Flat Irons

[WDWorBUST]

AACCKK! Those things are ridiculous. I got a Conair one years ago I've used a handful of times. However I've cut my hair shorter and need a smaller one and the one I have isn't exactly a "quality" one. I had my hair cut last weekend and styled and the stylist used a flat iron on it and I LOVED it. However I have so much grey I keep my hair colored which dries it out so I want to invest in a better one this time. I researched them online and for the things they suggest looking for they are big bucks. I went to Ulta and found one and thought I was happy. Came home and read the reviews only to discover I had managed to buy one that didn't have adjustable heat which since I have shorter fine hair is necessary. Oh...and the one I finally settled on was $80 - the next one up that had the PTFC heater instead of the PTC heater (I have no idea what the difference is....my research just said PTFC was the "best") but it was $160. Well it also had adjustable heat which I thought the one I was getting had to. I'm willing to give on the type of heater (I think) - but being able to turn it down so I don't totally kill my hair is very important. Help me find a good flat iron that doesn't totally break the bank. I really liked the way my hair turned out or I wouldn't even be considering spending the much on a styling tool. Any suggestions? I am using Christmas/birthday money I had put up....but I still don't really want to spend $160 on a styling tool.

 

[southernbelle5672]

ULTA is a really expensive place to buy flat irons. I got mine at Sally. This week I saw that Target has a Chi flat iron on sale for $100. My hair stylist swears by the Chi and I have heard many other people say the same thing. They are so popular that they are hard to fine. I personally use the jilbere de paris tourmaline series. It was a little cheaper ... maybe like $70 and works just fine for me. It has the heat settings. I got it at Sally.

Also, since I mentioned that ULTA is an expensive place to buy flat irons I also want to caution you that many flat irons do not have a warranty if they are bought online. Most others have at least a one year warranty.

 

[katierae81]

Okay...I know this is expensive, but the flat iron that I have was $120. It is a Chi. I have had it for at least 4 years now and it still works like day one. i too have had a few other flat irons, each lasting a MAX of one year. This one is gold plated, which is good for your hair. It does not have adjustable heat, but from what I understand self adjusts. I have used it on my hair when used to get highlights, and it still comes out shiny and smooth. I would also suggest getting a product called Biosilk...again a relatively expensive product ($20-30 for a lg bottle), but again the large bottle lasted me two years as you only use a couple drops. Luckily my mom works at a salon and gets discounts, otherwise I would still be getting a cheap new iron every year. Sorry if this was long and to much info...but I hope it helps .

 

[Jenny-momof3]

Target has the CHI iron on sale this week!

I have very long curly hair... this thing flattens it like no other can!!

 

[mommytomy3]

I love, love, my Sedu!
I bought it here; http://www.folica.com/Sedu_Revolution_d2880.html

 

[WDWorBUST]

My lack of patience and the fact that I wanted it today led me to Ulta.....which of course bit me on the butt The one I got was actually on sale and after looking online was actually less expensive at Ulta than what I was finding it online (I expected to have paid $10 or so more). I actually just expected them to have a bigger selection...which they really didn't. I have heard about the Chi a lot - and the Sedu has really good ratings online. I actually looked at Sally last week when I was still trying to use my old one (that really didn't work for me) - I probably really need to go back to Sally and look and I might just end up with the Chi from Target. For those of you who flat iron your hair - how long does it take? I tend to be a blow dry and go kinda girl....but I just LOVE how smooth and silky my hair felt after it was flat ironed....and it just looked so "styled". And stayed looking good even throughout mowing the lawn I just would rather go ahead and spend the money now and it work good and hopefully last instead of $30-$50 over and over. The one I currently have has been used maybe a handful of times and will be going in the old garage sale here in a few weeks.

Oh and I did get some heat protection spray of some kind too.....it was Paul Mitchell and I just got the little bottle to make sure I liked it before spending $16 for a bigger bottle. Any additional product recommendations would be appreciated too.

 

[omghidanielle]

Get a Chi.

You'll pay just as much getting a Conair and then having to get another one a year later....and then another one...

You will be this happy -

 

[WDWorBUST]

Anyone that has a chi....have you bought it at Target? I'm reading the reviews and it appears that they go out quickly and there is a post saying they aren't the real "chi"......they all say they straighten well though.

Oh....and they say Farouk (sp?) will not honor the warranty when it's purchased from Target.

