5 Tips on Choosing The Best Straightener For Thick Curly Hair

Looking to buy a hair straightener? Here are our top 5 tips to choose the best hair straightener for thick curly hair.

Purchasing a hair straightener isn’t as easy as putting a dress in your online shopping cart because you like the color. Considering the fact that you are dealing with something as delicate as your hair, not doing your proper research before purchasing may really take a toll on it in the long run.

One of the biggest factors that you will need to consider when researching flat irons and hair straighteners is the texture of your hair. Thin, delicate or color-treated hair usually requires lower temperatures and adjustable heat settings, while thick and curly hair requires wider heading plates. It can also withstand higher temperatures.

To help you make a well-informed decision, we will give you some of our best tips on choosing the best straightener for curly hair. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into it:

1. Know your hair composition

In order to choose the best hair straightener for thick curly hair, it’s essential to have a better understanding of your hair and its composition.

Hair is composed of 95% keratin - a fibrous and helical protein in the shape of a helix, which is also a part of the composition of the skin and nails. Hair composition plays an important role in the curly hair structure, because it serves as a base of what makes hair look the way it does.

Hair strands are made up of a mixture of protein, minerals, pigments, lipids, carbohydrates and moisture. Proteins such as keratin serve the purpose of keeping the hair strands strong, while lipids like the sebum coat keep them moisturized, and create a protective barrier on the surface of the scalp. 

You might be asking yourself: all of this sounds interesting, but what does it have to do with me choosing the best hair straightener for thick curly hair? 

The answer is simple. The straighter the route down, the easier it is for the sebum to moisturize each strand of hair.

Since thick curly hair comes from oval-shaped follicles with a twist at the bottom, creating more diversions for the sebum, it is more difficult for the natural oils of the scalp to coat strands from root to ends. As a result, curly hair tends to be naturally dry and more prone to damage than straight hair.

For this reason, it is important to select a flat iron that is not only effective in terms of straightening curly hair fast and easy, but is also easy on it and doesn’t cause any extra damage.

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2. Opt for a hair straightener with tourmaline plates

If you are looking for the best straightener for thick curly hair, pay close attention to the type of plates. Plates can be made from various materials. Let’s take a look at the different options:

2.1. Ceramic plates

While ceramic plates are good for holding onto high temperatures and distributing the heat evenly, they usually don’t reach such high temperatures as tourmaline or titanium.

When looking for the best hair straightener for thick curly hair, keep this in mind as the temperature might not be enough for your thick hair, or you may need more time to achieve the results that you can get with a tourmaline or titanium iron.

2.2. Ceramic-coated plates

Some hair straighteners are not fully ceramic, but only ceramic-coated. This means that they are made from metal but only coated with ceramic, which translates to a more uneven heat distribution.

While they are able to reach high temperatures, they are not good at retaining them, making them highly ineffective for your thick curly hair. In addition, the ceramic tends to wear down over time, worsening the uneven distribution of the heat, or simply no longer working at all.

2.3. Titanium plates

Titanium plates are durable and resistant, making them suitable for heavy salon usage, but not as much for daily usage at home. They heat up quickly and have a fast heat transfer, which is something that professional stylists appreciate for their clients.

While titanium plates are a good option for thick and coarse hair, they tend to be quite expensive, and have a reputation for being more challenging to use compared with other types of irons.

In addition, because they reach higher temperatures, they are not recommended for damaged, weakened or fragile hair, and especially one that’s been chemically treated.

2.4. Tourmaline plates

If you are looking for the best straightener for thick curly hair, look no further than flat irons with tourmaline plates. Tourmaline is a gemstone from the crystalline silicate mineral group, and it’s used to coat the plates of a flat iron.

Tourmaline flat irons generate more far-infrared heat than titanium and ceramic ones, and they can produce approximately 6 times more negative ions. These negative ions give them the ability to seal moisture into the cuticle of your hair.

For this reason, hair straighteners with tourmaline plates are also better for dry hair, which is often the case with curly hair as we mentioned previously. The result is smooth, frizz-free, shiny hair.

However, not all tourmaline flat irons are made equal. Awarded the Best Straightener for Thick Curly Hair by Glamour, the NuMe Megastar Flat Iron uses proprietary far infrared heat technology to lock in moisture and ensure effortless styling without damaging your hair.

Best straightener for thick curly hair: the award-winning NuMe Megastar Flat Iron

The award-winning NuMe Megastar Flat Iron includes an infrared light strip built in directly into the plates. It allows wavelengths of far infrared heat to penetrate deeper into the hair shaft, helping to retain moisture and allow for smooth, shiny and effortless styling minus the damage.

