Hair Iron

I. Introduction
Can you imagine what it would be like to go in a salon and not see a straighter, and curling iron or a crimper? Well, these objects have largely influenced the world around us for the better. They have dramatically improved over the years and have become a huge part of everyday life. Through the outrageous strategies that women came up with, the hair irons have changed the lives of every women today.

II. History
Back in the day, women came up with some pretty creative ideas to get “the look.” Jessica Levinson Young would style her hair with heated balls in 1882. In 1890, Adam Frisby was given the credit for the curling iron.
During the 1960’s, women would use clothing irons to get rid of the creases or waves in their hair. Simon Monroe, in 1906, patented a hair straightener with 7 teeth to act like a brush. Then, in 1909, Isaac K. Schero patented a different type of straightener that had two flat irons that were pressed together. The person that gets the main credit for the invention of the straightener goes to Scottish heiress Lady Jennifer Bell Schofield in 1912. She edited and combined the two models into a hinged, two-plated heating iron (Wikipedia).

III. Types
There are three types of hair irons:
• Straightener
• Curling iron
• Crimper
The straightener works by a breaking down the hydrogen bonds in hair. They are found in the cortex of the hair and this is the cause of hair bending and curling. The hydrogen bonds and be replenished only when moisture is present but until then, hair is refrained from going back to its natural form.
The more advanced hair straighteners have ceramic heating plates with a reduced heat-up time and constant heat. The plates are crucial to any flat iron because the better the plates, the less damage and much easier than the other plates. Although the prices may be less, the other plates are the worst for damage to your hair. They often use a coasting that makes them look ceramic and it will eventually wear off to expose more damage. To help prevent heat damage, use irons with higher temperatures and don’t heat the tips of hair. To avoid mechanical damage, like I have said, only use ceramic plates(Wikipedia).

Curling irons are used to make curls and waves in the hair. There are various different types of curling irons based on material, diameter, and shape of the barrel and the type of handle. These irons are usually made from Teflon, ceramic, tourmaline, metal or titanium. They all have their good and bad things about them. The diameter can range from .5 inches (1.3 cm) to 2 inches (5.1 cm). For spiral curls, you should use a curling iron with a smaller barrel. For shape and volume, you should use a larger barrel. The shape of the barrel can be either a cylinder, cone, or reverse cone. Some irons have double or triple barrels and brush attachments. There are multiple types of handles: spring-loaded, Marchel, or clipless. The most popular ones are the spring-loaded ones and have a spring controlling the clamp. The Marcel handle applies your own pressure to the clamp. That handle was named after Marcel Grateau. The clipless wands do not have a clamp and you just wrap your hair around the rod(Wikipedia).

Crimping irons make the hair have a sawtooth style. These look similar to when you take your hair out of the braid that you have had in all day. This iron was invented in 1972 by Geri Cusenza, one of the co-founders of Sebastian Professional. During the mid-1980’s in the United States was when crimping became popular(Wikipedia).

IV. Future Developments: Hot Combs
The improvements in hair irons led to the further development of the hot combs. It is a metal comb on the top and bottom burner up to 500OF. This is used as an alternative to a straightener by breaking down the biochemical bonds. Marcel Grateau was one of the first hairdressers to use a hot comb in 1872. Hot combs are still used today as a form of straightening without the harsh chemicals. The medical concerns for hot combs are that it may cause scarring and inflammation on the scalp(Austin).

V. Article Review
This article basically goes over the proper things you should do when using hair irons to avoid damage.
• If you are going to use a hair iron on a daily, then purchase one with ceramic plates.
• Be precise with the temperatures so get a hair iron with temperature control.
• Try to avoid hair irons with high temperatures daily.
• Proper temperatures:
• Drying Hair: 80 degrees
• Completely Damaged Hair: 100 degrees
• Partly Damaged Hair: 140 degrees
• Ordinary Curly Hair: 160 degrees
• Curly Hair: 180 degrees
• Very Think Curly Hair: 200 degrees
(Hockney)

VI. List of References
• Wikipedia. “Hair iron.” Web. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair_iron.
• Austin, Bridgette. “The History of the Hot Comb.” N. pag. Web. 10 Dec 2010. http://www.ehow.com/about_5526769_history-hot-comb.html.
• Hockney, Paul. “Can Hair Straighteners Damage Your Hair?.” (2006):n. pag. Web. 10 Dec 2010. http://searchwarp.com/swa59731.htm.