When it comes to heat tools, all appliances are not created equal. Buying a good flat iron that not only straightens your hair, but doesn't irreparably damage it, may be your top priority if you like wearing your hair straight. Read this review of one the most popular flat irons around, the Sedu Revolution Tourmaline Ionic Styling Iron, to see if it's worth all the hype.
Details
Everyone is talking about ionic and ceramic plates and really, when you compare them to the old gold-plated irons of yesterday, it's no wonder. You want a flat iron that literally glides down your hair, smoothing it out.
The Sedu Revolution Tourmaline Ionic Styling Iron features:
- Tourmaline infused, 1 inch ceramic plates
- Lightweight design
- Temperature range of 180-450 degrees F
- Quick heat up; less than 60 seconds to desired temperature
- Curved edge design
- Handy heat-proof storage pouch
It's sleek, black and the plates are incredibly smooth.
Working with It
We're not all going to get the same results, so I'm going to tell you that I tested this iron on natural (that is, completely chemical-free--including hair dye) hair. Consider that really giving this iron a run for its money because flat ironing hair that's relaxed or treated with keratin would be much easier, so if this iron can straighten out kinks, it's doing the job.
It's very lightweight, so even though it took me about an hour to straighten my hair, my hands weren't screaming out in agony when I finished. In fact, it was very comfortable holding this iron and working with it.
There's a reason I recommend small plates (less than 1 1/2 inches; 1 inch, like this iron has, is ideal): the less hair you can grip, the more likely it is that you'll do a good job straightening it. When you have irons that feature wide plates, you can be tempted when you're in a hurry, to just grab big chunks of hair and attempt to flat iron them. Smaller plates don't really give you that option. A successful flat iron job requires using manageable sections of hair and controlled ironing. I tried to stick with sections no wider or thicker than 1 inch.
The next time I use a flat iron, I'll be sure and either blow dry my hair first, not to completely straighten it but to get more of the curl out, or wrap it. As it is, I got very good results on hair that hadn't been blow dried straight. I used a heat protectant on dry hair and went to work.
Results
For most of my hair, I used the iron on the highest heat setting, 450 degrees. That temperature was necessary to do a thorough straightening job on my unprocessed hair. I didn't have to make more than two passes on almost all sections; if I'd blow dried my hair beforehand, I could probably have done every section in one pass, which would be an important time saver.
This iron glides. I felt no tugging or pulling, even on my most crimped hair. Also, the curved edges make it easy to create a real bend at the ends; more than a slight flip, which is probably why this iron is dubbed a "styling" iron instead of just a flat iron. It really does more than simply press your hair.
I was really impressed by the results I got, which kept my hair straight for almost a week, until my next shampoo. You'll find flat irons in all price points. If you only flat iron your hair occasionally and/or you mainly use an iron for gentle bumping (not full-on straightening like I do), a cheaper flat iron is fine. However, if you flat iron several times a month or more, or you really want an iron to press your natural hair, you need to invest in a serious appliance. I feel like this iron is worth the investment.
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