If you have coily/kinky tresses and you’re looking for the best hair straightener for 4C hair, then welcome!
Did you know that using the right straightener for your 4C hair can make a huge difference to its appearance and health?
Sadly, many 4C folk go in with too much heat, and overuse their hair straighteners—leading to frizzy, damaged hair. They don’t even know that you can get specific hair styler tools designed for black hair.
But in this post, we’re going to deep dive into what makes 4C hair tick. We’ll learn how to give it maximum respect with the right flat iron. And more importantly, discover the right usage and styling techniques for using straighteners on 4C hair.
In this article we’re going to look at:
- What is 4C hair?
- Why use straighteners on 4C hair?
- How to avoid heat styling damage on 4C hair
- What you should look for when choosing a straightener for 4C hair
- The best hair straightener recommendations for 4C hair
- Tips for prepping and styling your 4C hair
- Caring for your straighteners
With this guide, you will learn how to get the most out of your heat tool, avoid any heat damage, and maintain the health and beauty of your natural hair.
So, pull up a chair—and let’s go and find the best straightener for 4C hair!
What Is 4C Hair?
This beautiful hair type is known for its very tight and dense coils.
4C hair lives within the “Type 4” category and it’s defined as coily or kinky.
The very tight coils of 4C hair differ from other types in the 4 category, since they have very little visible pattern—unlike 4A with its small, tight S-shaped coils/ringlets, or 4B with its Z-shaped bends.
Since 4C hair experiences significant shrinkage, its texture can appear fluffy or cottony when dry.
4C Hair Is Beautiful and Unique
It will come as no surprise that 4C hair needs lots of care and attention in the form of moisture.
This is because 4C hair is prone to dryness as oils struggle to travel down the tight coils. It can lead to fragility if 4C hair is handled roughly or without moisture.
How to help with this? Well, hydrating water-based products and gentle handling are a great start. You can also use protective styling techniques like twists, braids, and buns, which help 4C hair to retain its length.
Despite its unique care needs, 4C hair can be extremely versatile, since it can be worn stretched, braided, twisted, blown out, or natural.
Why Use Straighteners on 4C Hair?
Many people use flat ironing on their 4C hair to stretch it, trim it evenly, or switch up their style.
Straighteners can help you achieve a polished look—whether you want a sleek blow-dried finish, or to switch up your style, straighteners can help you achieve the look you desire.
Want totally straight hair? You can straighten your hair with hot irons for a completely different look. If you need to trim your hair, you can use straighteners to help, for a precise finish.
You can even make your hair look longer and elongate your curls with the right straighteners.
How To Avoid Heat-Styling Damage on 4C Hair
Even the best flat iron can cause damage if used incorrectly.
The key to styling 4C hair is to avoid using hot tools too often. Aim for 2-3 times a week only.
It makes sense to stick to lower temperatures to prevent heat damage and curl pattern loss. To achieve this, choose a straightener that has precise temperature control. You can start at lower temperatures so that you’re always using the coolest temperature to complete your look.
Finally, you should always use a good heat protectant—up to 450°F (230°C). Look for nourishing ingredients like argan oil, shea butter, or Mongongo oil.
Popular choices include Mielle Mongongo Oil Thermal Spray, Moroccanoil Perfect Defense, CHI 44 Iron Guard, Cantu Thermal Shield, and Color Wow Dream Coat.
What to Look For When Choosing A Straightener for 4C Hair
1. Ceramic or Ceramic Coated Plates
They heat gently and evenly, making them a great choice for 4C hair. Why not choose another material? For very thick and coarse hair, titanium plates might offer faster results, but ceramic is usually recommended as the gentler, safer choice.
To get more life out of your iron, opt for fully ceramic plates instead of merely ceramic-coated ones. Coated straighteners can often chip, leading to snagged and potentially burnt hair.
2. Wide Plates
Wide or extra wide plates can help you straighten larger sections, if this is your styling goal. It’s good to know!
3. Temperature Control
Can you dial down the temperature to find the lowest setting that works for your hair? This is a really useful feature for 4C hair, protecting it against heat damage.
4. Tourmaline Infused Coating
When heated, tourmaline releases negative ions and far-infrared heat. Together, they neutralise frizz-causing positive ions, seal the cuticle, lock in moisture, and reduce static for a shiny and silky smooth finish.
5. Buy High Quality
You really do get what you pay for with hot irons. Invest in a good quality straightener for the best results.
The Best Straightener Recommendations for 4C Hair
Here are my top picks for the best hair straighteners for 4C hair. They give both power (when you need it!) and control, and are fully ceramic:
1. DivaPro Wide Digital Styler
This styler combines salon quality technology while addressing the unique care needs of Type 4C hair.
Firstly, the DivaPro Wide Digital Styler features variable heat settings that range from 110°C to 235°C, making it a cinch to find the right temperature for your hair. The high temperature of this straightener is quite hot, meaning if your hair is super resistant, and you need the extra power, it is most definitely there!
The wide ceramic floating plates come infused with macadamia oil, argan oil, and keratin for extra smooth and silky locks. They let you work through dense, coily, or kinky hair in bigger sections—with hopefully fewer passes, and less tugging!
The ultra-fast heat up time of 7 seconds makes this styler really attractive. And for your safety, you can expect auto shut off after 60 minutes.
£79.99 at Diva
2. REVAMP Wide Ultra X Shine Ceramic Hair Straightener
These wide ceramic straighteners will delight you with just how smoothly they glide over your coils and kinks!
The wider ceramic and ionic cushioned floating plates of the REVAMP Wide Ultra X Shine can help reduce styling time on your thick, coily hair while minimising damage.
