Advise on Flat Irons

My daughter is also 13 and she has a really good one that was only $40 at Target! It's a ceramic one and it's by Remington TStudio. Her hair gets really straight quickly, and it's really shiny. Her friends always compliment her on her hair. I think the ceramic ones work good, because we had a cheap one before this one and it barely worked.

The Babyliss brands are all great and start at $100 for the thin 1 inch. I use it and have recommended it for several teen girls who love it. I got mine from www.folica.com as salons use them and they are not typically sold in stores. Shipping is free right now I think... there are also other brands to explore on the site.

Hope that helps!

M.
www.candle4me.com

I am a hairstylist in Huntington Beach and my salon loves the Chi flat iron. They are expensive but the investment is worth it. It will last a lot longer than the cheap ones you buy at target etc. As long as she uses it properly and uses a heat protectant product before you will love this flat iron. Hope this helps.

my daughter got one at target last year after christmas. it is by conair and is called the nano silver. (it is slinder and white on the outside. it also came with a storage bag that can be use while still hot.) it has several heat settings and heats up quickly. it was under $100 and works better than any other we have had. i have curly hair and she has thick wavy hair. we have been really happy with it and it is still working great after almost a year.

My advice is to visit a local beauty supply store, they tend to carry high quality ceramic flat irons regardless of the brand. You may be lucky and hit a Christmas sale - Good luck!

i highly recommend the brand Chi-they make the iron out of ceramic material instead of metal and it is much better on your hair. it works fabulously as well. i would say a small to medium sized paddle would be just right, it's easier to handle and use on all lengths of hair.

You've received some good advice so far! I would suggest also a ceramic flat iron and not an imitation. I've purchased one for my daughter as well. I chose the one inch HAI as it has a thermostat control. I have one myself and love it. The thermostat is highly important to me because a flat iron can really burn your hair and dry it out if you're using too high a temperature. The thicker the hair the more heat you can tolerate. I bought mine online from http://www.beautybasicsupply.com/. I would also suggest not using it every day. Merry Christmas!

I am a flat iron queen (unfortunately for me). I am on my third, and I suggest highly that you go to www.folica.com
There are TONS of reviews on all of the good ones and the best deals as well. I read and read for 3rd and ended up with the Sedu. As long as they have a solid ceramic plate (not just coated like my 2nd that wore off) you are good. I am sure they are running free shipping and specials now too.
Make sure you get one around 1" or less. I accidentally ordered the 2" which was huge and hard to work with to produce curls and flips at the bottoms.
DO NOT buy a cheapo, like Conair or those. We went on a ski trip and I forgot mine, so I stopped at Target and got a $24 one, it was horrible!

I've tried a lot of different ones.. ugghh.. but the best one I can suggest is the brand "CHI" which I got from bed bath and beyond. It runs about $170.. and is the same one my hair stylist uses. If you do get it from bed bath and beyond, there are always those 20% off coupons they mail out, and if you are EVER dissatisfied you can always return it even after using it. This has damaged my hair less than every other flat iron I've used, not to say it hasn't at all. The thinner one (I think 1 in) works better than the wider 2in one just to let you know. Good luck !!!

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&...

Hi if u want a good flat iron buy her the "Chi" flat iron i personally have one and love it just make sure that you also buy a leave in treatment for her hair so it can stay and look shiny.........I know this cuz I used to do hair.........I only do make-up now.......

Nano Titanium by Babaliss Pro from conair.

Ajustable temp, when you clamp it to gether out side are hot and can work like a clurling iron. It stands up to professional daily use. My girlfriend works in a salon and likes this flat iron.

I love my HAI. I got it on ebay for around $50. This is my second flat iron. My first was a cheaper one from target. I really notice the difference!

