kat snip: what kind of FLAT IRON should I buy?

Hair and makeup by Kat
Photography by Kamee June

The most frequently asked question

 I get as a professional hairstylist is:

What kind of FLAT IRON should I buy?

This is a tricky question

that I usually respond to with:

How much MONEY do you wanna spend?

When buying a straightener there are a lot of choices out there

and they keep changing the labels and features.

Ceramic

Titanium

Infrared heat 

Vaporiron

Tourmaline

Thermal heat

Nano
Ionic

What does it all mean?!?

These terms are all used to describe the kind

of heat your flat iron is using.

Basically, Ceramic is the first step up from steal plates.

It protects the hair and adds shine.

Tourmaline reduced static and frizz.
 Infrared is a combo of ceramic and tourmaline heating.

It heats the hair from the core and seals the cuticle.

Heating from the hairs core leaves less damage
and tends to work and style faster.
Titanium plates have the highest heat.

They use Ionic heat and extremely high temperatures

resulting in a super straight and shiny finish.

The advantage of heating the hair this way

is once you straighten your hair you

 shouldn't have to straighten again till your next wash.

The high heat leaves a memory that keeps your hair

from getting puffy, frizzy, or wavy throughout the day.

So what are Mama Kat's recommendations?

Here's a few suggestions to get you out of the Target isle
and onto something worth spending your money on.

Cheap flat irons can be extremely damaging.
Save your hair and money by buying something quality,
that will last, and leave your hair shiny and healthy.

Hot Tools Ceramic iron is a great entry level flat iron.  
The ceramic protects the hair and Hot Tools brings the heat. 
This iron will get much hotter than Target's Revlons and Conairs.
The best part, it usually cost around $40.
Great for fine hair and younger girls
who tend to OVER use their heat tools.

Next level up is BaByliss flat irons.
They Nano Titanium has a temperature

 dial that reaches 450 degrees.

Usually sold between $89-120.
BaByliss has a GREAT quality track record too!
Great for medium fine to coarse hair

or curly textured hair.

My favorite flat iron, that I use in the salon,

and the Hairstylists top pick is the Croc.

Titanium plates, 450 degree temp, and very sleek

small body that allows you to get really close to the scalp.

I work in a multi-racial salon and even our African American

 stylist use this iron on their clients extra curly textured hair.

It's the iron recommended to stylist for properly performing
a Keratin smoothing treatment.
Costs between $150-200.

Two hot new flat irons that are quickly gaining popularity are the

FHI Heat and the GHD.

I haven't used them personally,

but am really interested in both!

I'm not usually one to bag on brands

but I typically steer people clear of two brands

that are unreliable and have many electrical glitches.

HAI and CHI.

Just sayin'.

Comment here if you have any questions for Mama Kat.

Happy to help :)