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Image | GHDs / Illustration by TSD
It’s true that hair straighteners can send your hair strands into the afterlife and yet so many of us whip out those mega-hot iron plates and press our precious hair locks in between them every morning to achieve that sleek finish.
But hair straighteners are also one of the most versatile hair styling tools out there. Whether you are going for large voluminous “va-va-voom” waves, loose curls or pencil-straight hair – a “good” hair straightener can do it all!
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Hair straighteners will always have the potential to cause some degree of damage (especially if used every day), and while it’s very important to use great quality products to prime and protect your hair beforehand, a great set of hair straighteners can make all the difference!
RELATED: 12 Simple Tips For Using A Hair Straightener Safely
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There are a few ways in which you can prepare the hair to reduce the amount of damage:
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WASH IT — Wash your hair thoroughly beforehand with a smoothing shampoo and deep conditioner.
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MAKE IT DRY — Your hair should be completely dry from the water before straightening (hair is most fragile when it’s wet) otherwise your hair will fry!
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USE HEAT PROTECTANT — Spritz your hair with a heat protectant like L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle SLEEK IT Iron Straight Heatspray. Heat protectants form a protective layer on the hair shaft, shielding it from extreme heat. But for afro-textured hair, you may need a little extra protection by using a leave-in serum like the Mizani Thermasmooth Smooth Guard Serum or the Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil which can be applied before or after. This serum helps to control frizz and flyaways as well as repair bonds on a molecular level.
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SECTION THE HAIR — Straightening your hair in small sections means that part of your hair will straighten faster, reducing the need to go over it again – causing more damage.
Remember that your hair straighteners don’t need to be on full blast!
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Not all hair types can handle hair straighteners the same way or are as effective.
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Afro Hair (3C-4C Curl Types) — Ceramic-coated plates heat up quickly, the heat is distributed evenly and they produce negative ions which give the hair more shine and less frizz. But if you can get your hands on a steam hair straightener like the award-winning L’Oréal Professionnel Steampod 3.0 Steam Hair Straightener & Styling Tool, you can enjoy up to 91% less heat damage and bone-straight hair in half the time.
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Thick Hair — Titanium plates are great for straightening stubborn hair – they heat up quickly, and can reach very high temperatures meaning fewer passes are needed. Choose ones that are wide-plated to save you time.
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Frizzy Hair — Straighteners with Ionic technology like the GHD Gold Hair Straighteners are a must to protect your hair against humidity.
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Fine Hair — Ceramic plates used in a low heat setting are best for fine hair due to their even heat distribution and because they’re more gentle.
You might know about tourmaline hair straighteners too. Tourmaline is a crystalline mineral that is produced organically and can be used to coat the plates.
They have up to six times more negative ions than ceramic and leave the hair straighter and shinier for longer. These straighteners can be used on thin to coarse hair types.
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We all need a good straightener in our arsenal of hair tools, so as long you prepare and protect your hair you should see little to no damage.
So with that in mind, I’ve narrowed it down to 6 of the best hair straighteners on the market right now that are very popular with top reviews.
1. L’OREAL PROFESSIONAL 3.0 STEAM POD STRAIGHTENER
Why It’s Hot |
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Cosmopolitan Summer Beauty Award 2021 Winner
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Integrated water tank
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360° rotative cord
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Long-lasting results
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Less damage to hair
Why It’s Not |
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Slow to heat up (due to the water tank)
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Steam is released only from one side of the plates
Overview | The 3rd generation of L’Oréal’s series of professional hair stylers, the professional steam pod straightener claims to reduce hair damage by up to 91% due to its built water tank which produces steam when in use.
The steam helps repair and nourish leave-in products penetrate the hair better. It has been the first on the market to try it.
Promising Review | “For straightening, I think the tool would be perfect for anyone to use. For curling, it may take slightly more practice but the results are great. You need to try it. The feel of the hair is amazing and the shine on it is great” — L’Oréal Customer
2. DYSON CORRALE STRAIGHTENER
Why It’s Hot |
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Elle International Beauty Award 2021 Winner
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Cord-free
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Flexing manganese copper alloy plates shape around your hair.
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Can reach temperatures up to 210C
Why It’s Not |
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Hefty price tag
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Quite heavy (561g)
Overview | Dyson has never really been known as a purse-friendly brand! So as you’d expect, the Dyson Corrale will put holes in your bank account.
