A change in hairstyle and a move away from the stereotypical Cypriot curly hair means that I now have to straighten my hair on a daily basis otherwise I start to look like I've been dragged through a hedgerow backwards by my head. On the recommendation of my stylist I purchased a set of Vidal Sassoon VS880hair straighteners from the salon for £24.99 to keep my hair looking like it had just been styled.
I had no reservations making the purchase as my stylist had used the same make and model when it was originally styled and having heard bad things about the unreliability of GHD hair straighteners I happily left thinking I had a bargain. I have since found this make and model for as low as £12.99 online and can understand why. Having tried to use them to straighten my hair for a week after first buying them, each time the results were truly awful and I resorted to using my iron and ironing board in desperation.
In terms of looks and usability the VS880 are great, with a light silver finish they look quite stylish. Despite having ceramic coated plates there really is next to no weight at all to the straighteners and holding them up to my head for long periods (which I didn’t expect to have to do) was not that hard. The grip is a little smooth but quite narrow so it is easy to get a firm grip, whilst the spring is just right so little effort is needed to close the plates together. As far as safety features go I would have liked to have seen an automatic switch off after a fixed period of time but this is not the case. The only sort of safety feature is a little light which indicates whether it is switched on or off as a warning that the ceramic plates might be hot (wishful thinking!).
Operated by mains power, the first time I plugged them in I nearly wet myself when I returned to my bedroom to find the straighteners vibrating their way across the floor! The vibrations were so strong holding onto them straight away was out of the question due to the weird sensations running down my arm. After 5 minutes, the vibrations did thankfully lessen, but there was still a noticeable buzz coming from them. Not something I had expected, but something I could live with if they worked well.
Before first using the straighteners I followed the recommendation in the frankly poor user manual and let them heat up for a full 10 minutes whilst I treated my hair. As soon as I picked them up I noticed a distinct lack of heat from the ceramic plates. I had expected to feel something if I put my hand near them but there was nothing. Not deterred I clamped the plates around a length of hair and went about straightening only to find that as soon as I let go of my hair it reverted back to how it had been before using, on top of this, my hair didn’t feel hot where the plates had been, it was lukewarm. I left the straighteners for a further 10 minutes and took a minute to read the user manual cover to cover. Again, at the second attempt the results were awful and the plates only just noticeably warmer. I could still touch the plates for a few seconds without it burning. As there is no temperature setting, I couldn't even increase the heat.
This charade went on for a few days before I boxed up the straighteners and took them back to the salon believing I had a faulty set. The replacements I received were exactly the same and these were returned for a refund a few days after that.
I would not recommend the Vidal Sassoon VS880 at all. They look fantastic but are completely useless. It is a sad indictment that an iron and ironing board can produce results that by far exceed a specialist product in a shorter space of time and with a lot less hassle. For me, these hair straighteners are by far my worst purchase of 2007 and a mistake I will not be making again. If you need a set of hair straighteners avoid this product like the plague, I know I will. I am now delighted with my replacement straighteners from Salon UK.
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May 16th, 2007
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