Flat Iron Adventure Day 6

Just a few more days folks. Today, on Day 6 of my Flat Iron Adventure, I'm going to compare my top choices of  flat irons. I'm gearing my comparison's on my flat iron preferences. In no way are these the best flat irons for everyone and these opinions are my own. I have not tested any of these flat irons. I'm basing my opinions on the features stated by the companies and what I have learned through my journey. If you are also looking for a flat iron please do not solely base your choice on my own opinions. Although these are my opinions on these brands, I also welcome actual users of these flat irons to provide their feedback.

GHD
Gold Professional 1"
Website Price: $205.00
Warranty: 2 years
Aluminum, Golden coated Ceramic Plates, Nanosilver
Ceramic Heater
Contoured Plates (to prevent snags or catching hair with straightening)
Cool, Light Weight Body (50°F cooler than current models for easy styling)
Sleep Mode (automatic shutoff after 30 minutes of not using)
Rounded Barrel (for perfect curls, flicks, waves, and straight hair)
Universal Voltage
Fix Temperature (built-in circuits regulate the temperature five times per second, fixed to operate at 347°F - 365°F)
Swivel Cord
Complementary Protective Plate Guard (secures the hot plates when the styler is switched off, allowing you to safely pack them away without damaging your belongings)

Sultra
The Seductress 1"
Website Price: $210
Warranty: 2 year
Kyocera® Ceramic Technology
Soft Touch Palm Plate (for comfortable styling)
Sleep Mode (automatic shutoff after 30 minutes of not using)
360° flexible 1-inch plates (for perfect curls, flicks, waves, and straight hair)
Universal Voltage
Three temperaute settings (for fine (370°F), normal (380°F) or thick (395°F) hair)
Swivel Cord (9 feet)
Complementary Iron Pad

Solia
1 ¼ Flat Iron
Website Price: $79.99-$89.99 (depending on color)
Warranty: 2 year
Ceramic, Tourmaline plates
Wet-to-Dry Technology
Ceramic Heater (autosense technology provides instant even heat)
Dynamic Alignment System (plate pair self-adjust to provide perfect contact between your hair and plates, eliminating any damaging "hot spots" and "pressure points" to work through the hair smoothly without pulling)
Voltage (110-120V 50/60Hz, plug type: A)
Variable Temperature Control (170°F - 400°F)
Swivel Cord

Sedu
Revolution Styling Iron 1"
Website Price: $159.99
Warranty: 2 years
Ceramic, Tourmaline plates
Freestyle Guiding System (anti-slip edges capture all the hairs within the plates, preventing them from slipping outside)
Floating Plates & Curved Edge Design (for perfect curls, flicks, waves, and straight hair)
Ergonomic Design (lightweight body designed for added control and ease while styling)
25 second Heat up and Quick Heat Recovery
Voltage (110-120V 60Hz with plug type A)
Variable Temperature Control (170°F-450°F)
Swivel Cord (9 feet)

HANA
Elite 1"
Website Price: $239.99
Warranty: 2 year
100% Ceramic plates, Nano Tourmaline
Beveled Edges (for perfect curls, flicks, waves, and straight hair)
Ergonomic Handle Design with No-Slip Grip
Large Integrated Ceramic Heaters
Independent On/Off Switch
Variable Temperature Control (140°F-450°F)
Swivel Cord
Complementary Luxe Heat Proof Storage Pouch, Heat Proof Silicone Mat, & Special Edition Tin Case

KQC
X-Heat
Website Price: $229.00
Warranty: 1 year
Ceramic, Tourmaline plates, Far Infrared (plate color changes to dark red when hot)
Erogonomic design (for perfect curls, flicks, waves, and straight hair)
Voltage (AC 110V 60Hz)
Variable Temperature Control(140°F-410°F)
Swivel Cord

Nume
Couture 1 1/3
Website Price: $150.00
Warranty: 5 years
100% Tourmaline, Ceramic, Far Infrared Technology
Erogonomic design (for perfect curls, flicks, waves, and straight hair)
Variable Temperature Control (140°F-410°F)
Swivel Cord

Now that I have my Top Choices listed, opinions are welcome. I now have to make my final decision and pick a flat iron! Decision coming soon!!