I just got a FABULOUS one from my Salon. Its from "ghd" (www.ghdhair.com) I got the hot pink one and $15 from the purchase goes to the Young Survival Coalition. Its got advanced ceramic heaters and aluminum plates. Its got a rounded barrel so you can flat iron AND do curls. If the styler hasn't been used in 30 minutes, the heaters turn off and the styler goes into sleep mode (in case your teen forgets to turn it off!) Its got universal voltage so if you travel abroad, you don't need a conversion kit. Its also has a "shiver mode." Internal condensation can damage stylers. So when the room temperature is below 41 degrees, the styler will shut down to protect itself until the temperature rises again.

The bad news is it retails for $299. The great news is I just got mine for $199. It comes in hot pink or white. It has a special case (so you can store it when its still hot,) an instructional dvd, and a 2 year warranty. I LOVE mine!

I have tried all of the flat irons under $40. I have extremely curly hair. The only one that I have bought and absolutely love is the Chi. I know it's expensive, but I've had mine for over 4 years. I don't recall exactly how much I spent but it was between $100 and $150. I was really hesitant about spending that much money, but I figured I've spent a whole lot more trying out the less expensive ones that don't work. I love the Chi, and recommend it to anyone.

Chi iron....mine was $140.00, on sale for $100.00...haven't had a bad hair day since. So worth it!!!!

I would go to the website folica.com they have MANY different brands and reviews. It depends on what kind of hair your daughter has, my friend only has a wave perm and she can use the cheapo irons from Target on her thin, shorter hair. I however have thick, wild, frizzy, curly hair (and it's about 6 inches past my shoulders) so I need something a lot different than her. It only takes me about 30 to 45 mins to do my hair and I wash every other day so the 2nd day is easier I just go over to style. I know a lot of people like smaller 1 inch plates by mine is 2 inches and that's all I can use, the 1 inch plates are too small. I also recommend something with a temperature control, I use a high temp for my hair but that temp would easily break thinner hair. Chi, Hai and Sedu are all good products I have used but you may find something that suits her in a different brand. I also still use my Hot Tools which straightens my hair in no time flat, they're cheaper and don't last as long (a little piece of plastic always comes off in the corner, but the irons work forever. I have a few of them still for backup!!) but it was my first iron as a teenager from my aunt and I still never go wrong with it. One more thing, I do NOT recommend any iron that is wet to dry straightener they don't work, I am not sure why people rave about them!!! Hope that helps :)

S.,
I've used both ceramic and tourmaline types of flat irons. Salon quality, as my sister is a stylist. I would highly recommend the tourmaline. I have very thick hair that you can do just about anything to and the ceramic chi tended to dry it out, while the tourmaline makes it shiny and soft. The brand of my flat iron is iTech and it's around $150 to $200. I like it and it works great, but I don't use it every day. I would suggest you go the site recommended by another user and read reviews of the tourmaline ones there.
Good Luck!
T.

Greeting I have the chi and the bionic they both are great you could also try the mall right now they are doing sales at the kiasks and maybe you can go there and get a better deal. To get a chi or bionic you are looking retail at 129-179 so i would check the mall.

S.

I have a flat iron that is salon quality. My sister-in-law is a hair stylist and she picked it out for me. It's by the brand name "ghd" and I think it runs a tad bit over $200. If you want some other really great flat iron's I would suggest asking your hair stylist since they usually know the best brands for what you are willing to spend. The flat iron I have works wonderfully with my hair. My hair tends to be a bit frizzy and very wavy. My flat iron doesn't burn my hair or leave it dry. In fact it leaves it very smooth and brings out the shine. Good luck = )! Hope you find what you are looking for!

You have some great advise I have the Paul Mitchell one I payed for it $125.00 on ebay but the original cost is like $195.00 I've had it for over 2 years now and it's still great
http://cgi.ebay.com/Paul-Mitchell-Flat-Iron-GREEN-SMOOTHI....

I found the same one on e-bay for you.

Great gift bye the way
Marry Christmas to you and your family!