I love how the plates are infused with keratin, argan, and coconut oils for extra shine and less frizzy hair!
With its variable settings and digital display, you can easily find that temperature sweet spot for your hair. And talking about temperature, the great thing about REVAMP stylers is that they constantly regulate their temperature for minimum hair damage.
The temperature lock and auto shut‑off features add to this device’s appeal, giving extra peace of mind.
The device comes with a silicone heat mat in the box. A real winning straightener for 4C hair!
If you want a cordless version, try the REVAMP iGen Progloss Cordless Straightener which features a lot of the same technology but with no cords.
£50.99 at Currys
3. Remington PRO-Ceramic Extra Wide
The longer length, extra-wide ceramic plates and adjustable heat settings on the Remington PRO-Ceramic make it a great choice for 4C hair—and especially long 4C hair, because you can take slightly larger sections.
This straightener features a floating plate to give even pressure and alignment when styling.
You’ll also enjoy the temperature lock and auto shut off feature for extra reassurance. The speedy 15 seconds heat up will cut down your styling time, too.
£69.99 at Remington
4. TYMO Ring Plus
The TYMO Ring Plus is something a little bit different for you to consider using on your 4C hair, although it isn’t as wide as the others on my list. This ionic 3D comb is more like a heated styling brush that gives shiny and silky professional results in one pass.
I really love the TYMO Ring Plus because it’s super versatile for different hair types. With 9 temperature settings, you have plenty of settings to try. The LED display makes switching up the settings super easy.
Auto shut off after 30 minutes is a nice safety feature for your convenience. And the box includes some superb extras such as a detangling brush, travel bag, glove, and two hair pins.
£59.99 at TYMO
5. mdlondon STRAIT
If you’re looking for expert-grade tech, the mdlondon STRAIT delivers. You can expect salon-worthy results with clever features to reduce heat exposure to your precious 4C locks.
The longer ceramic plates with a tourmaline coating cleverly pivot to work with your movements for no snagging.
No less than 11 heat settings gives you lots of control of the temperature range. And guess what? There’s also a “Phat” version if you want wider plates.
£89 at mdlondon
6. T3 Lucea ID
Ready for the splurge straightener that cares about smart heat protection for your 4C hair? Try the T3 Lucea ID.
The device features a smart-touch interface and intelligent algorithm which automatically adjusts across 9 heat settings for shiny results and less damage.
The CeraGloss™ ceramic plates contain ionic technology to reduce frizz and smooth the hair cuticle. You can even set it to fresh mode for second-day styles.
£239 at T3 Micro
7. BaByliss Smooth Pro 235
The BaByliss Smooth Pro 235 straightening iron features nano-ceramic plates, 6 digital heat settings, and ionic-technology to reduce frizziness. Its auto shut off feature is a neat little safety addition.
£40 at BaByliss
Now I’ve given you some ideas for the best straightening iron for 4C hair, here are some tips to help you get the most out of your straightening experience.
Tips For Prepping & Styling Your 4C Hair
Preparing your hair for heat styling makes so much difference to your final results!
The first step is to wash and condition your 4C hair with the right products for your hair type.
Next, ensure your hair is free from tangles by combing it with a wide tooth comb. This is especially important if you have long hair.
Before you go in with the heat, make sure your hair is totally dry before using the straighteners!
Using a hair straightener on wet or damp hair makes the water literally boil inside your hair. Yes, that’s right. Boiling hair is never a good thing, and it actually leads to severe damage like split ends, frizz, hair loss, and a coarse hair texture.
Next, divide your dry hair into sections. It is tempting to go in there with wide sections of hair, but the end result is never as good, and you may damage your hair by attempting to use too much heat.
Take a section of hair, and apply a heat protectant spray as per the manufacturers recommendations.
Use the lowest temperature possible. This will minimise heat damage to your hair.
Work slowly and steadily as you straighten each section of your hair.
Finish with a beautiful hair oil or a small amount of serum to help seal the cuticle and really boost the shine of your hair!
Finally, remember to use a deep conditioner once a week—or as much as your hair needs it. This will help to maintain the long term health of your hair.
Caring For Your Straighteners
Did you know that oils and styling creams can soon build up on ceramic straightener plates? And unfortunately, the residue can cause problems like snagging, uneven heat, and dull results.
Caring for your hair straighteners can make a huge difference to both their performance and their safety.
Try this care routine once a week to extend the life of your straighteners and improve your finish:
- First, gently wipe your straighteners clean with a damp cloth. Use a drop of shampoo or washing up liquid in warm water.
- Let them dry fully before putting them away in the storage bag they came in.
- Remember to always use a heat protectant spray. It protects your straighteners, not just your hair!
- Don’t max out the heat—running at a higher temperature every time shortens the internal heating element life and can degrade coatings faster.
- Store them properly. Wait until they are cool before storing, and don’t wrap the cord around the straightener or hang the device by the cord.
- Don’t tug on the cord to unplug the device, as this weakens the cord attachment.
- Finally, know when it’s time to replace them. Don’t use them if there’s any sign of wear or damage to the plates.
With these tips, hopefully you can enjoy your straighteners for many years to come.
Final Thoughts on the Best Straightener for 4C Hair
There are so many hair straighteners available right now. But choosing the best straightener for 4C hair requires both a little knowledge of your hair type, and what styler options are available.
The key is to look for wide, ceramic plates, temperature control, and importantly, reputable brands that share the love of 4C hair and its long term health with you.
I hope I’ve given you plenty of ideas to help you find the best straightener for your 4C hair. Let me know what you think over on my social channels. And don’t forget to subscribe to my blog to stay in touch.
Until next time!
Comments are closed.