The Solution for Stubborn Hair? For a while now, I’ve been recommending the Rusk Professional STR8 Flat Iron (RUSK Engineering Heat Freak and RUSK Professional Straight) for people with African American or other stubborn hair types. But what makes it so good?
Today I’d like to do a comprehensive review of the rusk flat iron and some of the styling and protective products which help it to work so well. If you’ve got a stubborn hair type and you’re wondering which straightener to buy, then this rusk str8 review is a great place to start.
New Material?
Rusk inc like to be at the forefront in new straight iron materials and technology. The Professional STR8 Flat Iron features titanium infused plates (great for generating negative ions to tame frizz) and an exclusive “Sol-Gel” coating which helps it to glide smoothly down a section of hair. The rusk professional str8 iron infused with CTC technology heats evenly so that there are no dangerous hot spots to burn your hair.
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Straightening “hard to straighten” Hair
If you’re looking for that elusive flat iron black hair will bow down to, you might just have found it! Lots of African American women with tight and coarse curls find that the combination of consistent heat and slippery smooth plates work through their hair far more effectively than other irons. If you want to flat iron curls into submission then the Rusk STR8 is a great option.
Not too Fine
Not too Fine
On the same note, this might not be the best straightener for extremely fine or already damaged hair. Its temperatures are in the higher ranges and the lowest it goes is 280 degrees. If your hair is fine or damaged, it doesn’t take much heat to completely fry it so you might be better to go for something cooler. Check out my hair types guide for some free and friendly advice on the flat irons that will be best for your hair.
Check that Temperature
The last thing you want when you’re styling your hair is to totally fry it! Unfortunately, it’s easier to damage your hair than you might think. According to flat iron experts, the ideal flat iron temperature for normal hair is 375 degrees (lower for fine or damaged hair). This flat iron can reach temperatures of up to 450 but you NEVER want to turn it up this hot – it’ll melt your hair cortex from the inside out! Luckily, this model features a digital read-out so that you can set it to a safe temp and then keep an eye on it as your style.
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Team it up with some Protection
Just while we’re talking about heat protection, it’s always a good idea to apply protective products before heat styling your hair and to use a high quality conditioner in between heat treatments. Luckily, Rusk has got you covered.
Straightening Protection
While you’re straightening, you should apply a thermal protector which will help keep your hair in a healthy condition. Rusk produces a thermal shine spray which protects the hair shaft and cuticle and also adds a bit of extra shine. It contains argan oil which is great for improving hair condition. Nearly 70% of Rusk thermal flat iron spray reviews are for the full 5 stars.
Ongoing Care
If you’re straightening regularly, one thing you’ll need is a high quality conditioner to repair hair cells and restore moisture. Rusk has a range of shampoos, conditioners and treatments called deep shine. Rusk deep shine keratin smoothing system reviews are mostly positive and it has an overall customer rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars.
What else have they got?
Rusk makes a couple of types of flat irons as well as hairdryers and a wide range of hair care and styling products. Lots of people ask me about them so I thought I’d throw a couple of quality Rusk options into my review:
The Heat Freak
If you love the Rusk brand but don’t have $70 – $100 to spend on the CTC infused STR8, the Rusk Heat Freak is a slightly cheaper option which retails for around $50. Rusk heat freak flat iron reviews are mainly positive and it has an overall customer rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon.com. Check it out here.
Elimin8
There’s no point going to all the effort of getting your hair beautifully straight and shiny if the color looks terrible. Rusk elimin8 is a color correction system which gets rid of oxidative hair color – perfect to fix up a home job gone wrong. Check it out on Amazon if you like.
Permanent Straightening Systems
An alternative to using a flat iron is permanent straightening and Rusk offers high quality options for this, too. Rusk thermal shiny str8 is a formaldehyde-free keratin hair relaxer which promises to get rid of frizz and leave hair straight and shiny. Personally, I prefer to keep my options open by using a flat iron rather than going permanent. But, if you’re wondering if permanent straightening is for you, check out the rusk thermal str8 permanent straightener system here.
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Buyer Feedback
When shopping for a new hair straightener, it’s always useful to check out what past buyers have to say about it, so I flicked over to the rusk str8 reviews on Amazon.com. There are quite a few reviews from African American women with stubborn curls who say it works brilliantly. Over 75% of rusk str8 iron reviews give it the full 5 stars and that’s a great sign!
What about a Warranty?
One thing which always bothers me when shopping for straighteners is when the warranty information isn’t displayed on the listing. Unfortunately, the rusk warranty is one of those ones which says “contact the manufacturer directly for warranty information.” That’s not very helpful when you’re trying to do a quick flat iron comparison and decide which to buy.
The Final Verdict
I hope this flat iron review (with a few added bonuses!) has been helpful for you. For the record, the Rusk Professional STR8 Flat Iron gets 4 out of 5 stars from me. I love that it has effective heat controls, and the sol-gel technology is great for hard to straighten hair. The only thing that gets me down is the lack of warranty information. This is the flat iron I recommend for African American Hair in my Hair Type Buying Guide.
Is this the straightener for you? Check out the current price on Amazon.com.
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