I think the CHI brand is the best. But whatever brand you buy, just make sure it is a ceramic one. Those are the best for protecting your hair from getting burnt and dried out. I think I have either the 3/4 1 inch wide one.

well buy her the flat iron, see how long it takes to dry her hair out and break it, no flat iron is safe from the heat damage it does on the hair, does she really have time to use the flat iron, it does take about 1 1/2 hrs to do a whole head, maybe longer with a young girl doing it.. paying over 100.00 you should pay something like under 30.00 this way it doesnt matter it it gets ruined.

I recently saw a woman on the Today show rave about the Remington wet to dry flat iron - and it's only 29.99! You can probably look it up on their website.

CHI is the best...also the most expensive but it does a wonderful job and doesn't snag hair. Make sure you teach her how to use it because it gets extremely hot and can fry her hair if used too much, or burn her skin. CHI also makes a spray called Iron Guard to use pre-ironing to help reduce damage.

I have a really nice one that I purchased from a beauty supply company over the internet. It is small (1/2 inches wide) and is made by a company called Solia. It is a professional flat iron and has ceramic plates. The model number is ST034. Hope this helps.

I also have the CHI flat 1 inch iron and I love it! However, I have had mine for almost 2 years and from what I hear from others, their quality has gone down a bit in the last year or so. They are still a great flat iron, though. They come in a million different colors and are all on sale at Ulta right now.

My hairdresser actually uses the GHD brand iron that another poster suggested and she raves about it. She had bought a new CHI and took it back and got the GHD instead. I don't know much about it other than that she loves it. Good luck!

I really like the one I got in the mall at a kiosk. We're not in the same area, but I'm sure you can find them in yours. It's called Her Styler and I think it cost $120.
Good luck,
S.

I got my first flat iron from Folica.com. They have very reasonable prices and usually give a free gift with purchase. I learned the key to a flat iron is heat (I have extremly curly hair so the hotter the better for me) and the size (my hair is long & thick so I use a 2+ inch plate). The CHI brand is a good one for the price.

Hope this helps! Good luck

For caucasian curly hair, I would say that regardless of brand, get one that is 1 inch wide or LESS....that can heat up to between 475-600 degrees....and has a beveled edge.

The small width is MORE than ample enough to put the gloss & smooth in (most of the work is done with a hair dryer before then, although I swear by my flat iron), and it allows two things:
- Getting close to the scalp
- Adding flip, curl, arc, or perfect straightening depending on your mood

The heat lets you move quickly and efficently... and keep it on HIGH. Lower heat takes longer and damages your hair more.

The beveled edge keeps you from breaking hairs (and from accidentally putting 90 degree corners in your hair if you get surprised by something and turn your head ;).

I've used one for years and years now (ever since I learned how to blow out my ringlet-type, near ethnic, hair) and the name brands, for me aren't worth it. I buy (the industrial version!) the generic black with gold plate kind used by salons from a local beauty supply store that sells to the public. Around 70 bucks. They last with no problem for about 3-7 years.

Other great products:

Kerastase Oleo Relax Serum : Smells great, adds shine and softness, helps protect from the damp, and lasts for about 2 months being used every day. (Good thing, darn little bottles cost 30 bucks)

My hairdresser uses the Hai Convertable. When I wanted to buy she told me best price she found was on Folica.com. I have had mine for a least a couple of years. It still works just like it did on day 1 and came with a travel pouch that you can pack the iron in while it is still warm. I think I paid around $80 and I have recommended it to most of my friends. Hope you and your family have a great Christmas!

Hi S.. I guess it really depends on your daughter's hair type. My hair is really thick, curly, and frizzy. I've tried a lot of flat irons, but only the CHI gave me the sleek straight look I wanted. Here are a few sites I found for you where the CHI is under $100:
http://sassyfashionbags.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=3378476
http://www.amazon.com/Farouk-CHI-Inch-Ceramic-Hairstyling...
http://www.folica.com/CHI_Ceramic_Fla_d1.html?s_cid=fgl_A...

I have a CHI - expensive but have had it for years and LOVE IT! :)
Good luck!