Can You Really Straighten Wet Hair?
Lots of people have asked me, “can you use straighteners on wet hair?” The answer is usually “NO!”. For starters, water and electric appliances do not mix and also do you really want to sizzle your hair dry with a hot piece of metal? But there are some companies who believe that it is possible and they’ve produced special models that can straighten wet hair. The remington wet 2 straight is one of these models.
I love the idea of being able to jump straight out of the shower, skip blow drying and go straight to styling. But is the Remington s7902 wet2straight hair straightener really as good as they say?
Don’t throw away your hairdryer just yet! In this review, I’ll try to answer two main questions:
- Can you use a flat iron on wet hair and still get a result that’s as effective and long-lasting as you would with a classic iron?
- Is the wet to straight flat iron bad for hair?
Read on to check out the reviews, specs and features of the Remington Wet 2 Straight flat iron.
Does it Work “Wet 2 Straight”?
Remington claims that this model works for straightening wet hair because it has special vents to let excess moisture escape. They recommend that you towel-dry hair and flat iron damp hair. Their “hydration therapy” design prevents over-drying, locks in moisture and seals the cuticle. My concern is that too much moisture will be trapped in the hair and, although it will look and feel dry, trapped moisture will leak out during the day and result in a wavy or frizzy look.
Will it Damage Your Hair?
So, “is it bad to flat iron wet hair?”. To answer this, I’d like you to consider what happens when you try to iron a damp shirt. It sizzles! You’re far better to tumble dry the shirt than trying to dry it at the same time as you iron it. If you try to dry the shirt with your iron, you’ll have to go over and over it and you risk burning a hole in it. You may also have excess moisture that creases it up later in the day. It’s exactly the same with your hair! Not only do you have to apply more heat to dry and straighten at the same time, you’re likely to get an attack of the frizz later in the day!
That being said, as long as you follow the wet 2 straight instructions and towel dry your hair so that it’s damp and not dripping wet you should be able to minimize damage but I believe it will still be worse than using it on hair that’s already dried. I don’t like the way the plates sizzle when they touch damp hair!
Great Size Options
My review so far has sounded pretty negative but I do actually think this model has some great features so I’ll throw one in now just to prove it’s not all bad! I love that there’s a choice of plate sizes between 1 inch and 2 inch for this model. The 2 inch plates are probably a way bigger time saver than the wet/dry feature and I think they’re one of the best wide plate hair straighteners in the budget range.
A Budget Price tag: Budget Design?
The Remington wet straight pro price is generally around $40 and, as long as you’re aware that you get what you pay for and don’t have unrealistic expectations, I think this is a really great deal. Note that this is not a professional ceramic iron and the plates are ceramic coated rather than solid so the heat will not be as effective or consistent as professional models and you may get “hotspots” which can burn hair in some parts and leave it frizzy in others.
What do the Customers Say?
Despite my doubts about the quality and effectiveness of this model, a lot of the wet 2 dry reviews have actually been really positive. After more than 1000 reviews on Amazon.com this model has an overall customer rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars. A number of wet straight pro reviews say that the model is really effective on dry hair but when they tried it on wet, it looked straight at first and then became wavy and frizzy as the day went on and it dried out.
There are Less Damaging Ways to Save Time:
If the reason you’re looking at remington wet to dry straighteners is to save time in the morning, I suggest considering alternatives. Flat ironing wet hair would be one way to save time in the morning. But it’s not necessarily the safest or the best way. It is still far less damaging to air dry your hair than to do it with a hot piece of metal. Air drying also means that your straightening result will last much longer so you’ll save time by not having to touch up your style later.
Safer alternatives to saving time by straightening hair while wet include thoroughly towel drying hair before blow drying or choosing flat irons with wider or longer plates so that you can work through hair more quickly. Check out my size considerations article for more advice on plate size.
Also, if time is a concern for you, consider investing in professional instead of cheap flat irons. A higher quality flat iron will save you more time than a budget wet to straight option because the better plate composition means you’ll be able to straighten in a single pass, making the job faster and healthier. My cheap versus expensive article may help you to make up your mind on this point.
My Verdict: Good Price, but not so Sure about the Features.
The Remington s7200 wet2straight straightener gets 3.5 out of 5 stars from me. I like the option of a 2 inch plate and the fact that it’s not solid ceramic is somewhat made up for by the tourmaline coating. I’m not totally convinced that the wet 2 straight features are top notch though (the listing says it will keep hair frizz-free for up to 8 hours and professional models keep it straight basically until the next time you wash it!)
The model has actually been discontinued by the manufacturer which might lead you to question its quality. But, then again, it may also mean that you can pick up an awesome deal! Why not flick over to Amazon.com and check out the current price? Anything under $40 it’s a total steal!
If you’re not sure that this is the model for you, check out the sidebar for more of my flat iron reviews!