Flat Iron Adventure Day 5

Hey all! It's Day 5 of my Flat Iron Adventure. Today is sorta random. I'm going to give you a lot of the interesting information I found while doing my research. Tomorrow I'm going to work on showing you all my top choices and list their pro's and con's. That should be great, so make sure your following my blog closely. After that I hope to have a blog post with my decision and a youtube blog with my new flat iron. yay! But we aren't quite there yet (sigh).

Price

Flat iron prices can be intimating. I know this all too well, because I previously was always too afraid to commit to a high priced flat iron and went back to settling with a $20 one. Flat iron prices somewhat can tell you the quality of the flat iron. Most flat irons at drugstores and department stores sell average flat irons that are mostly under $50. There's a reason they are this cheap, they're made with cheap material. Remember when we talked about plate material back on Day 3, well cheap flat irons skimp in this area and the plate material is less than high quality. More expensive flat irons can range in the $100's all the way up to the $200's. For me, that means a good, professional, salon quality flat iron is an investment. Some experts say that a flat iron over $70 is usually of good quality. I think that if the flat iron is over $20 and has the features like good plate material, temperature regulation, etc. than it's probably a safe bet. 

Warranty

Just like another investment (computer, television, car, etc) they come with a warranty. So should your flat iron, if your spending the big bucks. The majority of professional, salon flat irons come with at least a 1 year warranty with some in the 2 year range. When you buy one of these flat irons it doesn't automatically mean you have the warranty. Most of these companies require you to go to their website and register your flat iron by typing in the product code to receive the warranty. This is important to know 1) because if something happens to your flat iron and you haven't done this, they may not honor fixing your flat iron, and 2) if you accidently buy a fake off of a website such as ebay their flat iron will not have this product code and you will not receive a warranty. 

Fakes

When something costs a lot of money, there are always people out there looking to trick you with a fake. Stay educated, if something doesn't add up trust your gut and don't go through with it. If it seems almost too good to be true, it probably is. Most of the high end flat iron companies add a feature on their website of online stores that are trusted sellers of their product or a website checker. Use this!

Heat

Flat irons aren't suppose to be used everyday, maybe once a week. Well, if anyone actually listens to this you're amazing and your hair thanks you. For the rest of us, we need to at least use a heat protectant product on our hair. Look for a product that contains silicone, because this helps create a protective coating to your hair. Make sure hair is completely dry before flat ironing. Wet or damp hair can actually intensify the heat on your hair. When using a heat protectant, you may want to look for one that is designed for the type of style you are going for since some are made for different styles such as straight or curly. Remember to spray at a safe distance roughly 12 inches from hair and follow with combing hair to even distribute product. 

New/Interesting Products

So I thought I would add some interesting products I found during my research.

Comb/pins. For those with very curly hair you may benefit from a flat iron with built in pins on the plates. Not saying how well this works, but I always did love my first cheap flat iron with a built in comb on the end. This helped guide my hair through the flat iron more evenly and prevent kinks getting flattened. 

Vibrate.  My hairdresser uses a vibrating flat iron on my hair, not in a weird way, but I like it (don't look at me that way). So here are the benefits, you may just want one too! With a vibrating flat iron, straightening is faster and has more thorough styling action. There is less need to go over the same sections of hair, which means a healthier and faster styling experience. The vibrations send Infrared waves through the hair surface directly to the root. This preserves hairs moisture and reduces drying out of hair, preventing split ends, breakage and loss of hair.


Cordless. Tired of storing and properly caring for your flat iron's cord. Well, now you can free yourself of this burden. Some companies are making cordless flat irons, with all the same benefits as other flat irons.

Rechargeable. Ever imagined a world where you can stick a flat iron in your purse and pull it out for hair emergencies. I thought I could get rich with this idea, unfortunately for me its been done. There are now flat irons that you can use and charge in your car. Yes, I said it! Now when a bad weather day comes, you won't also have a bad hair day. Not saying how well this works, but the idea I love!