3. Look for adjustable heat settings

If you’ve been using a hair straightener without adjustable heat settings to iron your thick, curly hair, it’s time to invest in a high-quality flat iron that can get you the results you want with minimum heat damage.

As we explained in our previous article, having temperature control is essential if you want to straighten your hair without damage. You may have to adjust the temperature of your hair straightener depending on your hair type:

• Thin hair - use the lowest heat setting
• Average thickness - medium heat, ideally between 300-350°
• Thick hair - high heat, between 400° and 450°

Temperature control is an important factor when looking for the best straightener for thick curly hair. Exposure to heat changes the shape of your hair's keratin strands, and the higher the temperature is, the higher the impact on your hair’s elasticity, making it weaker and more prone to damage.

While thick hair usually requires more heat for faster and better results, this doesn’t mean that the highest temperature possible is always the most effective. Ideally, you should start at the lowest setting, and if that’s not enough, increase if needed.

For this reason, always look for adjustable heat settings when doing your research on the best hair straightener for thick curly hair. Being able to control the temperature is key for minimizing unnecessary damage when styling your beautiful thick hair.

4. Know the purpose of your heat styling tool

Another tip on how to choose the best flat iron for curly hair is to know exactly what you are looking for in a heat styling tool.

Are you looking for a tool to straighten your hair exclusively, or do you need something multipurpose to try different curls and hairstyles?

For example, if you need a versatile tool for both straightening and curling, a flat iron with slightly rounded plates and outer rages will make it a lot easier to transform your hair straightener into a curling iron.

The NuMe Megastar Flat Iron would be a perfect choice if you are looking for a high-quality straightener for curly hair. It is also the best hair straightener for damaged hair. 

On another hand, a flat iron with sharper edges is not as versatile, and it will be harder to use as a curling tool.

5. Look for the best value

If you are on the search for the best hair straightener for curly hair, understand that you are dealing with heat. A combination of flat irons made of cheap materials and high temperatures can have a serious impact on your hair, causing irreversible damage including:

• Dryness and dullness
• Breakage and split ends
• Frizziness
• Changed or rough texture

As we mentioned earlier, high temperatures convert the ⍺-keratin to β-keratin, transforming the structure of the hair and causing it to weaken and lose elasticity. For this reason, and especially if you are planning to use your hair straightener frequently, it’s an absolute must to invest in quality.

The NuMe Flat Iron, awarded the best hair straightener for thick curly hair by Glamour, is your best option if you are looking for the best value for your money.

With its proprietary far infrared heat technology, this unique flat iron is designed to give you salon results at home minus all the hair damage.

FAQ on the Best Hair Straightener for Curly Hair

What type of hair straightener is best for curly hair?

Hair straighteners with tourmaline plates are the best straighteners for curly hair because they produce far infrared heat and negative ions, locking in moisture and making your hair smooth and shiny with less damage.

The NuMe Flat Iron is among the best hair straighteners for thick curly hair.

Is ceramic or tourmaline better for thick curly hair?

While both types of plates have their advantages, tourmaline is better for thick curly hair because of the amount of negative ions it emits. Since curly hair tends to be dry, negative ions emitted by the gemstone are highly beneficial for sealing moisture, reducing frizz, and keeping the hair shiny.

Can you straighten really thick curly hair?

Yes, you can perfectly straighten really thick curly hair effectively using a high-quality flat iron such as NuMe. For thick hair, you may need to adjust the temperature of your iron to high heat, usually between 400° and 450°.

How long does it take to straighten thick curly hair?

The time it takes to straighten thick curly hair depends on factors like hair length, thickness, and the straightening method used. On average, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour.

High-quality flat irons with adjustable temperature settings can help expedite the process, but it's crucial to work in small sections, use heat protectant products, and ensure the hair is completely dry to achieve the best results while minimizing heat damage.

Additionally, experience and skill play a role in reducing straightening time.

What happens if you straighten curly hair too much?

Excessive straightening of curly hair can lead to several issues. It may cause dryness, breakage, and split ends due to heat damage. Repeated use of high heat without proper protection can weaken the hair shaft, making it prone to breakage.

Over time, the natural curl pattern may become permanently altered, making it challenging for the hair to return to its original texture.

To prevent damage, it's crucial to use heat protectants, limit straightening frequency, and follow a proper hair care routine to maintain the health and integrity of curly hair.