The 411 on Ceramic Hair Straighteners
There are many variants of the plates used for straightening irons. Common plates are made from metal, glass, titanium, ceramic, or even a mix of both titanium and ceramic. The material of the plates reflects the price tag, with metal and glass being the cheapest as they can burn the hair when used incorrectly. Other disadvantages include having them take longer to heat up, and that they can have uneven temperatures across the plates. And this is exactly why ceramic hair straighteners should be top of your list: Ceramic-plated irons have been gaining more and more popularity, due the fact that they help create straight, shiny, healthy-looking hair with significantly lesser risk of damage.
How ceramic plates work
As the name suggests, a super-smooth ceramic (a.k.a. made of clay) material is used for the plates on ceramic hair straighteners. Ceramic-plated straighteners work by using infrared technology, which locks moisture directly into the hair shaft (and the more moisture is in the hair, the healthier-looking it is.). Luckily, being really good thermal insulators, ceramic irons spread heat evenly across its plates, unlike glass or metal plates that sometimes have “hot spots” and heat hair unevenly, causing it to dry out or even singe or burn in certain areas. As ceramic hair straighteners do a good job of locking moisture in hair, they are also more effective in safely straightening dyed or color-treated hair without further damage. Color is left vibrant and not dull.
Ceramic vs. glass and metal plates
Glass and painted metal plates are susceptible to chipping and peeling, which can cause hair to tangle and snag. They also take longer to heat up, and as mentioned, can have hot spots that can incur severe damage and burning on hair. Ceramic plates are smooth and allow hair to easily glide between the plates, worry-free. It’s also an efficient thermal insulator, meaning heat gets evened out between the plates fairly quickly. This not only makes ceramic varieties super effective but convenient too: They’re great during busy mornings or whenever you’re on a tight schedule to get ready. They might come with a higher price tag, but you really do get what you pay for. In the long run, ceramic hair straighteners come out to be the more cost effective alternative, as they not only last longer, but also do less damage to your hair. With glass irons prone to chipping and painted metal irons tending to peel (and both being potentially more damaging to hair), ceramic hair straightening irons are the way forward for straight, smooth, shiny locks. Learn more about ceramic hair straighteners and other straightening products.
