Straightening / Flat Irons

[iChelle]

i had the T3 for a year and i just got the ghd which i think is even better! get one!

 

[Avant Garde]

I have thick, straight, and coarse hair and I have been contemplating buying the 85.00 solia or the 195.00 GHD. I am willing to pay extra for the ghd if there really is a quality difference between the two, but I have never tried either of those straighters.

Does anyone have any experience using the ghd and a lower priced straightener? Did you notice a significance difference in quality? Thanks

 

[mousquerader]

Now that I think about it, I won't rule out the Sedu. How does the Solia compare to the Sedu? Is the Sedu worth the price difference?

I was going to get the Sedu, too, but I got the Solia instead because I hear it's just like the Sedu only it has more temperature settings, is lighter, and of course, cheaper. It works really well on my thick, wavy hair. My sister has curlier hair than me and it works on her, too.

My only complaint is that I ordered the Solia from folica.com and I think they sold me a defective flat iron because the light doesn't come on when I try to use the temperature settings below 230 degrees... :/ I don't really feel like going through the trouble of returning it just for that, though, since I use the higher heat settings anyway, but still... Still, I am very pissed off at folica.com. I seem to always have bad experiences with them, but this was the only place I could order the Solia besides amazon.com where it was constantly being sold out.

 

[iChelle]

avant garde,
I had the T3 flat iron for a year and I thought that was good until I tried the GHD. I'm a believer! I can't say enough good things about it and every review I've read is stellar.

 

[Avant Garde]

avant garde,
I had the T3 flat iron for a year and I thought that was good until I tried the GHD. I'm a believer! I can't say enough good things about it and every review I've read is stellar.

Thanks for replying! Do you know the difference between the ghd hairstyling iron (195.00) and the ghd styler (240.00)? They seem the same to be except the styler says it doesn't only curl and straighten, but waves and twists as well. It seems to me though that the 195.00 iron could do the same thing. Any thoughts?

 

[gius]

my sis and i were at the mall today and some guy came up to us with a straightening iron.. all i can say is, those ceramic ones are definitely the best the metal will frizz/burn your hair.. but maybe you are all already experts

 

[iChelle]

can you all educate me on a question?

i keep hearing from the stylist who sold me the GHD that i can use it as many times as i want and my hair will not get damaged. i know it sounds too good to be true though...your thoughts on this?

 

[Guessgirl96]

Good hair irons dont damage your hair as much, and protectors help further but I dont believe for a second that heating your hair up to 400 degree F every day wont damage it.

 

[iChelle]

that was my guess too =\

 

[iChelle]

Thanks for replying! Do you know the difference between the ghd hairstyling iron (195.00) and the ghd styler (240.00)? They seem the same to be except the styler says it doesn't only curl and straighten, but waves and twists as well. It seems to me though that the 195.00 iron could do the same thing. Any thoughts?

Yes. The GHD styler is very slightly wider and the barrel is a bit more rounded to give fuller curls. Both can do waves, twists, turns, pirouettes, tango, etc.
Sorry. Anyway, on the high end model, there is also an auto shut off feature and a beep indicator when the unit is ready to use (which only takes about 30 seconds). It is also dual voltage which is good for travel use.

 

[pavement]

If you use heat styling tools regularly, don't forget to check if your hair needs more protein. (I just did a treatment today, and my hair feels so strong. )

I almost bought a new flat iron, but then I went to the Long Hair Community and they scared me away from it. I'm very concerned about the damage. But maybe with better technology and heat protection, it's not as bad as they say it is if you use it sparingly.

 

[iChelle]

how do you check if your hair needs more protein?

 

[Avant Garde]

Yes. The GHD styler is very slightly wider and the barrel is a bit more rounded to give fuller curls. Both can do waves, twists, turns, pirouettes, tango, etc.
Sorry. Anyway, on the high end model, there is also an auto shut off feature and a beep indicator when the unit is ready to use (which only takes about 30 seconds). It is also dual voltage which is good for travel use.

Thanks again for pointing out the differences I wasn't really sure at first.

 

[DandyWarhol]

i used to straighten my hair like every day but i stopped because i dont want to end up with a head of dead hair.
just rememeber to use a protecting spray/serum.

 

[iChelle]

here's another question. what's in a protecting spray/serum that shields the hair against heat damage? my previous stylist used phytolisse anti frizz serum on my hair prior to flat ironing, but the purpose stated on the bottle didn't say it was a heat protectant, it was just anti frizz =\

 

[pavement]

how do you check if your hair needs more protein?

I found this very helpful. http://p069.ezboard.com/fblackbeautyblackhair86911frm13.showMessage?topicID=652.topic

You just have to pay attention to how much breakage you're heaving when brushing or styling. But this page explains how you know what the breakage is from. You may need more moisture, but I think most people pay enough attention to that. If you color or use heat on your hair, extra protein is necessary.

here's another question. what's in a protecting spray/serum that shields the hair against heat damage? my previous stylist used phytolisse anti frizz serum on my hair prior to flat ironing, but the purpose stated on the bottle didn't say it was a heat protectant, it was just anti frizz =\

I think it's just the silicones that protect your hair. They seal in and out moisture, so they also smooth frizz.

If the products your using have some of the "stickier" silicones in them, you need to clarify with a somewhat harsh detergent (in shampoos) or the silicones will start to dry out your hair. (I can't go a day without clarifying.) This is another thing that keeps me away from heat styling. It's just an endless battle of stripping and restoring, which becomes excessive on long hair.

 

[Guessgirl96]

ichelle, I love kerastase. I dont think they have anything just for protection but all of thei styling products protect your hair as well.

 

[eunhe]

iChelle - what was it about T3 that made you dislike it after a year? You can curl hair like that with T3 too, as a matter of fact, i do it all the time (t3 first came up with this technique)

I had been thinking about trying GHD too, but tried it out and realized that there's no real difference to T3. Also, the technologic claims that they make are baseless...

 

[gmj425]

I heard there is a product name Badhair or something..
& I'm planning to buy one, BUT I just can't remember the exact product name..
Can anyone please tell me the name (or company name whatever helps to find...)?
thanks in advance!

 

[cinechrome]

I've had my HAI straightener for 4 years and use it all the time. I use a water-based product before I straighten. The stylist just told me that I need to use something so that the iron will burn the layer of product off instead of burning my hair. And, to stay away from alcohol-based products. Sounds logical, I guess? Seems to work though, since the they tell me my hair is healthy when I go to get it cut. I also use lotion in my hair afterwards. I don't know if that's bad, but it seems to work great.