Is your hair turning gray? If so, you might be looking to buy a suitable flat iron for heat styling your hair. This is mainly due to the fact that gray hair is easily damaged by excessive heat.
Gray hairs have no pigmentation and tend to be more porous, dry and wiry. Due to these natural weaknesses, the heat damage resulting from the use of flat irons is more visible in gray hair than it is in regular tinted hair. Your gray hair can be even left with a pale yellow color due to heat damage.
While the above issues are a major cause of concern for anyone with gray hair, they don’t mean that you have to entirely abandon heat styling your hair. You simply need to find the best flat iron for gray hair.
To find out more about the best flat iron for gray hair, including some of the main features to look for, as well as some product recommendations, read on below.
To minimize heat damage to your gray hair, choose a flat iron with adjustable temperature controls with ceramic-coated plates that reduce frizz and static. Tourmaline-coated plates are a close second. My research identified the Revlon Copper+Ceramic Digital Flat Iron as the best flat iron for gray hair with the HSI Professional Glider Straightener being an excellent runner-up. Keep reading to learn more about these options.
What To Look For In The Best Flat Iron For Gray Hair
To be able to heat style gray hair without damaging it, you will need to use the right flat iron. The best product should have the following essential features:
Adjustable Temperature Control
When it comes to heat styling hair, more heat translates into sleeker and straighter hair. However, this does not apply to all types of hair, among them gray hair. To be more specific, you don’t need the highest heat to straighten gray hair. Furthermore, this type of hair does not do well with high heat levels.
With that in mind, the best flat iron for gray hair should come with adjustable heat settings. This way, you will be able to easily choose the lowest heat setting that gives you straight hair without damaging it. To minimize the risk of heat damage on your hair, it is recommended that you also minimize the number of passes you make on your hair when using a flat iron.
Get A Product With The Right Plate
Overheating your silver locks can leave them burnt, frizzy and rough. Fortunately, using a flat iron with the right plate can help you avoid these unwanted results.
A product equipped with a ceramic or ceramic coated plate protects your hair from the adverse effects of overheating by ensuring even distribution of heat throughout your hair strands. This makes such products less damaging than those equipped with plates made from other materials.
Tourmaline-coated plates are also considered to be good for gray hair. In the simplest of terms, tourmaline is a coating that can be applied over any type of plate. This coating helps reduce frizz and static by emitting negative ions when heated.
It is worth noting that while titanium plates are known for their ability to heat up fast, making them great for textured or coarse hair, the ceramic variety is considered to be the best option for gray hair.
Don’t Be Afraid To Go Big
When shopping for your next hair heating tool, it is easy for you to find yourself opting for the cheapest available product. However, it is recommended that you take more time to consider your budget. Cheap products are not only less reliable, but also tend to breakdown sooner, and may even end up damaging your hair.
Before buying your next flat iron for gray hair, remember to put more time, effort and money into finding something that offers more value and quality. With such a product, you can enjoy great heat styling results for many years to come!
If you already have a flat iron, but are not sure of whether it is too hot for your gray locks, try heat testing it. You can use a high-heat meat thermometer to measure the temperature of your heat tools. Alternatively, you can place a plain white paper on your flat iron. Paper burns at the same temperature as hair – 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
As a point of note, your heat tools should be maintained at between 203 and 365 degrees Fahrenheit, if you don’t want to burn your silver locks.
Top Flat Irons and Straighteners for Gray Hair
Now that you have a good idea of what to look for in the best flat iron for gray hair, as well as some information of how to heat test any heat styling tool currently in your possession, here’s a list of some top rated products for your consideration:
Revlon Copper + Ceramic Digital Extra Long Flat Iron
If you are looking for a flat iron that offers great value at an affordable price, the Revlon Copper + Ceramic Flat Iron is definitely something you should consider.
For the fastest heat styling, this product heats up quickly – in 10 seconds – thanks to its Copper + Ceramic plates. This, combined with its extra long plates ensures that you can transform your hair from its gray structured state to
something smooth and silky in no time.
