What temp should I set my Flatiron?

Your straightener is hot and ready to take on your long locks. But how hot is it, and is the temperature right for your hair? Many straighteners allow you to set the temperature. However, being able to set the temperature to 230°C doesn’t mean that you should. Your hair type decides which temperature your straightener should be set to.

Set the straightener according to your hair type 

Many Scandinavian women have fine to normal hair. But even within this narrow definition, the right temperature may vary a great deal. If you don’t know your hair type, ask your stylist for advice or read our blog with a guide about how to determine hair types here .  

Fine/damaged hair: 120°C-150°C

If your hair is fragile, don’t set the temperature of your straightener too high. Your hair may be fragile for many reasons. Either it’s naturally fine or damaged by too many permanent hair treatments such as bleaching or perms.

Fine/strong hair: 150°C-180°C

Your hair can cope with higher temperatures if you have strong, fine hair. However, you still ned to be careful with the heat from your straightener.

Normal/damaged hair: 180°C

Set the temperature of your straightener to 180°C if your hair is normal but damaged from chemical treatments such as colouring.

Normal/strong hair: 190°C-210°C

The stronger and thicker your hair is, the higher temperatures it can cope with.

Thick hair: up to 210°C

If your hair is thick, you can climb a few steps higher on the temperature scale. You can use 210°C when styling your hair. However, we recommend that you start out at a temperature below 210°C and only work your way up the temperature scale if you don’t achieve visible results.

3 tips: How to minimise the risk of heat damage

 Even if you have the sweetest straightener on the market and you now know which temperature matches your hair type, you should try to minimise the heat damage with these three tips before you start straightening away.

#1 Remember to apply heat protection

Always apply heat protection before styling your hair with your straightener. If you apply the heat protection to dry hair, remember to let it work for a moment before starting your straightening routine. If you use your straightener on damp hair, you risk damaging your hair, and that’s exactly what you’re trying to avoid with the heat protection.

Try IdHAIR Mé Heat Defender and protect your hair against the heat from straighteners, hair dryers and other hot hair styling tools. 

#2 Use a straightener that distributes the heat evenly

Always buy a straightener that distributes the heat evenly so you don’t have to treat the same strand of hair repeatedly. The more heat you expose your hair to, the greater the risk of damaging it.

How do you know when you are scorching your hair to frail limp strands when using heat? Safe temperatures to flat iron medium to coarse hair can be between 360 – 410 degrees (°F). Also, one important fact to know before pressing your hair with a flat iron or any heat styling tool, is that healthy hair begins to melt and burn at 451 degrees (°F).

Below is a basic chart to go by when opting for straighter tresses.

***Note this is a basic chart for safe temperatures based on hair types. However, you should test before flat ironing your hair to find out what works best.

When it comes to battling uncooperative frizz and out of control hair, your tools are only as good as your willingness to use them correctly. Even if you have the right products for the job, the point is moot if you don't take the time and attention to find out how they should be applied to your hair. At HSI Professional, we provide high quality salon styling products to consumers all over the world. Our product line is growing by the day, as is our customer base.

Our products are among the best in the industry, we ship with lightening speed, and our customer service is top of the line. We care enough to ensure that you have every resource at your fingertips, including how to correctly use our products based on your hair type. This information can be found at our web site, which has a ton of resources specifically geared towards those who aren't quite sure what steps to take, what products to purchase, in order to get the hair that they want. On our web site, users can Shop by Concern – Dry/Damaged Hair, Thick Hair, and Frizzy Hair; Shop by Result – Straight Hair, Curly Hair; and read the latest and greatest in tutorials and blog posts all about healthy hair care.

Navigating through our web site, you'll find an overview of all of our products and FAQ pages that walk customers through appropriate settings for their tools. Simply stated: we provide high quality professional products that'll ensure your hair is styled efficiently, to your satisfaction, and in a healthy way – with each product geared to meet a specific hair-type need.

So... Which Setting is Right?

All of our Heated Tools come with a temperature dial so you can dial up or down the heat as you see fit for your hair; after all, we always recommend you keep temperatures no hotter than they actually need to be to get the job done. Not sure where to start? We have a guide that should help! For course hair – that is, extra thick and curly – start around 450 degrees and work your way down.

For normal hair, or wavy semi-curly hair, 350 is probably your best bet. Fine hair – thin and naturally straight – or hair that is already damaged should start around 180 degrees. Color treated hair is best to start around 300 degrees. As a best practice, if you're not quite sure what's best for your hair, always begin from the lower temperature and work your way up.

Also, test a small portion of your hair before you commit much to the setting, in much the same way that you might test a hidden area of your couch with your new cleaner before you clean the whole thing.

Now That Your Setting is Right...

Since you're in the business of ensuring that you're using your tools appropriately, let's talk about how to correctly use the ceramic tourmaline flat iron after you find the right setting for your hair. First of all, hair should always be dry and tangle free before beginning the straightening process.

Once this is ensured, turn your straightener on and adjust the temperature using the temperature control dial and the instructions above. While the flat iron is heating up, spray your hair with a heat protectant, like our Argan Oil Heat Protectant Product. Divide your hair into manageable sections and clip the upper layers to the top of your head as you start with the under layers first. Work first with just one strand to determine if you need to lower or increase the temperature. Once you find a range that works, begin to straighten: starting at the roots, firmly clamp the hair between the two plates and glide the flat iron down the entire hair strand in one smooth motion.

Always keep the iron moving to avoid frying hair in any one spot. Remember that as you go, you'll get faster and faster! Always operate Professional Flat irons with caution even after you consider yourself an experienced user.

More on the Heat Protectant...

At HSI Professional, we offer an Argan Oil Heat Protectant that will aid in your efforts to keep your hair healthy and strong. Our heat protectant is a weightless mist that's meant to be applied before heated styling, and can protect hair from heat exposure up to 450 degrees. This product can be used as a serum for conditioning to give you optimal final results, as its infused with highly concentrated antioxidant rich argan oil and shine boosting vitamins.

Our heat protectant hydrates dry hair, detangles those tough spots, speeds up drying time, boosts shine and creates a protective barrier between your hair and high heat styling tools. Our professional heat protectant is safe for color-treated hair, it's sulfate-free, phosphate-free and paraben-free. Simply stated, it's your ticket to getting that vibrant, silky, shiny, healthy style that you've always wanted, and for keeping your hair free from frizz and damage.

Don't miss out on a great product simply by using it incorrectly. Take the time to figure out which temperature setting works best for you, and enjoy healthy hair all day, every day!