Wet-to-Dry. Everyone's in a hurry in the morning, so won't it be nice to skip a step. Well, how about cutting out blow drying your hair. Many companies are making wet-to-dry flat irons that have special steam vents to straighten hair while it is still damp. Some experts don't agree and say it is very damaging to do to hair. The decision to use is up to you.

Can anyone believe some of these different flat iron technologies? Anyone tried any of these? I would love to know. Tomorrow I will work on giving you my top choice!! 

Flat Iron Adventure Day 4

Today is Day 4 of my Flat Iron Adventure and journey to finding the best flat iron for me. Another important feature to keep in mind when buying a flat iron is the temperature setting. No one likes fried, burnt hair. So there's a few things I had to learn and will teach you today!

Flat irons can vary in a wide range of temperature settings. The majority of flat irons range somewhere from 100-400° F. Flat irons either come in a fix or varied temperature setting. A fix temperature setting automatically heats up to high temperatures. Those with thick or hard to straighten hair my benefit from a fixed temperature setting to avoid the frustration of finding the right temperature and prevent cranking up the heat too much. A varied temperature setting allows the user to select the appropriate temperature setting. This feature may be more beneficial for those with thin, delicate hair or individuals who prefer control. Click here to identify your hair type and what temperature setting you may want.

It's important to know that at roughly 451.4° F hair burns. Therefore, it's good to have a flat iron that operates in degrees. My old, cheap flat iron was numerically coded ranging in 5's, going all the way up to 25, although, I never knew if 25 was 300° F or 500° F. So try to avoid this! It may also be interesting to know that not all the hair on your head is the same texture. Especially African American hair can have different textures. Women with natural hair, finding out that they have two or three different textures on one head may be a shock, but it's not uncommon. The crown area may be the curliest section, requiring high heat, but the hair on the sides of your head may be straighter, so turn the heat down when pressing that section. For normal, medium textured hair a temperature setting should be around 300-380° F. Those with thinner, fine hair require a low setting somewhere below 300° F and those with thicker, coarse hair require a higher temperature setting above 380° F. Remember to start lower and go higher as needed. Once hair is burnt and damaged nothing can be done to fix this, so prevent with a heat protectant. If you are a forgetful person, you may also want to look for a flat iron with an automatic turn off. Nothing is worse than worrying the whole day if you burnt down the house. 

What the flat iron plate is made of is important to understand. Click here to revisit Day 3 of my Flat Iron Adventure to review the different types of flat iron plate material. Flat irons made of high amounts of Ceramic or Tourmaline help administer heat more evenly, without hot spots like cheaper flat irons. More expensive flat irons also have larger heaters that cover more of the plate compared to cheaper flat irons. Again, this helps with even heat distribution. 

Another feature that may be easily overlooked is the cord. Professional, salon flat irons tend to come with swivel cords. This is great for styling. I realize now that my cheap flat iron with a fixed cord may have been the reason for some of my broken flat irons. You may also want to look at the length of the cord. Nothing is worse than a cord that doesn't reach far enough. Remember to never, ever wrap the cord around the flat iron when done using. I admit I've been guilty of this, but it can also be the reason for my flat iron not working. Instead, loosely bundle the cord for storage. 

Hope you all learned a little something new today. I'm nearing the end of my journey to find a flat iron. Keep checking in!

Flat Iron Adventure Day 3

Alright. I can't believe I'm already on Day 3 of my Flat Iron Adventure. Today I'm talking flat iron plates! This ain't your mama's old flat ironing ways (yes some really used a real iron). The flat iron plate has done much evolving over the years, which can make understanding these new advances confusing. I know this first hand. I had previously been drawn to the gold plates, well because they were gold. But not all flat iron plates are made the same and it's important to understand what the plate is made of and what that means for your hair. 

