Using heat to straighten or curl your hair is nothing to shrug at these days. There is tons of information and research out there that shows that if you use heat in the wrong way, it can be devastating to your scalp and hair. Here is a bit of good news; your curling iron choices can make all the difference in you being able to rock high-class curls without having to endure the damage.
Here are five things you need to know before buying a curling iron.
1. What are Your Hair Goals?
Your choice of curling iron should center around your ultimate hair goals. Are you going for big curls, medium curls or small curls? Are you aiming for beach waves or hoping to give your tresses a little bit of a bump merely? –Maybe you are hoping to achieve a style that is somewhere in between curls and waves. Whatever your hair goals are in the moment will determine which tool will work best for your style. Thus, you will have to do a bit of research before purchasing your next iron.
2. Choosing Curling Irons that Best Suit Your Hair Texture
Your hair texture may play a significant role in determining which curling iron will deliver the best results for your hair. Some hair coarser textures require higher heat settings, and other hair textures that fall into the finer hair category will benefit greater from those heating tools that have a lower heat setting that will not damage their hair.
Those with natural hair textures should purchase curling irons that have heat settings that range 376 degrees to 420 degrees. Meanwhile, if your hair is of a straighter texture or if your hair has chemical treatments –including hair color, choose irons that have a lower setting that is closer to that of 350 degrees.
3. Hair Density
Along with the feel of your hair, always pay attention to the overall thickness of your hair. Thicker hair often requires a higher heat setting and thinner hair benefits most from a lower heat setting. You want to choose the curling iron that will do very little to disrupt your hair health or create gaps in your overall hair shaft structure.
4. Professional Curling Irons vs. Consumer Quality Curling Irons
There are a few distinguishing qualities you should know about when it comes to professional curling irons vs. consumer quality curling irons. Professionals tend to choose curling irons that have a few distinct features or characteristics. You can purchase consumer curling irons that have the same qualities such as that of a heating tool that a professional stylist might use.
Barrel Coating: Gold tools such as Gold N Hot 1-1/2 inch 24K Gold Professional Spring Curling Iron are popular for their heating capabilities. Tourmaline or ceramic models are a fan-favorite for delivering results without damaging your hair.
Heating Capabilities: Professional curling irons have heat temperatures that soar well above 400 degrees. Curling irons such as the BabylissPro Nano Titanium Spring Curling Iron are examples of tools that are very capable of bringing the heat.
Complexity: Yes, curling irons can be complicated tools to use –particularly when comparing professional tools with consumer tools. That is not to say that the more complicated the heating tool, the better or more professional it is.
5. Price Points
Know your budget. Curling iron prices can be a shock to the system if you don’t set your budget up front and it may even lead you to spend money you were not necessarily planning to invest in a heating tool. You don’t have to break the bank to purchase a high-quality curling iron. There are dozens of them on the market. However, if you have the cash to spend, do a bit of research and choose those irons in that price range that can best suit your needs.
These are just five things you should know before buying a curling iron to be successful.
