Everything You Need to Know About Hair Straighteners

So once a upon a time no self-respecting girl about town would be seen dead without pin straight, flat ironed hair. Remember Jennifer Anniston post Friends and Kim Kardashian pre Kanye?

Fast forward a decade or more past drop curls, donuts and blow-outs (looking at you Kate Middleton!) and we appear to have come full circle with straight hair on the rise again albeit as part of a shorter bobbed look as perfected by Lara Worthington, Big little Liar Reese Witherspoon and love-her-or-hate-her Invanka Trump.
 

Image source: @ivankatrump

Reese gets a classic bob and finishes it perfectly with her straightener.

 

Image source: @reesewitherspoon

So seeing as a straightener is now a must-have again let’s find out all about them, including their features (not all are created equal). And remember straighteners are not just about getting your hair straight but also about creating curls and getting rid of - and even preventing -  the dreaded frizz. Sorry didn’t we mention sleek is in along side straight?
In this blog, we’ll show you how to find the perfect straightener for your hair type so you can achieve the best possible, most gorgeous pin-straight results every time.

 

How to Choose the Right Hair Straightener

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So when choosing the perfect straightener, you have to take your hair type into account. If you have masses of thick, curly, coarse hair then you’ll need a straightener that delivers high heat to get the job done. If you have fine, fragile hair then most straighteners set on their lowest setting will straighten nicely for you. 

You also have to look at the length of your hair. If  you have short hair then you need a straightener with smaller plates that can work easily around your head. If you have long hair then larger, longer plates could be the go or you will be at it all day. If you have frizzy hair then look for a straightener that has frizz fighting technology. Trust us you won’t regret it.

 

Qualities of a Good Hair Straightener

1. Multiple Heat Settings: Many people often ask what is the ideal heat setting to straighten hair? The answer, as we have touched on, is variable depending on your hair, but one thing to know for sure is that a good straightener will offer multiple heat settings including high heat settings. This gives you the choice of going high – especially useful if you are curling and need to use the outside of the straightener to heat the hair or if you have thick, hard to straighten hair. The low setting is handy for fine, colour treated hair or if you just want to simply rejuvenate your hair a bit after a day at the beach. 
2. Automatic Shut-off: A good hair straightener will have an automatic shut off – because no one wants to be on the bus on the way to work and realise they haven’t turned their styler off! Depending on the straightener, the automatic shut off system will kick in after 60 or 72 minutes.
3. Latest Technology: A good straightener will have at least one of the latest technologies - for more on that see below. 

 

Hair Straightener Technologies

The latest technologies are the key to a good straightener. With this in mind we’ve done a quick round up of these technologies as well as the features that make for a good straightener. 

Again always relate these technologies and features back to your own hair (the hair you have, not the hair you want!) as that will dictate how important each one is to you and whether they are worth the investment as some technologies do affect the price.

1. Ceramic Heater Technology: One of the many benefits of ceramic is that it heats up quickly and evenly leading to less damaging hot spots so ideal for fine fragile hair.
2. Ceramic Plate Technology: Ceramic is basically a clay composite material. In the case of a ceramic straightener, clay is used as a coating on the straightening plates. It creates far infrared heat that penetrates the hair shaft, preserving hair's natural moisture and luster. 
3. Ionic Technology: Ionic Straighteners and indeed all ionic styling tools – are a generator of negative ions. Negative ions stop the hair shafts from opening up and absorbing moisture and humidity, so the hair remains smooth, frizz-free sleek and shiny.
4. Frizz Defense Technology: This works by eliminating static and releasing up to 60% more ions than the average straightener. You can also use a lower temperature to straighten your hair with this technology on board so great for all hair types including you fine haired ladies. Try the VS Sassoon Frizz Defense Salon Straightener.

5. Advanced Sol-Gel Technology: Only used on higher end straighteners, this technology when combined with luxurious ceramic (see above) gives ultimate glide and longer-lasting results. It offers 15x more high density than ceramic alone for ultimate durability. Check out the VS Frizz Defence Salon Straightener with Sol-gel technology.

6. Keratin Infused technology: Keratin Infused Technology like the in-salon treatment helps protect for beautifully healthy and shiny hair and creates smooth, sleek and perfectly straight styles. It’s a new technology in a straightener and it’s getting a lot of buzz. Our pick: the VS Sassoon Keratin Protect Salon Straightener.

7. Ceramic Tourmaline Technology: Tourmaline is a crushed semi-precious gemstone A natural source of negative ions, it helps create smooth styling as you glide, reducing damaging hot spots. It also locks in shine as you style while reducing frizz. 

8. Wet & Dry Technology: Some straighteners like the VS Sassoon Wet & Dry Style Straightener uses unique technology so that when it passes through your damp hair, any moisture escapes as steam and your hair becomes super smooth while it dries. You can also use these straighteners on dry hair.

 

Types of Straighteners: Plate Size and Design

Uber Influencers Nadia Bartel and Bec Judd have been using their straighteners with curved slimline plates to create these soft-to-die for waved curls.

 

Image source: @nadiabartel

So now we’ve talked tech let’s talk hardware! And at the top of the list of hardware features is plate size and design.

As we’ve touched on before, the kind of straightener you should buy depends on your hair type and length but also the hairstyle you want to achieve. If you are going for waves and/or curls then choose a straightener with curved slimline plates. If you haven’t tried curling with a straightener before – then you must check out our tutorial below from 0:57 to learn how to curl with a straightener or this tutorial from Oz Beauty Expert. You will be doing it like a pro in no time. 

If you just want to flat out straighten and your hair is abundant, then go for a straightener with large or longer plates and higher heat settings. If you want to straighten fine hair, then as long as your straightener has lower heat settings you can choose plates of any size.

Then there’s the option of no plates at all. No not magic but you can choose a straightening brush rather than a straightener. This gets rid of frizz and adds shine but leaves hair with a lot of body – so maybe it’s magic after all. Check out how to use a Straightening bush  tutorial.

 

Expericence the Difference with the Best Straightener for You

So ladies, there you have it. Go forth with this knowledge and buy your next straightener with confidence, your head held high knowing that great straight (or curled) frizz-free hair is just one pass away.

While you’re here, why not check out how to style your straight locks into this sleek pony wrap hair style in our tutorial below.

 

For more information on our straighteners, check out our straightener products. We have a straightener that will suit any hair type, so make sure you choose the right one. We also have a range of styler and dryer products that will help give you a stunning style. 

For more hair and styling tips, check out our blog for everything you need to know. 

Love your Style, the VS Sassoon team x