Just found out my flat iron was 50 degrees hotter than it said

I've been using the same Babyliss flat iron for like 3 years and always set it to 365. Last week I borrowed a friend's infrared thermometer gun she uses for checking heat damage on her color work. Pointed it at my plates and it read 415. That's a huge difference for fine hair. Checked it a few times, same result. Guess I've been cooking my hair way more than I thought. Has anyone else tested their tools and gotten surprised?

2 comments

2 Comments

patricia_wells1mo ago

Those thermometers aren't always accurate on shiny surfaces. The emissivity setting matters a lot and most people don't bother to adjust it for metal or ceramic plates. Your flat iron might actually be fine and your hair damage could be from something else like too much heat styling overall or not using enough protectant. People love to panic over a number on a gadget but real world results matter more. If your hair looked and felt okay at those settings then there's no reason to change anything just because a tool said 415.

calebw501mo ago

People keep arguing about the thermometer reading but nobody's talking about how the temperature control itself on these devices drifts over time. The dial or digital setting you pick isn't always what the plates actually hit because the internal thermostat wears out. So even if your laser gun says 415, the flat iron could be running 50 degrees hotter or colder than what it claims. Makes all this fussing over exact numbers kind of pointless if the tool itself is lying to you from the start.

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