Heat styling is nothing new, but what about infrared heat styling? That’s the technology found in Nicky Clarke’s latest professional styling range, but is it really the breakthrough the brand boasts?
The idea behind it certainly sounds intriguing. By combining regular “physical” heat with infrared heat waves which heat hair from the inside out, the claim is that you’ll be styling your hair more gently and also more speedily. According to Nicky Clarke, the tech reduces styling or drying time “by up to 50% – not only saving time but minimising the hair’s exposure to heat”.
Celeb super-stylist Nicky has launched the tech in the form of a hairdryer, currently £99.99 here, claiming that the infrared heat increases blood circulation to the scalp, which in turn helps promote growth.
There’s also an Infrared Pro Straightener, currently £99.99 here, which claims infrared is able to “lock in moisture” and give a sleek, super-shiny finish.
Neither product is cheap, but Nicky promises the results “really live up to the true meaning of professional”. To find out whether infrared really is the hot new thing in hair, we sent the irons to five of our reader testers to investigate…
The verdict
To give the straighteners a thorough test, we chose five testers with a variety of hair types, from straight to wavy and afro. All our testers were regular users of irons, so they could compare how this product compared to their usual styler.
Here's what they thought...
Wavy-haired tester Alexandra told us: “These irons are amazing. I love that they make your hair feel super smooth and sleek and my hair definitely feels and looks healthier.” Compared to her usual (well-known) brand, she added: “This actually makes hair look a lot shinier.”
Straight-haired tester Bettyna told us: “This is the best hair iron I ever have used. It gets my hair really smooth and straight and is much faster. It straightened my hair in less than four minutes! That is just amazing.”
Afro-haired tester Yvonne agreed: “Never has my hair been straightened so quickly at home. The speed of the infrared heat means my hair is straightened in one swoop, making my daily styling routine much simpler and faster compared to my normal straighteners which take much longer to heat up and don't get nearly as hot so quickly.”
Curly-haired tester Nims said: “I love how much easier it is to use. This is the best straightener I have ever used. My usual straightener takes anywhere between 25-30 minutes to straighten all my hair but this straightener does the job within a record time of only 15 minutes. Magic tool!”
Straight haired tester Heather raved: “I am not an expert when it comes to hair, but I find these incredibly easy to use. I love that I simply plug them in, press a button and they are up to temperature in 30 seconds. I can honestly say that these are the best straighteners that I have ever tried! I find I can achieve a polished look in just a few minutes. My hair has never looked as smooth and glossy as it does now and my hair holds the style. I had several people tell me that my hair looked so shiny and one even asked if I'd had a haircut!
So it’s safe to say these irons were a huge hit, with every single tester giving them a five star rating. Definitely a hot tip if you’re looking for a new pair of irons.