 

[southernbelle5672]

It usually only takes me about 10-15 minutes to flat iron my hair. That being said, I have relatively short hair that isn't very thick at all. However, it is VERY wavy and curly. I have to use the highest heat setting to get it to straighten right.

 

[bittersk]

If you go to sallys you can get their GVP that is like the Chi. It does have the adjustable heat setting unlike some of the chi's. We got one for my sister with a 2 year warrenty for around $70. My hair dresser swears by it. She said it is better then the Chi because you can change the heat. Good luck!!!

 

[lauradenise4779]

If you go to sallys you can get their GVP that is like the Chi. It does have the adjustable heat setting unlike some of the chi's. We got one for my sister with a 2 year warrenty for around $70. My hair dresser swears by it. She said it is better then the Chi because you can change the heat. Good luck!!!

I have a CHI, which I love, but it doesnt have a heat adjustment.

My mom has a GVP, with a heat adjustment, and her GVP straightens my hair just as well as my CHI. Her stylist recommended it, and she's had it for almost 2 years and uses it daily with no problems.

 

[monana]

I love my CHI ultra, (the red one). I've had mines for 5 years now and it's awesome. My hair in the humidity ALWAYS will curl or frizz up. However when I use my CHI I dont have that issue, unless of course it just rains. I say it's a great investment. It's better then buying all the 20 dollar ones at walmart or what not. Those tend to break easily.

 

[WDWorBUST]

Thanks for all the help. I ended up scouring everywhere online and sent DH after the Remington professional at Walmart for $40. The reviews were extremely favorable and many compared it to a chi from personal experience. The determining factor for me is that I'm lazy What I mean by that is that I'm not 100% sure that I will use it regularly. If I end up not using it I have a lot less invested. If I use it a lot and it gives out on me or I want to upgrade then at that point I'll invest in a better quality one. The reviews on the Target website about the chi breaking so easily and Farouk not honoring the warranty when it's purchased from Target kind of made me nervous too. If I do upgrade eventually I'll probably just bite the bullet and get one from a salon. Oh...and I used it this morning and no complaints....it heated up quickly and glided smoothly on my hair. I definitely need some practice, but I didn't do too terribly. As far as the iron itself it does have temp adjustment....it's ceramic with tourmaline, and also has a hinge lock. On the back it compares it to a chi and the only negative difference it shows is that it only has a 6 ft cord instead of a 9 ft. Only time will tell just how much I like it.

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

Anyone that has a chi....have you bought it at Target? I'm reading the reviews and it appears that they go out quickly and there is a post saying they aren't the real "chi"......they all say they straighten well though.

Oh....and they say Farouk (sp?) will not honor the warranty when it's purchased from Target.

Hi neighbor!

I'm a stylist (part-time), and I swear by CHI and Biosilk. However, if you have thin hair, the Remington might work for you as far as styling. It will be rougher on your hair, though. It gets "hot spots" (parts of the iron get a lot hotter than other parts and can scorch your hair) which, over time, can cause a lot of breakage. So, with a cheaper iron, heat protection products are extra essential.

Also, if you buy any professional products (tools, styling products, etc.) from a nolicensed seller (aka anywhere that isn't a salon or has a salon in it like Ulta), the items are not guaranteed (could be counterfeit, expired, etc.) and you will have no recourse against the companies if something goes awry. Specific to this thread, Farouk Systems won't honor the warranty if the CHI isn't purchased in a professional salon.

 

[Singleminnie]

I have been using the flat iron daily, looking to up grade mine, I have a cheap one. My question is, my hair does not look smooth and shiney like it did at the beauty shop. I use Paul Mitchell, shampoo and conditioner and I use a flat iron gel (from Avon) that is supposed to protect and keep it from looking frizzie, but its not working. Any suggestions? Yes, I recently got highlights, if that matters. Thanks

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

I have been using the flat iron daily, looking to up grade mine, I have a cheap one. My question is, my hair does not look smooth and shiney like it did at the beauty shop. I use Paul Mitchell, shampoo and conditioner and I use a flat iron gel (from Avon) that is supposed to protect and keep it from looking frizzie, but its not working. Any suggestions? Yes, I recently got highlights, if that matters. Thanks

It's probably the quality of your iron. Did you get highlights with lightener (would probably be blue or purple and have a fluffy quality) or color (would most likely be a beige color and more like a shampoo consistency). Both are damaging, but the lightener is more damaging. That could contribute to frizzies, but it's probably the straightener. I'd also recommend a serum rather than a gel.

