Whatever anyone says, the main instinct of a woman at all times was the instinct to be beautiful. That is why little girls, having barely learned to walk, enthusiastically examine their reflection in the mirror, and sometimes, imitating their mother, paint their lips with lipstick accidentally left unattended with clumsy movements. At the same time, every elderly woman, regardless of her life circumstances, at least once a day will stop in front of a mirror for a moment, if only to straighten a naughty strand of hair that has come out from under a headscarf.
In different centuries there were completely different standards of beauty, but well-groomed women with beautiful neat hair were always in fashion. But in most countries, married women often had to hide their luxurious strands under various headdresses. However, with the beginning of the twentieth century, this tradition gradually began to go out of fashion, and now women needed to devote more time to their hair in order for it to look proper. It was during this time of intricate hair braiding, curling irons and short haircuts that another revolutionary device appeared.hair straightener.
History of Hair Straighteners
The idea of creating a device that can turn curly hair into straight hair has existed for a long time.
However, the first to create a more or less working prototype was Simon Monroe. It was he who in 1906 patented his invention for hair - a straightener. Monroe's prototype was massive and consisted of several metal prongs, with which the hair was combed and straightened in the process.
The next operating version of this device was the Isaac K. Shero rectifier. It was more modern than its predecessor, and consisted of two heated irons, between which the hair was pinched.
Over the years, Shero's invention has been improved and reduced in size. Soon they began to use electricity for heating - this is how the electric hair straightener appeared. And after that, pretty soon, electric household hair straighteners became available to all women in the world.
Compared to European countries, hair straighteners came to Russia relatively recently, but despite this, they soon became incredibly popular, and today every woman’s arsenal will definitely have a hair straightener, or, as it is also called, iron.
How hair straightener works
Hair straightening under the action of an iron occurs due to the fact that during the heating process, hydrogen molecules evaporate from the hair follicle. Howeverthis effect is not permanent as once exposed to moisture, the hair returns to its natural shape.
Like permanent waving, there is also permanent hair straightening. The straightener in this case is a special chemical preparation that penetrates deep into the hair and changes its structure. And although the effect of this procedure is longer than using an iron, it has a number of contraindications, causes serious damage to the hair, can cause allergies and is contraindicated for pregnant women. At the same time, the straightener is more gentle on the hair and, if used correctly, has no contraindications.
Basic rules for using straighteners
Any thermal or chemical effect on the hair is traumatic for them, but with proper care, serious damage can be avoided. Therefore, before considering the most popular types of rectifiers, it is worth remembering the basic rules for using any such device.
1) Even the most modern hair straightener, if used too often, can harm curls. Therefore, you can use it no more than twice a week.
2) When using any heating device for hair - a straightener, curling iron or something else, you must definitely use specialized thermal protection. It can be various sprays, thermal balms or emulsions. Such products must necessarily indicate that they are intended to protect hair when using a flat iron.
3)who constantly straightens their hair, you need to take better care of them: make moisturizing masks, use specialized balms.
4) When straightening, for the best effect, the width of the straightened strand should not exceed 3 cm. It is better to start straightening from the hair at the back of the head, gradually moving towards the temples.
5) The optimal temperature for straightening hair is 130 degrees, however, the hair at the temples is usually coarser, so you can increase the temperature of the device to smooth it.
6) Straighten hair you need to gradually, moving the device along the strand sandwiched between the two plates from roots to ends. At the same time, it is highly undesirable to linger on one section of the hair.
7) Dyed and damaged hair is leveled at a lower temperature, about 110 degrees.8) After the straightening procedure, the hair must be allowed to cool and rest, but only then comb them.
Babyliss hair straightener
Today, Babyliss is known worldwide for its quality hair care products. Irons of this brand are classified as professional.
First of all, this is due to the coating. Almost all modern Babyliss models have ceramic or tourmaline coated plates (sometimes with an ionizing effect), all this allows you to use them up to four times a week. Each Babyliss hair straightener is equipped with an adjustable temperature sensor, as well as a convenient swivel cord. In addition, the irons of this company are extremelylight, which allows you to not get tired hands in the process of straightening hair.
Some Babyliss irons have shirring heads, while others have a unique slightly rounded plate shape that allows you to use the Babyliss also for curling without changing heads. You can buy rectifiers from this company at a price of 3,000 rubles.
Remington hair straightener
Remington hair straighteners are also very popular among women. First of all, this is facilitated by the functionality of the devices of this brand, as well as their reliability. So, once purchased, a Remington hair straightener will serve its owner for many years.