To minimize the risk of damaging your gray hair, this product comes with a digital LCD display featuring 30 different heat settings – ranging from 180 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Since the flat iron heats up so fast, it is recommended that you set it to the lowest heat setting before you start styling your hair to avoid burning it.
A Smart Heat Memory System saves your last heat setting, saving you from setting your preferred heat setting over and over again, and eliminating any confusion.
Lastly, this product supports dual voltage, making it a great option for users that love travelling.
HSI Professional Glider
The HSI Professional Glider comes with adjustable heating settings that range from 140 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. To regulate and evenly distribute heat throughout the styling session, this product is equipped with 8 micro sensors.
Designed for straightening, flipping and curling hair, the HSI Professional Glider is a good fit for those looking for the best quality, when it comes to their heat styling tool.
This product is fitted with tourmaline infused ceramic plates that help give you straight silky hair with minimal frizz by generating negative ions. Styling your hair with this product also takes little time thanks to its Heat Balance Technology.
This product comes in a package that also includes a red-white pouch, portable size Argan oil treatment and heat-resistant gloves. The product also supports dual voltage power for those that like to travel.
Remington Pro 2″ Pearl Ceramic Flat Iron
The Remington Pro has several features designed to help you get the look you want in a single pass with less damage than other flat irons.
The Remington Pro 2 Pearl Ceramic flat iron is definitely one of the best flat irons for gray hair. Bearing a sleek and light weight design, this product ensures that you get to enjoy salon quality straightening in a matter of minutes.
There are many reasons why you would want this product. For starters, the Remington comes with adjustable heat settings and a clear LCD display. This means that users can pick a temperature that is safe for their hair, every time they use this heat tool.
For the sleekest heat styling results, with minimal frizz, this tool is designed with pearl ceramic technology. To minimize roughness and frizz, the flat iron comes with 8 times more ceramic.
More importantly, this product is fitted with 2 inch wide floating plates that facilitate swift styling, with the least number of passes.
Looking for another reason to get this heat styling tool? Well, you will be glad to know that it also comes with a 60 minute auto-shut-off feature that ensures that you never have to worry about leaving your flat iron on after use.
Vanessa Titanium Plate Flat Iron
Is your gray hair curly and kinky? The Vanessa Titanium Plate Flat Iron is definitely worth considering. This stylishly designed heat tool is exactly what you need to give your hair a salon quality finish in one go.
Thanks to the heat transmission capabilities of titanium, you only need to make one pass to give your gray hair a smooth and stylish finish. The titanium plates also release negative ions that moisten your hair, leaving it frizz free!
To make sure that users can choose the right heat setting for their gray hair, this product also comes with 11 different heat settings, ranging between 265 and 450 degrees Fahrenheit; and an invisible display screen that is activated when the flat iron is turned on.
This product comes with an 18 month warranty, demonstrating the quality and reliability that is associated with the Vanessa brand. If you are an avid traveler, you will be glad to know that this product also supports dual voltage.
Conair INFINITIPRO Rose Gold Ceramic Flat Iron
This product is by far one of the best options when it comes to customizing your hair styling heat settings, thanks to the inclusion of 30 different heat settings. With it, you can be able to style your hair with minimal risk of burning or damaging it.
Styling your gray hair is a breeze with the Conair Infinitipro Flat Iron. This lightweight heat tool comes with extra long rose gold ceramic plates.
For the best styling results, this product comes with floating rose gold ceramic plates that are designed to make better contact with your hair, distributing heat evenly. The flat iron which only takes 15 seconds to heat up can reach a maximum temperature of 455 degrees Fahrenheit.
Conclusion
If your hair is graying, you can still show it off in all its glory. With the right heat styling product, you can keep your gray hair healthy and happy. You can straighten, curl or style your hair any way you want without leaving it looking frizzy, changing its color or damaging it in any way whatsoever.
Just use the above guide to find the best flat iron for gray hair and you will be good to go.
