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What Is a Flat Iron?
Flat irons are common hair styling appliances. Below is a look at what a flat iron is, how to use one and what options are available to the consumer.
Definition
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A flat iron is a hair care product that is used to straighten hair. The iron is heated, usually through a cord that is plugged into the wall, creating a heated surface that when run over hair strands, heats up the hair follicles and molds them to the desired position: straight. All you need to do is take a small section of hair, about 2 inches wide, comb through and then pass the flat iron over it in a smooth continuous motion.
Variations
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Typically a flat iron is only a few inches in length and even slimmer in width. The longer flat iron you can find, the better because you can do larger sections of hair in one sweep thereby saving you time. You can also find ones with combs, or teeth, on them which come in handy to keep the hair smooth while you are working the iron through a section.
Material
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Flat irons also come in several materials such as ceramic, titanium and metal. The ceramic flat irons heated more evenly on a consistent basis and they heat and cool relatively quickly. The metal flat irons tend to get hotter faster, but seem to make the whole iron hot, not just the iron surface making it hard to hold while working with the hair. The major draw back to a ceramic one is durability because if you accidentally drop the flat iron, you can potentially crack or damage the ceramic surface.
Temperature
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Additionally, when purchasing a flat iron, try to find one with a temperature gauge so you can set the temperature yourself as opposed to only having an on/ off switch. This comes in handy more often that you may think because if you are just touching up a section of hair, you can use a lower settings as opposed to on full blast. Furthermore, everyone's hair is a little different, some more coarse than others, some thicker than others. If you have a temperature gauge, you can find the best temperature for your hair type.
Considerations
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Be careful of the heat of a flat iron. It can and will burn you if you are not careful. Not only is the iron hot, but the steam is produces when ironing your hair can burn your scalp, fingers or any other exposed skin. You must also be careful not to leave the iron on your hair for an extended period of time as it will burn your hair and can cause it to break and fall off.
eHow Article: What Is a Flat Iron?
Comments
ashleysellsavon said
on 8/3/2009 burns from these things can be disastrous! =S