Ever since the age of 16, I can remember purchasing all kinds of hair-styling tools to tame my curls; I really wanted the “perfect” curls or sleek, straight hair. After 15 years of using brand-name tools, I’ve recently realized that they’ve done some damage to my hair. I’ve been looking at other brands and found hair stylers that are high quality and do a lot less damage to my hair. Read this article for my reviews on the tools I have tried and why I think they’re so great.
1. Ghd Original IV Styler
This one uses ceramic heat technology, which heats up to 185oC. There’s no hair-protection technology incorporated into this tool, either. However, it does the job and it straightens my hair. This styler has a one-year warranty, should anything on it go wrong. I’ve purchased many of this brand of stylers since I was 17 years old, as I used to believe the brand was the best of the best, which, to be fair to the brand, they were, up until a few years ago. No other company’s stylers would straighten my curly, frizzy and coarse hair like this ghd one.
So, throughout the years, I did use heat protection, but my hair started to become weaker and was breaking a lot, especially when using the ghd styler. Even when I’d bleached my hair, it started breaking only when I used this styler — until I switched to the below stylers.
Also, here’s another tip: If you are a regular styler user, then these will likely last you around two years, like my previous ones have.
@ghdhairpro
2. Ghd Max Styler Ceramic Hair Straightener
I received this as a birthday gift from my best friend. At first, I loved it because it straightened my hair quicker than the IV Styler, but after a year (coincidentally, the warranty time frame), they seemed to just lose some “oomph” and power, and my hair just didn’t look as sleek as it did compared to when I first started using it. The bottom line? I feel that, like the Original IV Styler, this Max Styler was also damaging to the health of my hair.
@ghdhair_at
3. Aria Beauty Infra-Red Ceramic Flat Iron
I bought this straightener at a kiosk in a mall. I know some people think that kiosk products are no good; I had some time while I was waiting at the Birmingham New Street Railway Station (in London, UK), so I decided to try it out. I purchased this Black Infrared Ceramic Hair Straightener/Hair Flat Iron, and I’m so glad I did! It uses infra-red technology, which claims to not damage the hair, while the negative ions in the straightener claims to “clean hair and reduce both static and frizz”. Furthermore, you can adjust the temperature of the iron, so it’s not one-setting-fits-all; as we all know, everyone’s hair is different. Plus, this styler has a three-year warranty.
Overall, this is a winner for me. The amount of hair falling out and breakage has substantially reduced after switching from the ghd stylers to Aria. I have gone back to the ghds when I’ve been in-between flats, and I can feel the difference in hair texture from the first use.
@ariabeauty
4. Ghd Curve Soft Curl Tong
This curler comes with a 32mm barrel for those big, soft curls that look lush on any length hair (in my opinion). Like the straighteners, the temperature on this one goes up to 185oC. It has a ceramic coating, which does make the hair feel smoother to the touch and helps to hold the curl better.
But, again, sadly, with the ghds, they just don’t have any technology in their devices that help to protect your hair from the heat — especially with the current styling world, in which these tools are used more and more. Unfortunately, during the years I used it, I got the same results — as time with the device went on, my hair was drying, breaking and falling out.
Sure, the curls came out amazing, and all my friends used to ask me how I did my curls. The curls held, and it was super easy to do them as well, but it was too late. The damage done to my hair meant that I had to continue looking for a better product that ghd’s.
@ghdhairde
5. Dyson Airwrap
I have not actually bought this one, but I used it at a friend’s place, plus I tried it in the department store. The Airwrap uses a heat-controlled airflow technology that keeps the device’s temperature always below 150oC. From Dyson’s website: “The Dyson Airwrap™ styler creates a spinning vortex of air around the barrel that gently attracts, wraps and curls hair.”
This is what happened when I did try it: The first time I used it after I had straightened my hair the previous day, and the curlers did not take at all! The lady advised me that it wouldn’t because I had straightened it, and I would have to use the Airwrap with freshly washed hair, which is exactly my problem. I would have frizzy hair if I did that, and the curls would turn out to be frizzy.
My friend, who has straight hair and doesn’t need it straightened, also tried it and curling her hair was a fail. When she first did it, her hair looked amazeballs! Then, within five minutes or so, the curls kind of fell and it looked like she had kinks in her hair. She also tried the volume brush, which came out looking amazing again, and it did last longer, but I wouldn’t really don’t want spend around $700 only to wind up with a half-done job.
Personally, I’ve heard mixed reviews for this one. Some love it and some don’t. From what I can tell, it seems that, in general, those who have “normal” (not coarse, dry, frizzy, oil, curly, etc.) hair love this product, but not everyone has that kind of hair. I would possibly purchase this, in the future, if Dyson improved the device by making it usable for all types of hair. But, until then, this one is like the ghd stylers and is purchased because of all the hype.
@meilleurmiroir
Key Tips for Limiting Hair Damage
- Use heat protection for your hair at all times.
- Ensure the hair protection has UV protection, as well. There are quite a few products that have this in their heat-protection spray or in oil.
- Go for regular trims, preferably every six to eight weeks.
- If you ever have to bleach your hair, go to a trusted hairdresser to do this and ALWAYS make sure they use Olaplex Hot Toddy Heat Protectant lotion, which is good for many different hair types. Olaplex doesn’t cause more damage to your hair than there already is.
- Use silk hair ties. These cause less friction with your hair when you’re tying up and untying your hair.
- Use silk/satin pillowcases for the same reasons as above.
- When sunbathing, wrap up your hair so it’s not exposed to the sun for too long.
- Use a hair mask regularly. Click here for a quick video on how to apply it.
I hope you have found my reviews to be helpful and useful. Also, I do hope you’ll have an open mind and be willing to try other lesser-known brands that are putting in much effort to make hair-styling tools less damaging to hair. Trust me; you won’t regret it. Read the reviews for that styling product. You can either decide, based on my reviews, or you can just decide on your own. If you found the above helpful, I have so much more information on hair care, skin care, well-being and traveling on my Instagram blog.