However, Dyson does have a high reputation for delivering quality and robust products that enlist advanced technology for maximum and effective results and it doesn’t seem to falter with their hair straighteners either.
The highlight of the Dyson Corrale is that it is the only straightener with flexing copper plates that shape to gather hair, meaning less heat and half the time.
Promising Review | “I have had these straighteners for 4 weeks now and they are the best ones that I have had. My hair is in a much better condition and I can now achieve styles that I couldn’t with other ones. Would highly recommend” — GHD Customer
3. GHD UNPLUGGED STRAIGHTENER
Why It’s Hot |
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Cosmopolitan 2021 Beauty Award Winner
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Cord-free
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High-shine finish
Why It’s Not |
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Two hour charging time for 20-minute use
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Cannot be used plugged in
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Hefty price tag
Overview | ‘Unplugged’ is the first cordless straightener from GHD’s and was designed with being on the move in mind, simply put this compact yet powerful in your handbag to quickly change up your style.
In just 45 minutes the ceramic-coated plates are heated up and ready to glide through your hair snag-free delivering salon-sleek results with 65% more shine.
Promising Review | “Cordless is a life saviour for hair like mine – frizzy and short. I use this when I am on the road.. I have used this as my primary iron as well and it does work too but I do have corded iron for myself. I use this mostly when I am out for a whole day and for touch up.. great tool and actually serve the purpose of being cordless..” — GHD Customer
4. CLOUD NINE THE ORIGINAL IRON
Why It’s Hot |
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Easy to see temperature control
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Heats up in 20 seconds
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Swivel cord for 360° movement
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Comes with a protective heat guard
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Signature Mineral-infused ceramic plates
Why It’s Not |
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A little expensive
Overview | The Original Iron is one of Cloud Nine’s best-selling hair straighteners and for good reason! One of their signature features is the Sericite and Tourmaline-infused ceramic plates which minimise damage and maximise shine.
This high-quality hair straightener is delivered with some freebies too! It comes with a protective heat guard that can be put on immediately after styling to allow the Iron to cool down without damaging surfaces and a travel-sized magical quick dry potion that tames frizz and flyaways as well as gently conditions the hair and provides heat protection.
Promising Review | “I have thick hair, also mixed race so my hair is very fizzy I buy straighteners to straighten my hair and never works after an hour later but these straighteners are amazing and last all day 😍” — Cloud Nine Customer
5. REMINGTON PROLUXE HAIR STRAIGHTENER
Why It’s Hot |
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Pretty design – soft pearlescent pink with rose gold accents
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Reasonably priced
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Intelligent OPTIheat technology
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Variable settings up to 230°C
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Three-metre power cord
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24 hour locked in styles
Why It’s Not |
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The hair straightener doesn’t lock the heat setting button during styling, so you can accidentally change the temperature.
Overview | Using intelligent OPTIheat technology, the Remington PROluxe straightener targets heat where your hair needs it the most.
The plates are made with ultimate glide ceramic for 5x smoother and snag-free results. You can also enjoy 50% straighter hair in one pass compared to the standard Remington straightener.
Promising Review | “I’m so happy that I purchased this. Such a great straightener for straightening and curling. it does wonders for my frizzy thin hair. Works great on thick hair too.” — Remington Customer
6. REVAMP PROGLOSS TOUCH DIGITAL CERAMIC HAIR STRAIGHTENER
Why It’s Hot |
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Colour Touch Screen Digital Display
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Manual temperature adjustment between 80ºC – 235ºC
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3 Pre-Set Temperatures for Hair Types: Fine, Medium, Thick
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Fully Ceramic Floating Heat Plates – Progloss Essential Oil Infused with Keratin, Argan & Coconut
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Safety shut off after 60 minutes
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Three-metre power cord with 360º swivel.
Why It’s Not |
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Inconvenient placement of temperature control buttons
Overview | The Revamp Progloss Digital straightener promises to deliver super-smooth and snag-free results through its infusion of keratin, argan and coconut oil on the floating ceramic plates.
The pre-set hair mode settings means that no hair type will be left out, whether your locks are fine, medium or thick. Plus, the ultra-fast PRO PTC heater for one-stroke styling ensures you’ll be done in no time.
Promising Review | “Absolutely love these they straighten your hair perfect, so easy to use and put away, easy dial for your heat you want, hair looks lovely and sleek after using, definitely recommend to friends and family” — Revamp Customer
