consumption of 20 to 110 W, but 50 W is enough for them to work. The only thing you need to remember: the lower the power of your device, the longer it will heat up. The temperature does not depend on this parameter - it is set by the built-in thermostat.

In good semi-professional irons for hair can be implemented from 3 to 6 temperature regimes - for use in the home is enough. The thermostat itself, which is responsible for switching and supporting them, is usually located on the rectifier handle.

Depending on the model, you can select a mode from +140 to +230 ° С. The temperature is set taking into account the condition of the hair (the degree of damage, fragility and structure of curly curls).

If the strands are thin and already with broken ends, choose the minimum values ​​within +140 .. + 170 ° С, for normal hair, about +180 ° С. And for the most disobedient, hard and very curly - the maximum temperature is +200 .. + 230 ° C.

Availability of ionization function

This option is not considered mandatory, but since the thermal effect on the hair during the styling process is rather aggressive, it is better to look for a model with ionization.

Such irons come with a special coating plates, which, when heated, emit negative ions, restoring the internal balance of the hair. As a result, curls, even with daily styling, retain a healthy look. In addition, the ionization function removes static stress, and after styling you will not be like a dandelion.

What hair straightener to choose

1. Owners of long and very curly hair fit straighteners with wide plates - at least from ceramics. They allow you to capture large strands, reducing styling time, and cause the least damage to your hair.

2. If you have a short or medium hairstyle, look for an iron with narrow plates. You can take anodized steel or a Teflon-coated model. Such forceps are suitable for accurate curling curls, and will also be convenient when working with bangs.

3. For girls with thin and brittle hair fit steam rectifiers with ceramic, marble or tourmaline plates. The ability to set the low-temperature mode and the ionization function is mandatory.

4. Do you often like to change your image, experimenting with styling? Take a functional styler with different nozzles.

5. If your hair is only slightly curled, and you want to try a smooth haircut, buy a comb-straightener. Of course, there are no miracles to expect from it, but it will provide you with neat styling.

How much does hair straightener

1. Standard flat irons with metal plates are inexpensive - from 200 to 600 rubles.

2. Models with ceramic, teflon or titanium ironing are professional, so their prices range from 2 to 18 thousand rubles. Steam appliances also fell into this category, only the entrance threshold is a bit lower - at the level of 1000 rubles.

3. A good rectifier with a tourmaline coating and an ionization effect will cost 2800-10000 rubles.

4. A high-quality styler cannot cost less than 2000-5000 rubles, although there are also budget models in the range of 350-1000 rubles, but they are not for daily use.

5. Hairbrush rectifier can be purchased at prices ranging from 500 to 3,500 rubles - depending on the manufacturer and the quality of the materials used.