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Sometimes hairdressers just don't get it. You can already see yourself: hair shining with a bright new colour, perfectly flicking off your shoulders. But no, you come out looking like a cow has licked you. And the colour? Shocking red. This is not the 80s!
All of us have had our share of salon disasters. Even a quick styling job before a special event can go hideously wrong. I've often wished I had the tools and know how to just do things myself. But then again, with my hair I need a professional to do the styling, or else...
Dry, red, curly, unmanageable and definitely rebellious – my hair needs a special touch to be tamed. I have never been able to blow-dry it myself. The best bet's always been: accept your bushy hairdo or go to a professional.
So, you can imagine my skepticism when I was told there's a product that could straighten my hair without too much fuss – yeah right.
I was invited to test the latest gimmick in hair technology – the ghd ceramic styling iron. Now, I have to admit I'm no styling iron guru. I've tried a few, an electric metal iron as well as one that works with gas. But mostly I prefer using a hairdryer and some muscle.
We've all seen the ghd advertisements, "An urban angel, made not born." To tell you the truth, I was never sure what they were advertising. But here I was, sitting in front of a hair salon mirror, hoping to sprout my own little set of urban wings.
In half the time of a normal blow-dry session they were done. The first thing I noticed was how healthy my hair looked. Being very dry, it often looks and feels like dried up grass after a straightening session. I was impressed. My curls were flattened into a dead straight, Hollywood-wannabe style.
The ghd ceramic iron did wonders. In fact, even I thought my hair was maybe a little too straight. What was also interesting is the style stayed like this until I washed it. No frizz, not even after a few hours spent on the beach.
The nice thing about the irons are they're made just as much for personal use as for salon use. In theory this means I can go home and get this exact look, all by myself, at no extra cost. Well, I'm sure it won't look exactly the same as what the hairdresser accomplished. But the point is: it's possible for someone like me to have straight, stylised hair without having to fork out an extra R80.
On the downside: The ceramic iron is expensive compared to the non-ceramic styling irons you buy at places like Clicks. A ghd iron will cost you between R1 300 and R1 650. But if you regularly go to the hairdresser for a styling session, I'm sure this will work out cheaper in the end, plus you can use it after-hours.
Another miracle listed in the booklet, but which I haven't tried, is that the same ceramic iron can also be used to curl, flick or make wavy hair. We'll have to see about that...
Healthwise, ceramic styling tools are better for your hair. When you combine it with a protecting oil or spray, you’ll cause much less damage to your hair than you would using metal tongs and hairdryers. This is because the ghd ceramic technology creates a negative ion charge that actually seals in moisture, natural oils and hair colour.
If you like the ghd ceramic iron I suggest you check out their new summer range. They have everything from a cooling spray to a spray that guarantees the same wavy hairdo that only a day on the beach can create.
Most hair salons now give their customers the option of either styling hair with a blow dryer or a ceramic iron. So next time you're at the hairdresser, ask your stylist to use a ghd ceramic styling iron and try it out for yourself.
