Hair Type
Knowing your hair type can be the difference between damaged and healthy Heat styling. Hair falls on all points of the spectrum and can be fine or coarse and even sometimes in between. Fine hair is more delicate and higher heat can cause more harm than good. While coarse hair tends to need a higher heat to be straightened or curled.A simple way to determine where your hair is on the spectrum is to take a single hair and run it between your fingers; if you can feel it then your hair is more on the coarse side but if you barely feel it, your hair is more on the finer side.
Temperature
You know if your hair is coarse or fine, and the general idea of the type of heat it will take to straighten it. Generally, coarse hair will need a higher temperature to straighten while finer hair straightens at a lower temperature. So you want a flat iron that has controls where you can decide the temperature you’d like to work with.Ceramic or Titanium
It all comes back to knowing your hair type. Titanium heats up faster and holds a higher temperature with more stability and consistency, which is preferred for coarse hair. Ceramic heats up slower than titanium but can be used on all hair types with a gentler touch.Plate Size
The wider the plate, the faster your flat iron time because more hair is being straightened at once. Generally wider plates are better for longer and more coarse hair as well. Smaller plates do result in a slower flat iron time but can be used on all hair types and still get the job done.
Style Goals
Your end goal will determine what type of flat iron you'll want to purchase. If you want the option to curl with your flat iron a beveled edge flat iron is a good choice. If you simply want to straighten and nothing else then a straight edge flat iron will be more your speed.Finding the right flat iron for your needs can seem pretty overwhelming but when you keep these things in mind, you’ll find the flat iron your hair has been missing in no time.