Plate Material

Metal: The first flat irons were made of metal, aluminium that is. These flat irons were big and chunky. Most were covered in "gold" to disguise the metal. There still appears to be flat irons made of this material, so be aware if a flat iron doesn't at least state it's made of ceramic or ionic material. They are the most damaging type of flat iron because the aluminum plates do not have the technology to make sure the flat iron stays at an even temperature like a ceramic or tourmaline iron does. These flat irons also can have the tendency to snag the hair which leads to hair breakage. These most likely they will be cheap flat iron, you should avoid these at all costs. 

Ceramic: A ceramic flat iron combines three elements or forces: thermal, mechanical and electrical. The key component is the electrical force which occurs because the ceramic plates of the flat iron holds a continuous negative charge or negative ionic charge. This counteracts the continuous positive static charge found naturally in the hair. Due to this electrical field it makes the hair lay flat and straighten. Read more about this here. The thermal forces are found in the form of heat, which forces the protein in the hair to reconfigure and straighten as the flat iron is guided through the hair. The mechanical process of the flat iron occurs when the two plates are pressed together and guided through the hair. This process helps to re-align the cuticles of the hair all in one uniform downward direction and also restores the smoothness and add shine to the hair. Due to these forces the benefits to the hair include softer, sleeker hair, shiner hair, more evenly heated plates (with no hot spots), a reduction of static in the hair, sealed in moisture, and hair cuticles. Ceramic flat irons are great, but you need to be aware that not all ceramic flat irons are the same (hence price differences). Cheap flat irons that claim to be made of ceramic are likely to be aluminium (the worst flat iron material) and then thinly coated in ceramic which will chip over time. More expensive flat irons have a higher percentage of ceramic content and some even claim to be made of 100% ceramic. Unfortunately, there is much debate over whether this is true. Some say that ceramic is too soft of a material, because it is a nonmetal. Ceramic is actually an inorganic clay material. Therefore is too soft and would be ineffective in straightening hair. 

Tourmaline: Tourmaline is a semi-precious gemstone and is said to produce 6 times the negative ions than ceramic does. Therefore a tourmaline flat iron has all the benefits a ceramic one has, only tourmaline produces them at 6x better. In most cases though, tourmaline is made in combination with ceramic, which helps enhance the benefits of ceramic.

Titanium: Titanium is a lustrous, low-density, lightweight metal that comes from igneous rock and is the strongest flat iron material. So it might be good for those of us who are clumsy and accident prone to dropping our flat irons. A titanium flat iron holds up well against corrosion and heats quickly and evenly to decrease heat damage to your hair. Unlike some of the other flat iron materials mentioned, flat irons with titanium plates can be 100% solid. They can also then be coated or infused with other material (nano technology). 

Nano Technology: Nano is just a fancy word for small. In the case of nano technology for flat irons, it means  that small particles are infused into the plate of the flat iron. 

• Nano Titanium: Nano Titanium is when small particles of titanium are added to the plates. This helps increase its strength and heat conductivity. Nano Titanium is one of the newest technologies currently. This technology helps with super smoothing, it creates great heat conduction, straightens hair fast, is good for coarse hair, adds shine, and inhibits chemical build up that can cause bad smells in hair. Nano Titanium straightens hair 40% faster than just ceramic alone. This technology would be great for people with hard to straighten hair. 
• Nano Silver: Nano Silver is when small particles of silver are added to the plates. This technology helps  eliminate bacteria and fungus from the hair and increase volume. Nano Silver may be great if you work in a salon or the flat iron is being used on more than one person. Otherwise this technology may be unnecessary and not worth the extra money, unless you're germaphobic. 
• Nano Tourmaline: Nano Torumaline is when small particles of tourmaline are added to the plates. Tourmaline is considered a semi-precious gemstone. So, when it is added to the flat iron is generates negative ions and increased smoothing properties, better than ceramic alone.
• Nano Ceramic:  Nano Ceramic is when small particles of ceramic are added to the plates. This terminology is something to be careful of. If a flat iron claims to be made of ceramic and also nano ceramic, is it really possible to add more ceramic particles to ceramic?  
• Nano Fuzeion Nano Fuzeion is the when the combination of 3 different particles of elements: Titanium, Titanium Oxide, and Silver are added to the plates. The titanium enhances the ion production of the ceramic, allowing the hair to absorb more moisture for superior condition and shine. The titanium oxide helps remove chemical pollutants and toxins which build up in your hair from normal exposure to the elements, therefore has deodorizing properties which helps keep the hair smelling fresh. The silver has the bacteria killing ability.

