Is a Ceramic Tourmaline Flat Iron Better for your Hair?
When it comes to choosing a flat iron for your hair straightening needs, it’s easy to get confused with all of the options out there. The technology has certainly advanced in recent years, and with fancy sounding options like ionic, nano fusion, and far-infrared heat, it can be overwhelming to decide what features you want in your hair straightening iron. Even if you boil it down to the basics, it can be confusing even trying to decide which material you want the plates to be made of. Choices for the plate material include ceramic, titanium, and tourmaline. The options can seem endless. At the end of the day, you’re just looking for silky, straight locks, so what is there to do to achieve this polished perfection?
A Simple Question of Material
Simply put, the material the plate is made of just means that you’re choosing which material you want to contact your hair, infused, of course, with heat, to conduct the straightening effect. Ceramic is a material that is composed primarily of clay. Titanium is a kind of metal. Tourmaline, which is a far less obvious term, is a silicate, precious stone. In essence, the difference between these materials is basically what type of inorganic compound you choose.
True Titanium
Titanium hair straighteners use the lustrous metallic element to deliver an evenly heated surface that is durable and strong. Titanium allows for lightning fast heat transfer, which means that regardless of the condition of your hair, you will get immediate and superior smoothing results. Titanium plates are scratch resistant and won’t be worn down by the high heat. Titanium uses infrared heat and negative ion technology to enhance hydration and shine. Titanium flat irons are the most popular choice for salons, but because of their extremely high heat capabilities, the average home flattener should exercise caution in using one.
Classic Ceramic
Ceramic has long since been the common standby material that is equated with a high-quality hair straightener. It has an excellent reputation in salons and personal bathrooms alike. It is a non-metallic, inorganic material that produces negative ions. It reaches the optimal temperature quickly and delivers an even amount of heat throughout the plates. The highest quality and most expensive ceramic straightening irons boast full ceramic plates.
Surprisingly, the most common ceramic flat irons, such as the ones purchased at drug stores, have plates primarily made of aluminum or titanium plates, with a ceramic coating. This can still make for a high-performance product, but after a while the ceramic coating may start to wear away, causing the non-ceramic plate to be exposed and leading to things like uneven heating, snagging, and even heat damaged hair. Ceramic tends to diffuse heat, sealing the hair cuticle for smooth straightening without worry of frizzy ends. The absence of the ceramic coating leaves room for problems.
Enter Tourmaline
The newest gold standard in flat iron technology is tourmaline. This crystalline mineral is produced organically and coats already amazing ceramic plates with a smooth, beautiful material. Tourmaline is a precious gemstone, but in flat irons, it’s also a gem because it uses up to twenty times more negative ions than plain old ceramic alone. Its infusion can produce silkier, straighter hair than you’ve ever imagined possible, outputting the highest amount of negative ions for alarming levels of shine and smoothness in your strands. The negative ions of the material contact the positive ions of your hair, neutralizing it and resulting in a positively glossy shine with not a frizz to be found.
The sheer amount of negative ions locks the natural oils and moisture into your hair, closing the cuticle as it passes over it and leaving your hair the envy of all the hair in all of the shampoo commercials. The best thing about tourmaline is that dry, damaged hair can’t even stop these results. The specialized ion technology protects the most delicate of locks from repeated heat exposure, even if you straighten your hair daily.
The fact that tourmaline-infused plates generate infrared heat means that static will become a regrettable part of your past, leaving behind bouncy, smooth tresses. The plates are exceptionally smooth, with zero tension or risk of snagging your ends no matter how split they may be. These plates will not snap off any hair.
Is Tourmaline My Dream Machine?
Tourmaline-infused plates are the best for anyone who has thin or coarse hair, damaged hair, chemically treated or over-processed hair, or who straightens their hair frequently. Of course, they are also excellent for those with normal, healthy hair. The number one reason that we love ceramic tourmaline flat irons so much is that they are fantastic for any hair, and of course, because they leave us feeling beautiful and looking breathtaking.