Professional hair straighteners: rating of the best and selection rules

Hair straighteners are not only used by hairdressers in their work. Any woman who dreams of getting a stylish haircut at home can use a professional straightener.

The basic mechanism of operation of all types of irons is the same - a small strand is clamped between a pair of plates and seems to be "ironed out" in the direction from the hair roots to the ends. During the treatment, all moisture is removed from the hair, and the scales seem to "stick" to the hair shaft, as a result the strands become straight and smooth.

You can find professional and regular models on sale. Professional are intended for use in beauty studios and beauty salons, they are subject to the most stringent requirements:

• reliability, practicality and safety;
• rectifiers must withstand intense loads for several hours without overheating or melting;
• models for masters should be suitable for any type of hair and perform a wide variety of styling;
• it is important that professional straighteners can handle both thick dense hair and dry damaged hair;
• the iron should be ergonomic, the master works with it all day long, so the products should be created in such a shape that the hairdresser's hand does not get tired;
• professional irons are used not only for straightening curls, but also for curling and crimping hair.

Let us dwell in more detail on the features of rectifiers designed for each type of work.

• Straightening - a professional iron can handle not only slightly wavy curls, but also small curls. You can also use a styler for straight hair - in this case, after processing, they acquire softness and shine, and become smoother.
• For styling with curls use forceps with slightly rounded nozzles - depending on their size, you can get both elastic spirals and elegant soft waves.
• To create a corrugated hairstyle you will also need additional attachments with textured plates.

In order to successfully cope with all the tasks set, a professional rectifier must have a certain set of characteristics.

1. Multifunctionality. If for ordinary household use it is possible to select equipment with a set of characteristics that is optimal for a particular type of strand, then professional equipment should easily cope with straight and curly, oily and dry, thick and thin hair.
2. Power. The higher the power parameter of the styler, the faster it will warm up and the higher the heating temperature of the plastic. In professional equipment, it reaches 210-230 degrees, while heating up takes only a few seconds. For comparison: household irons only warm up to 190 degrees, and this takes from 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Additional attachments. As a rule, rectifiers for professional use are equipped with attachments of several types, the more their number, the more a wide variety of styling can be done. Household models are deprived of such opportunities, they are intended exclusively for straightening curls.
4. Plate surface... In beauty salons, straighteners made from the most expensive materials are usually purchased.
5. Extra long swivel cord. This is an indispensable condition that distinguishes a household styler from professional equipment. When winding the strand, such a cord does not get confused and, due to the rotary mechanism, does not wrap around the working plates.
6. Temperature regulator... Any professional model certainly contains a heating regulator, which selects the mode depending on the original hair structure and the planned hairstyle.
7. Cold air options, as well as conditioning and moisturizing hair, which provide additional care for the hair and the most gentle effect on the strands.

Depending on the shape of the plates, irons with straight edges and rounded edges are distinguished. The second option is considered more preferable, since the round edges provide maximum easy and smooth sliding. When using similar products the hair is not wrinkled or damaged, the curls turn out to be evenly curled, which is impossible to achieve with the first option.

In most cases, professional styler plates are ceramic coated. Their main advantages include:

• good thermal conductivity;
• even distribution of heat over the hair surface;
• smooth sliding;
• gentle heating of the hair protects it from drying out.

A pleasant bonus is the democratic cost of the models. However, there were some drawbacks:

• the ceramic coating is very delicate, therefore chips and scratches quickly appear on it;
• styling and care products easily stick to the plates.

Provides a perfectly smooth glide to the straightener while minimizing any damage to the hair structure.

Teflon coating has quite significant advantages:

• provides a smooth glide through the hair;
• does not react to varnishes, gels, mousses, balms and other cosmetics on the strands;
• no hairs stick to the teflon surface;
• the possibility of pulling out hairs is completely excluded;
• the product requires almost no maintenance.

Straighteners with Teflon coating allow you to achieve smooth hair from just one "pass", which reduces the risk of dryness and hair damage.

Tourmaline coating - this is the hallmark of the highest quality professional tools. Spraying provides piezoelectric characteristics, therefore, when the plates are heated, negative ions are created from this material. This effect removes static electricity and makes hair more manageable and smooth, and in addition, improves the structure of the hairs. The fact is that the effect of anions leads to a tighter adhesion of the hair scales to the shaft, thereby minimizing the evaporation of moisture from the hair.