Far Infrared: Far infared is another recent technological advancement in flat ironing. Far-infrared heat is produced from the use of tourmaline and ceramic combined. The idea behind far infared heat or rays is that the invisible electro-magnetic waves go beyond the hair shaft and dries the hair from the inside out,
resulting in more moisture being sealed into the hair shaft and less damage being done to the hair. Heat will distribute more evenly and it also produces quicker results making hair straightening go faster and prevent less damage.

Plate Size

1" plate or less: Is ideal for thin, fine and/or short hair. Good for curling hair and making flawless waves and curves. Not good for straightening thick, coarse hair and might easily break when tangled up with thick, frizzy hair.

1"-1¼" plate: Is ideal for medium hair (length and texture). Although 1-inch plates could be used for styling, it will be difficult to maneuver the plates and the results may not be satisfactory. 

1½ plate and up: Is ideal for long and/or thick, coarse hair. Plate is thick and good for straightening hair, but may be very difficult to use to style hair. 

Need to know your hair type? Read about it here.

Plate Color

Avoid flat irons with colored plates, this is merely for show. Ceramic's true color will be around white or yellowish. Titanium and Tourmaline Ceramic will be gunmetal gray in color. 

Well, technology has come a long way! But this has helped me know what the heck I have been reading when I see words like titanium, ceramic, far infrared, and nano technology. I think I'm getting closer to finding the right flat iron or me! I have a couple more things I still need to check out, so stay with me!

Flat Iron Adventure Day 2

Today we are discussing flat iron basics. Yes, put on your nerd glasses and take a seat because you will be learning the anatomy and physiology of the flat iron. But before your eyes glaze over and you fall asleep on me, hear me out. It is important even necessary, to know the anatomy of a flat iron, how it works, and how it works in relation to your hair.

Flat Iron Anatomy

Plate. In the early 1900s the first flat iron was patent using two flat irons that heated and pressed together. The technology of a flat iron has greatly improved over time. Flat iron plates can be made from metal (like the very early flat irons), ceramic or tourmaline. The quality of the flat iron plates are a large part of the overall quality of the iron itself. Better plates straighten the hair more easily and cause less damage. Avoid any flat iron that doesn't at least say they are made of ceramic or ionic. Irons that aren't, are the lowest forms of a flat iron. These are the most damaging types of flat irons because the aluminum plates do not have the technology to make sure the flat iron stays at an even temperature like a ceramic or tourmaline iron. They also have the tendency to snag the hair which leads to hair breakage. 

Temperature Setting. Flat iron temperature settings can range from as low as 150° F all the way as high as 500° F. Many flat irons have fixed heat settings, but hair straighteners with varied heat settings are also available. The temperature needed to straighten you hair may depend on you hair type. Click here to identify your hair type and what temperature setting you may want.  Most flat irons with fixed heat settings will automatically heat up to high temperatures. A flat iron with a digital temperature display is a great option for those concerned about heat damage and like the control. Some flat irons also have automatic shut off, just so you don't burn down the house.

Cord. Something we often forget is the cord. Some flat irons offer swivel cords which allow better styling options like flipping and curling hair with a tangling mess. This also will preserve the length of your flat iron's life. You may also want to keep in mind the length of the cord. Nothing is worse than a short cord. 

