There are pros and cons for both types of flat irons, ceramic and titanium. You would think it would be simple, I just need something to flatten my hair and make it look good, right?! Well, there can be a few more things that you might want to consider, and I am going to give you the pros & cons to both! I will also tell you which I prefer and why!
I am a retired hair stylist and I even get confused at times which flat iron to buy. Do I buy based on what is best for my hair type, what the current trend is, or what works best for my budget? Trust me I am just like you, I have stood there and gotten overwhelmed and walked away without buying one!
Before you run out to buy a flat iron you need to know a little more about you and your hair type. What type of hair do you have? Thin, medium, or coarse. Is your hair healthy or damaged? Are you proficient at using a straightening iron?
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Ceramic Flat Iron:
One thing that you need to know right off the bat is that not all ceramic irons are the same. A lot of ceramic irons are coated and are not a solid ceramic plate. Why would this matter? Ceramic technology is based on the plates heating the hair up from the inside out. The plates take longer to heat up. When they are just coated with ceramic and aren’t solid, they might not have even heating of the plate. If they aren’t heating up evenly, they won’t give you a good even “hair straightening” and you will have to make more passes over the hair. Another problem with ceramic coated irons is that they can chip, or crack and they can get caught on your hair and will cause breakage.
If an iron has full ceramic plates it will heat up evenly but does take a little longer to heat up than a titanium iron. These are typically better for finer hair or damaged hair. Ceramic irons tend to be a little heavier and you need to be cautious about not dropping them.
Titanium Flat Iron:
Titanium irons are used more by professionals for the most part. They heat up quickly and you do not need as many passes over the hair as you do with a ceramic iron. Titanium irons are typically more lightweight and easier to handle. Due to these irons heating up quickly you should use caution when using them so that you do not damage your hair. They are great for people with thick and coarse hair. They can be used with fine hair, but you need to careful. Hair also glides smoothly through a Titanium iron.
Protect your hair from the heat!
I feel as though I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t touch on protecting your hair from heat. I did a blog post about this back in August, you can read that post here: How Hot is Too Hot When Using Hot Tools?
There are 2 things to consider when protecting your hair from heat.
1. Use the lowest heat setting possible for your hair texture. I went over in detail in my prior post so please check that out but here is an overview.
Superfine hair and chemically treated hair that might have some damage
- Up to 260 degrees
- We need to be cautious and gentle with super fine and damaged hair, a lot of the time you will already have breakage and you do not want to increase the breakage any further.
Fine hair
- 260 to 350 (maximum) degrees
Average to Medium hair
- 350 to 400 (maximum) degrees
- Typically, this type of hairstyles very easy.
Thick and coarse
- 400 to 450 (maximum) degrees
2. Use a heat protectant on your hair. Heat can be damaging on your hair, so it is important to protect it from the heat. There are a lot of products out there, but I tend to steer towards naturally based products as well as products that don’t have silicone in them, so they don’t create buildup in my hair. If you want more help on what products would work best for you, please click here for a consultation. Two of my favorite heat protectant products are:
- Monat Blow Out Cream – this is my favorite product! Provides silicone-like performance, without silicone build-up, has low-to-medium heat protection, reduces styling time, restores softness and shine, provides a smooth, silky, sleek look to your style, prolongs the life of your blow-dry, great for all hair types.
- Monat Studio One Heat Protectant Spray – Provides high heat (450°F/232°C) and UV protection to prevent damage and breakage, a natural silicone alternative improves slip to reduce friction while styling, apply to wet or dry hair.
*Hair tip! Always check your heat setting for ALL your heat tools prior to using EVERY time. The setting can easily be changed and if it is not checked you can accidently damage or even burn off your hair!
Hot tools typically come down to preference but with ceramic and titanium irons there are some differences in the two. One of the largest differences that I have noticed between the two personally is that the ceramic does not let your hair glide through it as easily as a titanium iron. If that doesn’t bother you and you newer to the “straightening” game or have finer or damaged hair you might want to go for a ceramic iron. Don’t forget to check if the iron is coated with ceramic or if it is a solid plate.
You probably could tell what my preference is throughout my post! I prefer a titanium iron for several reasons:
- My hair glides smoothly through the plates, and I don’t have to go over it multiple
times. - They are lightweight, when you are straightening your entire head, it can get
heavy! - It heats up quick and keeps its temperature.
- My hair is finer texture but I use a lower setting to prevent damage along with a
heat protectant. (Blow Out Cream is my favorite!) My favorite flat iron is the
Babybliss Titanium 1″ plate. I have it linked below!
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