This is not the end of the list of advantages of tourmaline spraying, these plates have a number of advantages:

• glide smoothly through the hair without causing injury;
• can be used for all types of hair;
• do not interact with hair care products;
• tourmaline is much stronger and more durable than ceramics.

Such impressive advantages make it possible to use the iron in daily styling, the models have a rather high price, but it fully justifies all the costs.

Perhaps the only advantage of flat iron irons is their cost. Such stylers cost an order of magnitude cheaper than any other model. But in relation to hair, such products are ruthless and have significant drawbacks.

The plates take too long to warm up and, what is most dangerous, they do it unevenly, hence the different effect on the hair. So, in one area they still do not have time to warm up and take the desired shape, while in the other they are already overheated and dry.

Metal plates do not glide smoothly; when the elements move, friction is created, which damages the structure of the hairs. This entails mechanical damage, such stylers can be used no more than 1 time in 7-10 days, at the same time, before working on the hair, it is imperative to apply thermal protective agents.

Marble flooring is popular for its pronounced cooling effect. These irons are able to neutralize the high temperatures of the heating elements, thereby minimizing the risk of overdrying the hair.

A professional styler should not only be functional. Special requirements are imposed on its appearance. This is not surprising, because the product is used in the beauty field and its design can say a lot about the status of a beauty salon.

Irons for professional use have ergonomic handles, made taking into account the peculiarities of the anatomy of the hands - this allows the master to work without overstrain and accompanying discomfort in muscles and joints.

Let's take a closer look at the rating of the best manufacturers and the most top-end models of professional irons.

It is a French brand known worldwide for its beauty and hairdressing tools. Distinctive features of the brand's products:

• ease of use;
• stylish design;
• constant introduction of improvements.

BaByliss stylers have ceramic-ionic or tourmaline plates, sometimes titanium-coated products.

One of the leading manufacturers of electrical appliances in the world, which includes hair straighteners. The production uses the most modern technological solutions:

• ceramic plates;
• multistage temperature setting;
• moisture retention system inside the hair.

A brand from the USA that offers the widest selection of hair styler models. The company is known for often using technologies in production that are not yet available to competing enterprises:

• the presence of a thermal protection sensor;
• ionization option;
• irons with microconditioners;
• models with keratin.

Among the main advantages are product safety and the presence of a large number of additional functions.

This is a Dutch company that produces household and professional appliances, including stylers. All presented products are of the highest quality and durability. The undoubted advantages of the brand's models include the use of plates of various types: they can be titanium, tourmaline or ceramic, floating or vibrating, as well as elongated. All models allow you to control the heating level, offer an auto-off option and an ionization system.

This company offers the widest selection of different types of irons. Among the advantages of products are:

• high power of equipment;
• warm-up speed;
• multifunctionality.

All Marta products are manufactured at an affordable price, and this despite the fact that the brand is one of the few offering titanium-coated products.

Products of brands are also in demand Braun, Molecule Professional and Pritech.

When choosing a professional hair straightener it is necessary to pay attention to important parameters.

• Features of the plates. Their size and materials used for manufacturing are of great importance.
• Distance between plates. Ideally, there should be no gaps at all. If, when closed, the distance between the plates exceeds 1 mm, then such irons will not effectively straighten and curl the hair.
• Price. The priority should always be the optimal combination of price and quality.
• Wellness effect... Study the composition, it is better to give preference to models containing keratin.
• Please note that the iron should fits comfortably in the hand, as the hair treatment process takes several hours.
• As for the material, the professionals recommend using tourmaline, titanium and ceramics.
• With intensive salon use, some devices begin to give a different result than declared by the manufacturer. To avoid controversy, make sure that upon purchase, you received a warranty card.

In order for hair straightening not to harm the strands, you should follow the basic rules for using the iron.

• First you need to prepare the strands for the procedure.: they should be washed, treated with conditioner, combed well, dried and applied with a thermal protective compound.
• You need to start work from the occipital zone. When styling your hair, you must leave a couple of millimeters from the roots - this way you protect the skin from burns.
• The best thing conduct one strand of strands only once, it is important to ensure that the hairs are evenly distributed over the plate, and the heating elements are pressed firmly.
• For curling elegant curls it is necessary to clamp a thin strand near the roots and wrap the iron 90 degrees, then hold the iron to the ends once.
• The use of an iron must be accompanied by a preliminary thermal protection of hair, special formulations are sold in the form of foams, mousses, balms and serums.

How to choose a hair iron, see the video below.