Straightening irons

Straightening irons

Straightening irons, straighteners, or flat irons, not to be confused with clothing irons, work by breaking down the hair's hydrogen bonds found in the hair's cortex, which cause hair to bend and become curly. Once the bonds are broken, hair is prevented from holding its original, natural form, though the hydrogen bonds can re-form if exposed to moisture.^[4]

High-end modern hair straighteners have ceramic heating elements and are more effective due to their constant heat, with a very fast heat-up time (less than 10 seconds). A higher quality plate is the most desirable asset of any flat iron. Better plates straighten the hair more easily and cause much less damage. Very hard ceramic coatings that are sprayed in layers and baked on tend to perform best. Less expensive units usually do not have ceramic heating elements and some may have a paint-like coating that gives the appearance of ceramic plating. These cheaper coatings wear off very quickly and cause more damage to the hair.^{[citation needed]}

A woman's hair before and after using a flat iron

Flat irons can cause heat damage and mechanical damage. Heat damage is unavoidable, since the hotter a flat iron, the better it works (up to 450 °F (232 °C)). Mechanical damage can be reduced by using smoother plates. Most plates are aluminum with a coating of something such as a hard ceramic. If the coating is of an inexpensive type that wears off, continued use of the iron causes mechanical damage. Some flat irons can give your hair shine and cause a lot of damage to the roots.

The user can reduce damage to hair by not heating the hair tips.