Styling Temperature for Hair Type

When it comes to heat hair styling tools, high heat does not guarantee you the best results. This is because not all hair is the same; what might work for some hair types may not work for others. I used to think I had coarse hair since I had so much of it and it was so difficult to control. I later found out from my hairdresser that I had fine hair, which I was frying with a lethal combo of high heat using flat irons and hair curlers and not enough product. I assumed that the higher the heat, the faster and better the results would be, but experience has taught me otherwise.

Proper Technique

Proper temperature control is key to getting the best results when using heat styling tools but make sure you remember to use heat protecting spray and thoroughly de-tangle by brushing your hair to make sure it doesn't get caught in your flat iron.

Fine Hair

Let' s begin with fine hair types. Like myself, chances are you have breakage all the time and de-tangling your hair is a slow and exact procedure that you'd prefer to do yourself before letting your hairstylist attempt it. Fine hair is very fragile and needs to be deeply conditioned twice a week (I like to use a 100% argan oil soak, let it sit for 10-15 minutes, rinse and style as usual). When using a flat iron, make sure you never crank it to the highest setting. A lower temperature of 250-340°F works best for fine hair types. Try to let your hair air dry before using your flat iron; this quickens the styling process and allows your hair to have less heat exposure. I love my ISA Professional Digital Flat Iron because it has temperature controls that allows you to lock the temperature setting in place by double clicking the power button down twice. This ensures my fingers don't mess with the temperature controls during my styling and my hair always looks sleek and shiny. It's also 100% ceramic tourmaline so it distributes heat evenly and protects my hair even further.

Normal Hair, Thick Hair

For normal, medium hair types, keep the temperature anywhere between 300-350°F. For thicker hair types, your hair can withstand higher heat than fine hair types. Thick hair types have more tools to choose from since they don't need to worry about lower heat temperatures being available. They can also style their hair quicker due to the high temperatures their hair can withstand.

Apply heat styling protecting spray on your hair and lock the temperature to anywhere between 330-380°F. If you have coarse, thick hair then you should stick to 400-450°F for best results.

Everyone's hair is different, so you should experiment to find the ideal temperature for you. By knowing which temperature range you should stick to, you can figure out the best heat setting for your specific hair.