There are different types of hair flat irons depending on the material used and intended use. The materials used in hair straighteners include silicone, Teflon, ceramic, titanium, tourmaline, etc. Hair straighteners with especially ceramic, titanium and infused tourmaline are normally regarded as high end flat irons.
Below is a brief look at the different types of hair straighteners regarding materials used to make the plates. The plates could be solid with 100% material especially in the case of ceramic and titanium. Or they may be metal or some other material but coated with ceramic or titanium.
The plates in turn can have strips of silicone or teflon to enhance or improve performance of the flat iron. On the other hand tourmaline is usually infused with titanium or ceramic to improve ionic and FAR Infrared rays emissions. Ions emitted by these materials help smoothen the hair leaving it shinier for longer.
Infrared rays improve the heating of the hair to reduce damage to hair due to heat.
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Ceramic Hair Straighteners
A ceramic hair straightener is a flat iron with ceramic plates that are either coated with ceramic or made of solid (wholly) ceramic.
A ceramic coated hair straightener heats up quickly though it may not maintain constant heat for long. A solid ceramic hair straightener would be a better choice to a coated one.
A solid ceramic flat iron heats up quickly as is the property of ceramic and being solid it will retain heat and maintain constant temperature for an extended length of time. Another good property of ceramic is that it heats up evenly, and this is good for the hair.
A ceramic flat iron is more suited for fine or thin hair but not to say they cannot be used for other hair types. Ceramic hair straightener benefits include ability to smooth out hair and reducing frizz. So if you have frizzy hair, a ceramic hair straightener might be well suited for you.
Below is a list of the top ceramic hair straighteners you can choose from, some are infused with tourmaline which is discussed later below.
Porcelain Hair Straightener
Porcelain is a specific type of ceramic and below are flat irons that use type of ceramic.
- BaBylissPRO Porcelain Ceramic Straightening Iron
- Jilbere Porcelain Flat Iron 1 1/2 Inch
- Conair Pro Ceramic Tools Porcelain Series Far-Infrared Straightening Iron
Titanium Hair Straighteners
A Titanium hair straightener refers to a flat iron that has plates made from or coated with titanium. Obviously there are differences between a coated and solid titanium flat iron in terms of delivery and price. A solid titanium plate hair straightener should generally be better than a coated one.
Titanium, being metal, heats up faster than ceramic and can hold higher temperatures longer and consistently. Another excellent property of titanium is that it is light weight which means for the same size of a ceramic straightening tool, a titanium one would be lighter. Lighter means less fatigue.
Further, titanium is ionic, meaning it is negatively charged and when coming into contact with your static hair (positively charged) it will neutralize it to leave a smooth hair with less frizz in one stroke.
- MISS UNIVERSE Style Illuminate By Chi 1 Flat Iron
- KIPOZI Professional Flat Iron Titanium 1 Inch Hair Straightener
- Titanium Flat Iron Digital Hair Straightener by Isa Professional 1 Inch
- Croc Classic Nano-Titanium Flat Iron
- Karmin Titanium Hair Straightener
Tourmaline Hair Straightener
A Tourmaline hair straightener is a flat iron that is coated with tourmaline, not having solid plates of the material like you would with ceramic or titanium. Tourmaline is a semi-precious stone and it comes in a wide variety of colors. It is used in flat irons because it is renowned to emit negative ions and far infrared rays.
Tourmaline is infused with titanium or ceramic hair straightener to improve or enhance infrared and ionic emission abilities. Ions reduce frizz on hair and FAR Infrared rays heat the hair strands much more effectively.
Below are some of the best hair straighteners in 2018 coated with tourmaline.
- Solano Sleekheat450 Professional Flat Iron
- The Supernova 1 Inch Tourmaline Ceramic Laser Infrared Flat Iron
- BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium-Plated Straightening Iron
- HSI Glider Gold Professional Flat Iron
- NuMe Megastar
- Karmin G3 Salon Professional Hair Straightener
Silicone Hair Straightener
Like with tourmaline you will not find a high end hair straightener with plates made of silicone. Silicone is added as strips to improve performance of the the main plate material. Silicone strips provide faster straightening and increased shine.
Here are some silicone luxury hair straighteners you can choose from;
- BIO IONIC Onepass Straightening Iron
- VODANA VP SILICONE Hair Straightener
- RED Kiss Silicone Flat Iron
- Hot Tools Silicone Flat Iron
- Kiss Silicone Protexion 1″ Tourmaline Ceramic Flat Iron
Teflon Hair Straightener
Teflon material is not common and many people treat flat irons with Teflon as mediocre or cheap. This is not entirely true because the brand name plays a major role in the quality of a product. Remington is one top hair straightener brand that manufactures Teflon coated flat irons. Good quality hair straighteners for that matter.
Teflon is easy to clean and minimizes friction between the hair strands and the plates. It also prevents build up of styling products in the plates of the straightener. Teflon is the material commonly used as non-stick in cooking utensils.
These property was adopted to be used in hair products to prevent build up of hair products as the flat iron is being used on the hair. On the other hand Teflon, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), was considered toxic and cooking utensils with Teflon were considered a health hazard.
In recent years studies show that Teflon is safe with precautions. Some schools of thought say there is nothing to worry about. To learn more if Teflon is safe or not below are 3 resources for further reading. You can also use your own judgement whether you will want to buy a Teflon coated flat iron or not.
Teflon and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) – This article is from the https://www.cancer.org/ website that sheds some light in use of Teflon coated cookware. Here is an intro… “Teflon® is a brand name for a man-made chemical known as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). It has been in commercial use since the 1940s. It has a wide variety of uses because it is extremely stable (it doesn’t react with other chemicals) and can provide an almost frictionless surface. Most people are familiar with it as a non-stick coating surface for pans and other cookware. It is also used in many other products, such as fabric protectors…”
Is Nonstick Cookware Like Teflon Safe to Use? – This article you will learn that “PFOA is a chemical that was previously used to manufacture Teflon. It has been linked to health conditions such as kidney and liver disease. However, all Teflon products have been PFOA-free since 2013” and “Today, all Teflon products are PFOA-free. Therefore, the health effects of PFOA exposure are no longer a cause for concern.”
Cookware Material: Is nonstick safe? Is Teflon safe? Are PTFE and PFOA safe? What about ceramic or titanium nonstick? – In this article you will come across sections like “Is nonstick such as Teflon “safe”?”, “Is nonstick such as Teflon worth the risk?”, etc.
Here are a few examples of the best Teflon hair straighteners you can choose from.
Remington S2044 Damage Therapy Ceramic Hair Straightener with Teflon Fiber Plates
The Remington S2044 has 1-inch Teflon Fiber Ceramic plates featuring the Ultimate Styling Surface Technology exclusive to Remington. It also has Tourmaline ion emission for less frizz and more shine.
This flat iron can reach high heat of 210C / 410 F with Instant heat up and be ready in 60 seconds. It has variable heat settings with Auto shut-off. It also come with dual voltage feature for worldwide use.
The Le Angelique Pro Flat Iron is a technological breakthrough that creates perfectly smooth straight styles. It has ceramic plates with Teflon. Teflon is a non stick material to help preserve the hair cuticle moisture that prevents breakage and hair damage.
To use it, just take a one or two-inch section of hair and clamp the iron down as close to the scalp as possible. Slowly pull iron down the length of hair.