Ceramic vs Titanium

People ask me all the time which is better, which do I prefer, and/or which do I use. I use both, but I always, always recommend what is safest for guests to use at home.

Ceramic and Titanium both offer great benefits to the hair, but they also differ. Ceramic is safer because it applies heat to the hair evenly while still providing a very smooth and shiny look to the hair. It creates the smoothness in the hair strand by locking the moisture and smoothing down the cuticle to create a smooth and sleek look.  Ceramic plates heat up evenly leaving no cold or lukewarm spots on the plate. The heat is well controlled. Ceramic flat irons are great for any texture of hair, but they are awesome for finer textures of hair. Finer textures of hair are easiest to damage in both chemical and heat services. When purchasing ceramic flat irons, don’t use the “ceramic coated” kind because if the coating wears off or chips, it can snag the hair and cause unnecessary fly ways. Some of my favorite Ceramic flat irons are listed below.

1. FHI Heat
These flat irons were my first love. I started using them while I was in cosmetology school and I absolutely loved the way the plates glided through the hair and gave a smooth and polished look and feel. They do the most on the lowest temperature, and that’s what made me fall in love even more!

2. Rusk Heat Freak
I recommended these flat irons to a guest because of all the good reviews I saw about them and turns out the guest really fell in love with how quickly the iron straightened her daughter’s hair. I used the Rusk CTC flat iron (they discontinued them but you may be able to find them on amazon or sites of the sort) and literally fell in love instantly, that iron got straight down to the nitty gritty and wasted no one’s time getting the hair straight. So when I saw Rusk Heat Freak, I thought this one should be no different than the other!

Titanium heats up VERY quickly and applies heat to the hair just as quickly (that’s why many reviews complain about heat damage). They tend to feel lighter than other flat irons, which is great if you have a lot of hair. Titanium flat irons, like ceramic, adds a great shine to the hair because it seals in the moisture while defrizzing the hair. These flat irons are great for thicker textured hair. I don’t advise that anyone uses titanium flat irons at home because of how quickly the plate heats up and how fast it transfers to the hair. Most times when people style their hair at home they pass over the hair more than twice. These plates are great for professional use because we quickly pass through the hair and we do not apply too many passes through the hair. Below I have my new favorite flat irons.

3. Babyliss Nano Titanium 

I love these flat irons because they are thin and light. They are thin enough to be able to use on the hair line and the nape area. They are also light to hold, which is great because its easier on my wrist and elbow. They also have this in a bigger size that’s still just as thin. 

A great smooth and sleek style starts with using the correct shampoo, conditioner, leave-in, and serum.  Too heavy of a product can leave the hair feeling greasy/oily, limp, and appear to look finer than what it is. Products that don’t apply ENOUGH moisture or dry the hair out can leave the hair feeling very dry, brittle, and dull in appearance. Assessing the hair and addressing the needs are crucial to the best end results. Remember, the service starts at the bowl, so step up and show out, your end result is depending on it!

Also before even using a flat iron, you want to make sure that the hair is blow dried very well. Rather using a round brush, denman brush, or pick, you want to get the hair as smooth as possible and being as gentle as possible because wet hair is SO fragile! You know when you have blow dried your hair well when you only need to pass the hair once or twice with a flat iron. Using great styling tools really help deliver a great style at ease. 

Also remember to watch the temperature on the iron. 450 is never needed to straighten your hair. Start on the lowest and adjust from there.

Peace, Love, & Beauty!