We started with M’s hair shampooed and conditioned normally. We blow-dried it with a flat-brush and a small amount of Paul Mitchell’s ‘The Cream’ leave-in. We didn’t even use any
“styling” product to prep the hair. I wanted to see what the iron would do alone as opposed to using tricks to maximize the results.
Because M’s hair is on the finer side of medium, and was recently put through some serious chemical paces trying to strip away a vegetable dye that was used before she sought my
help, I set the iron to 230 degrees and turned it on. It heated very quickly and was ready to go by the time I got the hair clipped out of the way and the first section isolated.
I worked in 2-1/2 inch sections, with slices taken from the bottom up. The first thing that struck me was that the sensation of “pressing” the hair was decidedly minimized because
there was NO resistance to the hair slipping between the plates. Nevertheless, the straightening became apparent with the first pass.
Because of the smoothness of the plates and the superior heating, I do recommend using a comb to guide the hair since the hair becomes very hot and the plates won’t offer any grip
to the strands (which is a wonderful thing). The biggest benefit to this change over traditional irons is that there is less risk of iron marks and bends in the hair because it is so much easier to maintain the fluid
motion through the hair that you want for smooth results.
The Results:
We took a before photo of M’s hair. We can see that the hair is relatively healthy, and has a decent amount of shine from the regular conditioning treatments and daily care. After
the straightening, we took another photo and compared the two for results. The hair is straighter (though it is normally only slightly wavy), but that wasn’t the most significant difference.
What was most exciting was that the hair was left so much shinier and light-reflective. The shininess is an indicator that the cuticle is – in fact – smoother and lying flat. This is
a big deal because it means that the hair looks healthier, and that the style will hold better since the smoother cuticle helps fight the effects of humidity and frizz.
The Final Judgment:
I have to say that the Hana Elite 1” Ceramic Flat Iron is a great tool. It straightens the hair beautifully. It smoothes the cuticle and it leaves the hair extra-shiny and
reflective. While the price is more than some people will be able to afford, the performance level of this iron means that if you can afford one of your own, and you want professional results – AND definitely if you
are a professional – it is well worth the investment. You can find the iron on sale on misikko.com
