The latest technical leap forward in hair straightening is, without doubt, wet to dry flat irons. Gone are the days where you have to first blow dry your hair perfectly dry before you then straighten it. Wet to Dry flat irons aren't a gimmick either; there is a real advantage by straightening your hair when it's still wet.

Straightening your hair damages it to some degree. By using a top rated flat iron, you lessen the damage done, and if used correctly, the damage is neglible. However, most flat irons require that your hair is first dry - perfectly dry. Blow drying hair also damages hair, therefore straightening hair used to have the double-whammy of heat damage, first with blow drying followed by straightening with flat irons.

To lessen damage to hair caused by heat, some flat iron manufacturers have developed Wet to Dry flat irons. This type of flat iron avoids blow drying hair and so lessens heat damage. Some of the top rated Wet to Dry flat irons are: the T3 Tourmaline Wet-to-Dry flat iron, the Wigo Wet-to-Dry flat iron and the Remington Wet to Dry flat iron.

The Remington Wet to Dry flat iron is the cheapest of these, followed by the Wigo Wet to Dry flat iron. The T3 Tourmaline Wet to Dry is the most expensive; at 3 times the cost of the Remington and 2 times the cost of the Wigo!

All three wet to dry flat irons are excellent but the T3 Tourmaline is by far the best. Mainly this is because the T3 Tourmaline Wet-to-Dry uses crushed Tourmaline on its plates. Tourmaline is a precious stone - a type of silica - that naturally produces negative ions. Tourmaline produces at least 6 times more negative ions than does ceramic. Negative ions close the cuticle layer to create a smooth, silky hair surface and seal in the hair's natural moisture. This provides ultimate shine, color and moisture protection for hair. Negative ions also eliminate static electricity on the hair surface so hair is left silky and frizz-free! It's a real shame about the cost of the T3 Wet to Dry flat iron - perhaps its cost will decrease when it has more competition from other manufacturers.

Although they are advertised as Wet-to-Dry flat irons, they are not meant to be used on soaking wet hair; Hair should first be dried a little with a towel: Damp-to-Dry would be amore appropriate, though less catchy term. Also, Wet-to-Dry flat irons can also be used on dry hair, just as you would do with traditional flat irons.

Whichever Wet-to-Dry flat iron you choose, you can rest assured that Wet to Dry flat irons are here to stay and will become more popular. If you've never heard of wet to dry flat irons, go online and read the many reviews. In conclusion, they have two major advantages over traditional hair strengtheners: you damage your hair less by avoiding having to blow dry it first and it takes less time to straighten your hair.