Flat Iron Physiology 

So how do flat irons work? Well, flat irons work by breaking down the hydrogen bonds found in the hair's cortex, which cause hair to bend and become curly. The intense heat of a flat iron is key to its effectiveness. When enough heat is applied, the hydrogen bonds are broken and the hair lies straight. 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. I think we all have had that day when our hair was perfectly straight only to walk outside and its raining and your goes to instead frizz ball, yup that's what we are talking about here. Therefore, the curlier the hair, the more heat is required to break up these bonds so the hair can lie flat. The kind of flat iron used also determines how easily the hair will lie down. Low quality flat irons are made of aluminum and sprayed with a ceramic coating. These require longer to straighten the hair. More expensive flat irons are often made of higher quality materials like a higher percentage of ceramic, tourmaline, or titanium which are able to seal in additional moisture that is normally lost in the straightening process, resulting in less split ends and other damage that can be caused due to overheating hair too regularly.

Alright that wasn't too bad was it? Now that we know the features of a flat iron and how they work, I'm a step closer to understanding flat irons better and being able to pick the right one for me. Stay with me folks, I have more learning to do and flat iron to buy!

Flat Iron Adventure Day 1

So here I am at the beginning of my Flat Iron Adventure, as I search for the right flat iron. The very fundamental step in choosing a flat iron is first understanding ones own hair type. The reason I'm not able to easily pick a flat iron is the simple fact that not all flat irons are the same, and although most professional salon flat iron are of high quality they may not work well for all hair types, lengths, and textures. Actually, some flat irons work better when used on hair they were designed for and then consequently don't function as well when used on the wrong type of hair. So here is where my problem presents, I must first understand my hair type and then be able to identify a flat iron that will work more specifically with that hair type. On Day 1 here I will show you how I identified my hair type and how you can do the same!

Hair Length

Ones hair length is important in figuring the flat iron you will need. The effectiveness of a flat iron and time of straightening are all affected by ones hair length. 

Short: short hair is defined as anything from bald to 1 inch below the nape of the neck or above the ear. Thus, hair that frames the face. The ideal flat iron for an individual with short hair would be one with a plate size 1 inch or smaller.

Medium: medium hair is defined as a length that ranges from below the ear to ones shoulders. Thus, hair that frames the head and shoulders. The ideal flat iron for an individual with medium length hair is one with a plate size of 1 inch or larger depending on ones hair volume.

Long: long hair is defined as any length beyond the shoulders. Thus, hair that frames the body. The ideal flat iron for an individual with long hair is similar to that of one with medium hair, a plate size of 1 inch or larger depending on ones hair volume. 

Hair Type/Texture
The first classifier is the curliness or lack of curl to ones hair. This is divided into levels or types of curl and then further divided into subcategories. It is important to understand how much curl your hair has when choosing a flat iron for the purposes of temperature control and plate size.
Type 1: category or type 1 is known as those with straight hair. This hair type can further be divided into specific subtypes Type 1A, Type 1B, Type 1C

• Type 1A is stick straight hair. Hair is soft, thin, and fine with shine.
• Type 1B is straight hair with more body, but no wave. Hair is medium-textured. 
• Type 1C is straight hair with with slight body wave. Hair is thicker, coarser, and the most resistant to curl styling.

Those with Type 1 would benefit from a flat iron with a plate size of 1 inch or less and a temperature of 300° F or less.

Type 2: this category is known as those with wavy hair. This hair type can further be divided into specific subtypes Type 2A, Type 2B, Type 2C

• Type 2A is hair that is slightly wavy or curly. Hair is thin, fine, and easily able to curl or straighten.
• Type 2B is hair that has more curl and the majority of hair is curly. Waves tend to adhere to the shape of the individuals head. Hair is medium-textured.
• Type 2C is hair that tends to frizz easily and be wavy or curly. Hair is thick and fairly coarse. 

Those with Type 2 would benefit from a flat iron with a plate size that ranges from 1-1½  inches and a temperature roughly around 300-380° F.

Type 3: this category is known as those with curly hair. This hair type can further be divided into specific subtypes Type 3A, Type 3B, Type 3C

• Type 3A is hair that has big, loose, and sometimes frizzy curls. Hair is very shinny.
• Type 3B is hair that is bouncy ringlets and looks like a spring. Hair is medium-textured.
• Type 3C is hair that has tight curls that look like springs or corkscrews. Hair is more kinky.

