GHD Salon Styler - Hair Straightener

Since the first time I ever experienced straight hair GHD style, I have been on a mission to find a cheap alternative, that would give me the same sleek, straight hair but at a lower price. That was about 3 years ago.

Quick calculation in my head - since then I have spent about £120 on different cheaper alternatives, and then last week I spent £95 on my GHD's. False economy or what eh! All of my cheaper alternatives have done what they said on the box - they have straightened my hair, but there is just SOMETHING about the results you get from GHD straighteners that make them stand out from the rest. So if you read through reviews looking for a cheap alternative, I wouldn't bother. Save yourself money in the long run and buy GHD's.

What are GHD

GHD Stands for Good Hair Day, and you're pretty much guaranteed one of those every time you use them.

They are ceramic straightening irons, which incorporate something called negative ion technology, which seals in moisture, colour and your hairs natural oils. They heat up to 210 degrees in 7 seconds and can straighten your hair to perfection, or can be used to create flicks and curls.

Their appearance

They are quite simply 2 orange coloured ceramic plates in cased in a sturdy black plastic case. They have the distinctive GHD logo on the side, and a small on/off switch in the middle with a red LED, which indicates when they are ready to, used.

How to use

Quite simply, you plug them in, flick the power switch to On, wait 7 seconds and they are ready to use. You know they are ready because the red LED will flicker slightly.

To me, no matter how much 'ion technology' or whatever they want to call it, an appliance has - 210 degrees is still ALOT of heat for your hair to take, and regular use of these will leave you with split ends. So it’s always best to use a product that will protect your hair.

How I achieve my ultra straight locks with my GHD's

After years of being a dyed blonde with really dry hair, I am obsessed with keeping my natural brown hair soft and healthy looking. So I make sure that my hair is protected before I blow dry and straighten it. There are loads of really expensive straightening oils and serums, and they are all fantastic especially GHD's own brand, but I've found that Lee Stafford’s Poker Straight spray works just as well, and is only £3.99 a bottle from Boots.

So after blow-drying my hair, I pin it all up on top of my head leaving just a small amount down to straighten at a time. I spray on my Lee Stafford, and I'm ready to go. As with all straighteners, you start at the root and slowly pull the straighteners down over your hair, and I find that if you pause for a couple of seconds at the ends - it straightens to perfection instantly, so there is no need to go back over it. I have medium length hair and it takes about 30 minutes from start to finish - but I am really fussy about it all being perfect.

To create a flick

Recently I went to a 60's party and I wanted straight hair, which flicked wildly outwards at the bottom. I used my friends GHD's and it was simple. Start at the root as before, pull the straighteners down over your hair and when you get to the end just flick the hair out in the direction you want it to go and hold it for a couple of seconds.

The results from GHD's

The look - Maybe there is something in their ion technology after all, because no other straighteners can make my hair as shiny as GHD's. It literally glimmers. And there is never a kink or a wavy bit in sight.

How long it lasts - Before I had my GHD's I needed to straighten my hair every day before work. I don’t really make a big effort on my appearance for work, I like to look nice but I don’t strive for perfection. I find now that if I've straightened my hair one day with my GHD's, it is still straight and presentable the following day, even after sleeping on it. I've never been able to do this before, and not only does this save me time, but it helps to keep my hair in good condition because it means straightening it less.

I am also very prone to my hair going fizzy in damp or humid conditions - but after straightening with GHD's, it holds the look much longer.

The downside

Its obviously the 210 degree heat that works the magic with these straighteners, but I do find that after I’ve straightened a section of my hair its so hot I cant touch it without feeling a burning sensation on my fingers. After a while it hurts and makes my fingers go red.

I now use a comb and use that rather than my fingers, which I found fiddly at first, but I'm getting there!

Safety

If I straighten my hair in a hurry and then rush out of the house, I always at some stage, have a little panic session. 'Did I switch off my straighteners;?. Its a habit of mine more than anything to flick them off, pull the plug out and lay them on top of my mirror so they cant burn anything whilst they are cooling down.

However - there is always one occasion why something goes wrong. I've now had that occasion and thankfully all was well. I must have left them switched on and plugged in still, but I remember to put them onto of my mirror. When I got home after a day at work, they had switched themselves off and no harm was done. It doesn't say anything on the box about automatically switching themselves off so I don’t know how long they were on for, but I was grateful.

The only thought I have though is what would have happened if I had of them on the carpet or something else flammable??

Where to get GHD's

GHD's are not available in normal places like Boots or Superdrug. They are used by professional hairdressers and can as such be bought in lots of hair salons or shops that sell supplies to hairdressers.

However, a website I would recommend to you is www.ghdhairstraighteners.com. They are currently selling them for £89.95 including free p&p with guaranteed next day delivery for orders placed before 4pm. Not bad eh! They also sell the GHD styling products which are really expensive, but work a tremendously if you fancy treating yourself.

Overall

I really wish I'd just bought these straighteners from the start. They are expensive, but the are the best - why else would professional hairdressers use them! Mine aren't old enough yet to comment on how well they last but I'll be sure to let you know if anything eventful happens.