Most models of this brand, in addition to the traditional adjustable temperature sensor, are equipped with automatic shutdown, which makes them not only safer for hair, but also indispensable for those who tend to forget to unplug appliances.
Modern Remington irons have a ceramic coating, although some models are coated with Teflon, which perfectly protects hair from damage. The cost of these devices starts from 4 thousand rubles.
Philips hair straightener
Famous home appliance manufacturer Philips also has a variety of irons.
It is worth noting that this company produces both householdhair straighteners and professional.
Among Philips products, there are four types of hair straightening devices:
- Philips hair straightener with a sensor that checks the condition of the curl, Moisture Protect. This is one of the brand's newest irons.
- Professional hair straightening devices. They are usually more expensive than household ones because their plates are titanium coated, allowing them to retain their benefits even with frequent use.
- Ionic irons.
- Ceramic plate rectifiers.
A nice feature of most irons from this manufacturer is that they are equipped with special covers with a thermal coating inside, which allows you to put even a not completely cooled device into it. The price of models from this manufacturer is from 2 thousand rubles.
Comb hair straightener
Most recently, another device has appeared - a comb-straightener for hair. Despite its youth, this device is rapidly gaining popularity among customers.
That's why most of the famous hair care device manufacturers, as well as unknown Chinese firms, actively include it in their product lines. The device itself is quite simple. This is an electric comb with metal teeth, on the tips of which there are protective rubber bands. The hair straightener comb, like the iron, is equipped with a temperature sensor and a temperature controller. It's pretty easy to use:you need to connect the device to the network, set the desired temperature and, combing your hair, straighten it. Those who have already tried this device note that it perfectly straightens hair, combing it at the same time. But this only applies to slightly curly hair. And for a fuller head of hair, this comb-straightener, unfortunately, can do little. In any case, this device has already proved its practicality, and has found and continues to find its adherents.
Hybrid hair straighteners
It is also worth noting that almost every manufacturer of hair straighteners has a so-called hybrid model. They can be used to straighten hair, curl it, and create smooth, elegant waves.
Usually all hybrid irons can be divided into two types:1. Straightener with interchangeable nozzles.
2. Straightener with curl function.
Hybrid straightener is convenient for those beauties who do not like to have multiple devices, preferring to have one multifunctional one.
Most common surface finishes on hair straighteners
The first hair straighteners were heated by fire, which is why their operating plates were made of metal, which damaged the hair quite badly. Now, thanks to advances in science, metal plates are a thing of the past.
Today coating of rectifiers forhair can be almost anything. Ceramic is most often used, it is safe, relatively inexpensive and shows itself perfectly in budget models of irons. More expensive or professional straighteners (designed for permanent use) most often have a different coating, it can be Teflon, titanium, tourmaline or even marble. Plates with a similar coating are safer for hair, durable and more wear-resistant, but they require more thorough care than ceramic plates.
Hair straightener prices and reviews
Today, there is a huge variety of hair straighteners on the market. Those who wish to purchase them have not only a huge selection of models and types of coverage, but also different prices. Very often, more well-known companies inflate the cost of their products. With a little searching, you can find a similar hair straightener from a less well-known and advertised manufacturer, the price of which will be significantly lower. However, it should be borne in mind that if the price difference is too large, then the product is an outright fake, which may not have all the declared qualities.
In any case, it is worth buying hair straighteners only from trusted manufacturers, because only in this case you can be sure of the quality of the goods. In addition, almost every serious company has budget models that are not inferior in quality to expensive ones, but have more modest characteristics.
Most of the fair sex,regular users of hair straighteners have their own preferences. They all agree that if finances allow, then it is worth buying irons from such well-known companies with many years of experience as Philips, Remington, Babyliss, Braun or Rowenta. The products of these companies have proven themselves well for many years.
There are also lesser known manufacturers such as Vitek, Gama, Scarlett. Their straighteners are cheaper, but many customers note that they are not always as good as well-known brand irons with the same characteristics. For those who forget the old saying "the miser pays twice", there are Chinese straighteners firms that can be ordered from China at a very low price. According to the reviews of those who took the risk, the rectifiers of these manufacturers can be either of acceptable quality or frankly bad, in a word, as lucky.
Just a few decades ago, few people in our country knew what kind of hair straightener it was. Fortunately, this is all in the distant past, and now this convenient and practical device is on the must-have list of every woman who takes care of herself.