Those with Type 3 would benefit from a flat iron 1½ or larger (smaller if hair is shorter) and a temperature roughly around 300-380° F.

Type 4: this category is known as those with kinky hair. This hair type can further be divided into specific subtypes Type 4A, Type 4B, Type 4C

• Type 4A is hair that is full of tight "S" wave shape or pattern curls.  
• Type 4B is hair that has a less defined curl pattern. Hair is tightly coiled in a bending pattern, much like a "Z" shape.
• Type 4C is hair that is tightly coiled with little or no pattern. Therefore, if you don't fit into Type 4A or 4B you will find yourself in this subtype.

Those with Type 4 would benefit from a flat iron 1½ or larger (smaller if hair is shorter) and a temperature greater than 400° F.

The second classifier that is important to keep in mind when choosing a flat iron is the the volume on ones hair. The thickness or thinness of one hair is primarily determined by the density of ones hair or the amount of hair on ones head. Thus the higher the density the more thick someones hair is and the less the density the less thick ones hair is. The thickness of ones hair is important to understand when choosing a flat iron because thicker hair may require a larger plate size. There are several ways to identify the the thickness of your hair.
Strand Test. The strand test can easily be done by taking a single strand of hair and pulling it in front of you face, so you are able to look at it. If the strand is almost translucent to the light, is thin, fine and feels like silk your hair would be classified as thin. A thin strand is barely felt when rolled between you fingers and if shed is hard to see. If the strand is easily visible and feels coarse and wiry, your hair would be classified as thick. A thick strand is also noticeable felt when rolled between your fingers. Any hair that falls in between these is classified as medium thickness. Medium is neither fine or coarse and is soft and visible on sight. It also is slightly noticeable when rolled in between your fingers, similar to  that of rolling a cotton thread.
Circumference Test. If your are able, pull your hair back into a pony tail. You may wish to use a soft tape measure in order to measure the circumference of your pony tail. A circumference of 2 inches (less than 5 centimeters) is considered thin hair. A circumference of 2-4 inches (5-10 centimeters) is considered medium and more than 4 inches (greater than 10 centimeters) is considered thick hair. Another method, which is a little less reliable is see how many times you can wrap your ponytail holder around your hair. If its just barely wraps 2 times around your hair it is considered thick, if its 4-5 times its considered thin and anywhere in between is considered medium.

Ok, did you learn anything?! I did! I now know I have long, type 2C, medium thick hair. Which in almost every area is right in the middle. Uggh! See my dilemma, but this is good to know. As I continue on my journey for finding the right flat iron for myself this will be a great reference. What hair type are you? Are you curious how your hair type may affect what flat iron will work best for you? Well stay with me everyone, because my journey is far from over. I still have a lot more research to do!!

Flat Iron Adventure

AHHH!! I'm going crazy here! Alright if you found your way to my blog, your are now joining me for one of my biggest adventures. yes, it is to find a new hair straightener/flat iron. For the past few years I have purchased cheap $20.00 flat irons. As you noticed flat iron is plural, that is because I have gone through so many flat irons I have lost count. Being a young girl, it was the belief of my mother that spending a lot of money on a flat iron was a waste. Well come to do the math now, the amount of money I have now spend buying a new $20 flat iron every 6 months or so has added up that I have probably over spent the money I could have used to get a salon style flat iron. My current flat iron that I believe may have lasted me a record year has just died! yup I'm adding it to the old grave yard of cheap flat irons, also known as, the junk yard!! So I'm now on the quest for a new salon style flat iron. My only problem which one should I buy!!!! Follow me on my journey as a research the top flat irons on the market today and investigate which flat irons will work best for my hair type and not break the bank.

Opinions on your favorite flat iron are welcome. If you are in the same position on wondering what flat iron to purchase as well, you can buckle up because we are on the fast road to finding the right flat iron!