I went to a beauty supply store to get my daughter a good straightener; she has very curly/frizzy long hair. It was @ $50 or so, and is called "Titanium Tools". She loves it and says it does a great job, much better than the Conaire(sp?) iron from Target. Sorry I can't give you more details.

I bit the bullet and got the primo of straighteners- a Chi. It comes with a good warranty and as I use it every day, or at least every day I don't want to look like Little Orphan Annie, it is worth every penny.

It's easy on the hair and it's not hotter than it needs to be, if that makes sense. It does not, however, have an automatic turn-off.

If you keep the receipt AND the BOX, it extends the warranty. They don't tell you that, but I've returned a 5 year old one that bit the dust.

I would recommend asking your stylist what s/he uses, and seeing if you can purchase one for your own use.

Anyone got the reverse for me?
I've got stick-straight hair, so of course, I want the tousled fresh-out-of-bed look!

This is one that someone I know absolutely swears by.

Here is a link that might be useful: the

I purchased this one from my hairdresser and paid way too much for it. My hair is fine and short and I did not like it.

DD has long really thick, hair that is super curly naturally and she likes to straighten it--it works like a dream on her hair. You would never know that she has curly hair when she is done.

You can get this one a lot cheaper on ebay.

Here is a link that might be useful: straightener

Only a few products in my life have truly changed it. One of them is my Krembs wet-to-dry iron. The main difference between this and other irons is that it removes any moisture from your hair to make it truly straight and seal the cuticle. Even when you think your hair is dry it's really not. Use the Krembs and you'll see steam coming out of it - that's moisture on your hair follicle that will frizz it if you don't remove it. (The Krembs has no water added in it to create steam - it takes it off your hair). So when you use a regular iron, and you think your hair is dry and it's really not, you are really just frying your hair. With this item you can use the iron right on wet hair if you want to. I do give my hair a quick dry (just run fingers through) before using the iron just to make the process a little faster. It takes me about 10 minutes to totally straighten my hair (below shoulder-length). I do it in sections and I move really fast with it now.

This item doesn't just give you straightened hair. It gives you straight-person's hair. If you have frizzy hair like me you know the difference. It stays straight - even in humidity, until I wash it again.

it is pricey but to be honest, once I saw what this thing can do for me, I would have paid four times that amount. This is a lower price - it was a new product when I bought it and I paid $200, bought from my hairstylist. Do a google search on Krembs Wet to Dry and you will see the rave on the internet about this product.

Here is a link that might be useful: Krembs wet-to-dry flat iron

I like the one my stylist uses from Paul Mitchell. But I'm afraid to buy one, b/c I see so many women with dents in their hair from not using it correctly or carefully enough. I've got this stupid cowlick in the back of my otherwise straight hair, and usually fail at drying my hair straight enough to get the wave out. So I'm still considering getting one.
PM24

Snookums, that is so cool. I have the same kind of hair. What do you think of the other brands of wet-to-dry flat irons? I noticed there are others out there, such as Chi, etc. I wonder if they are as good -- I'm looking for a good price.

Thank you all for responding. I guess I now have research to do on all the recommended brands. Interesting that there were no recommendations for the less expensive ones - I suspected that was going to be the case.

Jerzeegirl, did you settle on a width for a straightening iron? How long is your hair? I agree that it's hard to decide the best width for overall performance.

Jerzeegirl: I have a less expensive one (Conair from Sally's, don't remember exactly - maybe $40?) that I got to try it out. I figured I'd see how much I used it, if I could use it properly, and then, if I wanted something better or if it died quickly, upgrade. I know nothing about titanium; but when I bought mine, the stylist strongly recommended ceramic

Sweeby: I just had my hair whacked from mid-back to chin-length. I had stick-straight hair before babies, but those pregnancy hormones gave me some tiny waviness at the ends. My stylist talked me into trying Curl Conscious Creme from Belle du Jour. I got it at the salon, which is Aveda-affiliated. This was just last Saturday - so I'm still experimenting - but I do see more waviness and crazyness. It's not a heavy creme, btw. Feels more like a light conditioner.

Hth - Cate (can you tell I'm procrastinating today? Posts everywhere!)

Carnelian: I totally forgot about the width! I was thinking 1 1/2" would probably be okay. My hair is between chin and shoulder length. I don't understand why some are 3/4" and others are 2". How does width affect the straightening?

Cate: that might be the best idea - to get a less expensive one and see if I can do it. I have never been able to master blow drying techniques, so it wouldn't surprise me if I was bad at straightening!

I saw a ceramic straightener at Tuesday Morning for $10. Maybe I should start with that one and see if it works before taking the $150 plunge.

That's a good price! Forgot to mention that my straightener does cut off automatically after a while and - best feature - has a "boost" button you can push to give a heat surge if you have a particularly stubborn lock of hair. Straightening really is a nice, easy way to get a sleek look. I think you'll like it!

I would assume that the really narrow ones are for very short hair or for fine tuning sections (?). My hair is just above the shoulder, but sometimes I go a bit shorter, so I think about 1 1/2 would be good for me, too. If I get a good flat iron I hope I can develop the skill to use it right.

With straightening irons you really get what you pay for.

Just found this--have a bit of input. I really haven't had any luck with the wet-to-dry irons--my hair has to be completely dry before straightening with an iron. My favorite iron for shorter and longer hairstyles has been a ceramic jilbere. It's quite narrow, but it works better closer to the scalp--the wider iron I have has a tendency to leave "dents" since I can't get close enough to my head. What I have found to make a huge difference is Aveda Brilliant Anti-humectant Pomade--it keeps my hair straight and frizz-free. It's not sticky or crunchy--so you don't have to wash your hair again the next morning. (such a hassle if you've gone to the trouble of ironing) Lasts a long time and has a nice, mild scent. (no crazy fruit scents and won't give you a headache from smelling it all day in your hair)

I have the best of both worlds. Curly hair in the summer (hot, humid months), and much straighter in the winter. I gave up on trying straight hair during summer, but a friend with very curly hair recommends Chi over the rest mentioned here. She's a slave to straight hair so only the best would do for her. If I ever wanted straight hair, I'd try the Chi, but for now I'm a happy camper :-)

Mari