Thursday 6th November,2008

Hair straighteners, which can also be referred to as hair tongs, hair irons or flat irons, are used to alter the structure of the hair. Despite being called straightening irons, they can be used to both straighten and curl the hair.

It is the hydrogen bonds found in the hair's cortex which cause hair to bend and become curly. Hair straighteners break these bonds down, which is what stops the hair from holding its usual curly form. These bonds may however re-form if exposed to moisture.

The earliest sign of a hair straightener came in 1872, when a man named Marcel Grateu used heated rods to straighten or style hair. He went on to create a hair straightener that comprised metallic teeth that are combed through the hair, this was patented in 1906.

This was followed by a hair straightener composed of two flat irons that are heated and pressed together, which was patented in 1909 by Isaac K. Shero. It wasn’t until 1912 when a Scottish heiress named Lady Jennifer Bell Schofield merged the two previous ideas and came up with what we know as a hair straightener today, the hinged, two plated heated iron.

Years later Sharrell invented a hot metal straightener that slid easily through the hair, and caused less damage and dryness than any of the previously-used techniques. Since then, hair straighteners have come a long way due to the development of electrical straighteners and ceramic technology which has allowed for the heat setting to be adjusted and the size of the straightener altered.

The most important feature of a straightener is the plates, the quality of which is vital. The higher the quality the more effective they are and the less damage they cause. Ceramic or tourmaline plates are effective due to the speed at which they heat up (around 10-15 seconds) and the consistency of their heat. Less expensive units often have a cheap paint-like coating, which gives the appearance of ceramic plating, but in reality will wear off very quickly and cause more damage to the hair.

There is no avoiding the fact that hair straighteners will damage your hair, especially when used daily. They can cause both heat damage and mechanical damage. There is no avoiding the heat damage, due to the fact that the higher the temperature of the straightener the more effective they are. However mechanical damage may be lessened by ceramic or tourmaline plates as they are smoother, whereas plates that are covered in cheaper materials will wear off and as they do so, the levels of mechanical damage will increase.

Many modern hair straightener companies use ionic and infra red technology which will protect the hair, as this technology seals in moisture and oils to reduce static and frizz.

Straighteners can cause varying amounts of damage, such as causing hair to become brittle and prone to breakage, thinning of the hair shaft and also split ends, the type of damage caused will depend on the hair type and the frequency of use. Generally, extensive damage will leave the hair looking dry in appearance and will ultimately be unhealthy in appearance.

The popularity of straighteners in recent years, and the growth in people with damaged hair as a result, has prompted many companies have began to introduce heat protection ranges which aim to reduce the amount of damage that is caused, these come in the form of sprays, shampoos and creams.