There are several key different types of flat irons so which is the best flat iron for natural hair and your needs.
Ionic Principle of working of Flat Irons: Our hair strands have positive Hydrogen bonds which makes them curly. Positively charge hair follicles open, brittle and dried out.
When heat is applied i.e. negative charge (ions) contained on the flat irons is applied to the hair the hydrogen bond is broken and hair turns straighter. Negative ions neutralize the positive charge on hair thereby closing hair follicles and smoothing the hair strands.
Amount of heat depends upon how curly the hair is curlier hair needs more heat.
The ceramic flat irons emit negative ions and the output of ceramic irons is enhanced by materials like titanium and tourmaline.
Nano Technology: Word nano is used to describe the very small tiny particles which are imbedded in the plates of flat iron. Therefore if the flat iron is “Nano Ceramic” it means that only small particles of ceramic are imbedded on the plates which is not a good indicator for buying best flat iron. Other nano forms are:
“Nano Titanium” spreads heat evenly and enhances negative ion output of the plates giving smooth hair.
“Nano silver” prevents bacterial growth.
“Nano titanium oxide” prevents odor generating chemical build up.
Below we have explained the features of flat irons using these materials i.e. ceramic, tourmaline and titanium.
Ceramic: This is the most widely used material for flat irons because it gives great results by transferring the negative ions evenly over the applied area making your hair smooth and straight. Most of the ceramic flat irons use plates which are made of aluminium or titanium. These plates are then coated with several ceramic layers, high end flat irons have more ceramic layers.
There are two types of flat irons, one is which use Ceramic for coating the plates and other one uses whole ceramic for its plates. The coated ceramic sometimes chips off the plates and exposes your hair to the underlying material which may damage your hair. The whole ceramic plate flat irons are little bit brittle and expensive but gives best results.
Titanium: Titanium is a better conductor than ceramic and it is a very good source of negative ions. This results in less temperature variation during use and is faster in use. It provides immediate even distribution of heat. These types of flat irons are more expensive.
Tourmaline: Tourmaline is a gemstone and a great source of negative ions. It improves the output of negative ions and gives damage free smoother and sleeker hair. These are also expensive flat irons. Tourmaline is always present in “nano” form on the flat iron plates irrespective of the description given about the flat irons.
Tip: Try not to use irons on daily basis as it may damage your hair permanently.
Click here for our Flat iron Comparison chart may help you find the best suitable flat iron according to your needs.
Karmin is the best 😉
Karmin makes the best in my opinion 😀