 

[WDWorBUST]

Hi neighbor!

I'm a stylist (part-time), and I swear by CHI and Biosilk. However, if you have thin hair, the Remington might work for you as far as styling. It will be rougher on your hair, though. It gets "hot spots" (parts of the iron get a lot hotter than other parts and can scorch your hair) which, over time, can cause a lot of breakage. So, with a cheaper iron, heat protection products are extra essential.

Also, if you buy any professional products (tools, styling products, etc.) from a nolicensed seller (aka anywhere that isn't a salon or has a salon in it like Ulta), the items are not guaranteed (could be counterfeit, expired, etc.) and you will have no recourse against the companies if something goes awry. Specific to this thread, Farouk Systems won't honor the warranty if the CHI isn't purchased in a professional salon.

Hi neighbor!
I did get Paul Mitchell thermal protection - or something like that. I got a little bottle because I wasn't sure if I would like it. So biosilk makes the heat protector you would recommend? I will get that next time. I am so hair styling illiterate it isn't funny. But I'm comfortable with the one I got until I see if I use it enough to make it worthwhile to buy a nicer expensive one. The one I got at ULTA was a FHI, but didn't have temperature control and I want to say stayed at 410 degrees. I do have finer hair and used the one I got on 340 this morning and it seemed to work fine...I might experiment with bumping it up to 360....but I don't think I'd go higher. Does Chi make one with the adjustable temps?
The lack of warranty (when purchased from Target) and the repeated posts of it going out anywhere from 6 months to a year is why I didn't go ahead with the Chi from there. I just couldn't bring myself to spend over $100 on something I wasn't sure I would use enough to justify the expense though which ruled out going ahead and getting one from a salon. So any tips on using a flat iron for those of us who are hair styling impaired??
Thanks!
Amanda

 

[DisneyWorld Delight]

I have a CHI and love it. I bought it at JCPenny Salon.

After a couple years, the darn thing wouldn't stay on. I think it was because we tended to pull the plug out of the socket by the cord and not the chucky end piece, and made the connection inside loose. Anyway, I packaged it up and sent it to the manufacturer per the instructions and had no problems getting it fixed. As a matter of fact, I'm not even sure that they didn't give me a new one, cause it looked awesome when I got it back. FWIW.

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

Hi neighbor!
I did get Paul Mitchell thermal protection - or something like that. I got a little bottle because I wasn't sure if I would like it. So biosilk makes the heat protector you would recommend? I will get that next time. I am so hair styling illiterate it isn't funny. But I'm comfortable with the one I got until I see if I use it enough to make it worthwhile to buy a nicer expensive one. The one I got at ULTA was a FHI, but didn't have temperature control and I want to say stayed at 410 degrees. I do have finer hair and used the one I got on 340 this morning and it seemed to work fine...I might experiment with bumping it up to 360....but I don't think I'd go higher. Does Chi make one with the adjustable temps?
The lack of warranty (when purchased from Target) and the repeated posts of it going out anywhere from 6 months to a year is why I didn't go ahead with the Chi from there. I just couldn't bring myself to spend over $100 on something I wasn't sure I would use enough to justify the expense though which ruled out going ahead and getting one from a salon. So any tips on using a flat iron for those of us who are hair styling impaired??
Thanks!
Amanda

Head over to Norman...we do flat iron classes!!

I have a CHI and love it. I bought it at JCPenny Salon.

After a couple years, the darn thing wouldn't stay on. I think it was because we tended to pull the plug out of the socket by the cord and not the chucky end piece, and made the connection inside loose. Anyway, I packaged it up and sent it to the manufacturer per the instructions and had no problems getting it fixed. As a matter of fact, I'm not even sure that they didn't give me a new one, cause it looked awesome when I got it back. FWIW.

It is a new one! That's their policy, at least. As long as it's covered, they'll send you a brand spankin' new iron, no questions asked. Farouk Systems is very customer-oriented.

 

[jcamacam]

I would also suggest getting a product called Biosilk...again a relatively expensive product ($20-30 for a lg bottle), but again the large bottle lasted me two years as you only use a couple drops.

Ooohhhh, this sounds great for my very thick, long hair - can you tell me exactly which Biosilk product it is? Is it the Therapy Drops?