All hot tools aren't that great for your hair — blow dryers, flat irons, and curling irons included. That being said, there are features out there that cause significantly less damage than the hot tools you might be using. For starters, the best curling irons for damaged hair are free of metal barrels and clamps, and have features like ceramic tourmaline materials, specific temperature settings, negative ion generators, and far infrared heat. But what the heck does it all mean?
When it comes to materials, ceramic is considered significantly better than metal because it heats evenly and from the inside-out, rather than just frying the outside, which is good news for your hair. If you want to avoid using excessive heat, specific temperature settings mean that you can choose a temperature that's safe for your hair — preferably the lowest one that gets your curls to last.
Those features sound pretty straightforward, but there are some out there can get downright mysterious: Negative ions, for instance. Curling irons that produce negative ions coat and smooth the hair follicle, which helps prevent dryness and damage. Far infrared heat is another cool feature to look for, since it penetrates the strands to style them quickly and with less damage.
If you're ready to make the switch, these seven curling irons have innovative features to help prevent damaged hair from further damage.
1This Iron That Works Well Even On Low Heat Settings
Infiniti Pro Curling Wand, $28, Amazon
The Infiniti Pro Curling Wand has 1300+ great reviews along with a tapered barre1 things help to create smooth waves with less damage and less frizz, and it heats up in less than 30 seconds. "I don't use a lot of heat on my hair and didn't want it to be too damaging," said one reviewer. "I thought it might not curl very well at the low setting but tried it anyway. It made the most wonderful curls in my hair."
2A Set With Varying Barrel Sizes, Ceramic Tourmaline, & Nine Heat Settings
xtava Satin Wave 5 in 1 Curling Iron, $40, Amazon
The xtava Satin Wave comes with five interchangeable barrels with different thicknesses, and they're all made from ceramic tourmaline. The iron itself even has nine different heat settings for any type of hair, and comes with a free styling glove.
3This Ceramic Brush That Heats Up To Curl Your Hair
Phoebe Curling Iron Brush, $30, Amazon
The bristles on this curling iron brush separate and evenly distribute the strands around the ceramic tourmaline barrel for bouncy, even curls. It also distributes negative ions to keep moisture in, has build-in anti-scald protection, and can be used for straightening or adding volume, too.
4An Affordable Ceramic Option That's Extremely Easy To Use
Bed Head Curlipops Curling Wand, $20, Amazon
Some of the cheaper irons are made with cheaper materials, but this Bed Head Curlipops curling wand has it all. It's got a ceramic barrel, tourmaline technology, and multiple heat settings. It even comes with a heat glove to help you style, and reviewers who have never using another curling iron say that it's extremely easy to get the hang of.
5This Automatic Curler That Uses Steam Instead Of Dry Heat
Showliss STEAM-TECH Curling Iron, $59, Amazon
The Showliss STEAM-TECH Curling Iron curls your hair automatically and without any skill on your part, just by pressing and holding the micro-switch button. It sucks your hair into the barrel and curls it uses steam to hold the hair in place with less damage than dry heat. You can even set different time and heat settings.
6An Iron With A Built-In Ion Generator That Protects Hair From Heat
HRL Ceramic Negative Ion Curling Iron, $36, Amazon
In addition to a ceramic coating and five heat settings with automatic constant temperature technology, this HRL curling iron also has a built-in negative ion generator, which means that it coats the hair and smooths out the open cuticles. It's also got a long barrel suited for long or short hair. "This curling iron is the perfect size to do loose beach curls. The ceramic seems to not fry my hair as much as the metal counterparts, and I think that has something to do with the negative ions it gives off," says one reviewer.
7An Automatic Curler With Far Infrared & Negative Ions
Kiss Products Instawave Automatic Curler, $50, Amazon
Far infrared heat and negative ions both work to trap in moisture and style the hair from the inside out, limiting damage to the surface of the strands. The Kiss Products Instawave Automatic Curler offers both of those things, as well as a patented spinner that automatically wraps your hair around the pearl ceramic barrel for you. It's specifically designed so it won't tangle, and it's got multiple heat settings.
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