CHI Flat Iron: Is It Worth the Money?

Recently, I got my hair highlighted for the first time ever.  I’ve always wanted to do it but I thought it would be too damaging to my hair and I wasn’t prepared to keep up with the cost of getting it done every few months.  Then the grey hairs started coming in fast and furious.  I needed something to help keep them covered a little longer so I decided to go ahead and try highlights.  I am now hooked!

I’m a brunette so I had to make sure whomever I chose to highlight my hair was good with color.  Thankfully, the girl I went to was referred to me by a friend and she did an awesome job!  But this post isn’t about highlights.  It’s about the flat iron she used.

I have been using a flat iron on my hair for at least six years.  Before flat irons became all the rage I would use a fat curling iron to try and straighten my wavy hair.  It worked okay I guess, but my discovery of the flat iron made doing my hair much easier and quicker to do.

I bought a $30 1 inch Ceramic Tools flat iron from Sally Beauty Supply.  I had heard a ceramic kind was the way to go because it was less damaging to your hair.  And at thirty bucks, not a huge investment -  so I bought it.

What I didn’t know was that you are supposed to put a heat protecting type product in your hair BEFORE you blow dry it but more importantly, BEFORE you flat iron it.  I had no idea that for six years I had been damaging my hair so badly that it would just break right in half.  It was so bad that when I tried to get my hair highlighted last year, the hair stylist advised me NOT to do it because she was afraid there would be nothing left of my hair after that. So I waited and starting using the right products in my hair.  But I still had my same cheap flat iron.

Fast forward to April this year when I was finally able to get my highlights.  After all of the color was done and my hair was washed, my hair dresser styled my hair.  Let me just say that every time I get a haircut I tell whomever cuts my hair not to bother blowing it out because nine out of ten times I never like the way it is styled.  Ever.  But, I went ahead and let this girl blow dry and style my hair anyway.  I figured I may as well give her the benefit of the doubt since she did come highly recommended.

Wow!  When she was done I was amazed at how awesome my hair looked!  I NEVER like the way someone else styles my hair so this was a true first.  I asked her to please write down all of the products she used in my hair and asked her what kind of flat iron she uses.  She told me it was a CHI Flat Iron.

I had heard about CHI Flat Irons before and that they are supposedly really good but also very expensive.  After I found out how much they were I decided that I didn’t really need to buy it since I already had a flat iron anyway.  I did however, buy all of the products my hair dresser used on me that day.

I was all excited to use my new hair products and was fairly confident I could get my hair to look the same way it did after I got it done.  Between the blow drying and the flat ironing, I spent a good 45 minutes trying to achieve that same sleek, shiny look.  Ummm no.  Not even close.  My husband looked at me and said ”You must not be styling it right because it looks nothing like it did when you had it done.”  I used every product the hairdresser did so what was the deal?  Oh.  I bet I know.  I bet it was the CHI Flat Iron she used.  That was the only thing I did different -I used my cheapie iron.

When I explained this to my husband he didn’t believe me.  Or at least he chose not to believe me since I know he didn’t want me to go out and buy a $100+ flat iron.  But, Mother’s Day was right around the corner so I figured I would drop a few not so subtle hints as to where to buy the CHI.

WoooHooo…Hubby came through!

I finally had the missing piece to my hair puzzle.  At least I hoped that was what was missing.

Once again I used all of the products my hair stylist used the day she did my hair and now the true test - the flat iron.  I made sure to put the heat protector in my hair before the 360 degree CHI flat iron touched it.  What happened next was truly amazing.  My hair was becoming super straight AND shiny.  It was starting to look the way it did when I left the salon that day.  IT WAS THE FLAT IRON!!! Even my husband admitted he noticed a huge difference in the way my hair looked when I used my old iron vs. the way it looked after I used my new CHI.  Night and day!

So is the CHI flat iron really worth the money?  Definitely!  After asking around in several different hair supply stores and researching the CHI online, I have learned that what makes this iron so different from their cheap inexpensive counterparts is the heating element itself.  The CHI ceramic plates are heated evenly whereas the one I was using are not causing more damage to my hair.  THAT is why my hair kept breaking (plus the fact that I never used any product in my hair then).

Now keep in mind there are several different models of the CHI flat iron.  I bought the most inexpensive one called the Original CHI.  My husband got it on sale at Target but if you do your homework, you can find them even cheaper online.

The only thing I don’t like about the model I have is that there is no temperature adjustment.   It is always on the same setting and and there is no way to turn it up or down.  The temperature for this model is 36o degrees and it is HOT so be very careful not to burn yourself.  Even when I touch my hair after running a section of it through the iron my hair is super hot and it actually burns my hands.  Not so bad that I can’t touch it but it IS really hot.

There are other CHI flat iron models that do have a temperature adjustment but be prepared to pay at least $30-$40 extra for one.  The advantage to having a temperature control is so you can customize the iron to your hair type.  The courser your hair is, the higher the temperature you’ll need and vice versa.  The original model I have does a great job straightening my hair which is considered normal and somewhat fine.  I don’t need anything hotter nor would I want it any hotter.

Bottom line is if you prefer to flat iron your hair regularly and want the least amount of damage, go for the CHI.  After using a crappy more inferior one for so long  I have seen the difference first hand and I can honsetly say without a doubt the CHI flat iron IS definitely worth the investment!