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Temperature guide by hair type

Tool makers publish typical heat ranges by hair type. Choose yours to see the range, and start at the low end.

Short answer

Typical maker guidance: 250 to 300 F (121 to 149 C) for fine, thin or damaged hair, 300 to 380 F (149 to 193 C) for normal hair and 380 to 450 F (193 to 232 C) for thick or coarse hair. Start low and go up only if the style does not hold.

Choose your hair type

Hair type
Tool

Typical range, flat iron

300 to 380 °F

149 to 193 °C

  • Start at the low end of the range and go up only if the style does not hold.
  • Use plate tools on dry hair only.
  • Check the manual for your tool: the maker's own guidance comes first.

Reference settings the makers state

  • ghd stylers (Platinum+, Gold), one fixed temperature365 °F (185 °C)
  • Dyson Corrale, three settings330, 365, 410 °F (165, 185, 210 °C)
  • Many pro irons, e.g. BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium, go up to450 °F (232 °C)

Typical published guidance, not a rule. Ranges are the same for flat and curling irons.

The typical ranges

Fine or damaged
Normal
Thick or coarse
250°F
121°C300°F
149°C350°F
177°C400°F
204°C450°F
232°C
330365410
  • 330 °F (165 °C): Dyson Corrale
  • 365 °F (185 °C): ghd, Dyson Corrale
  • 410 °F (210 °C): Dyson Corrale
Typical temperature ranges published by tool makers, with maker reference settings. Typical guidance, not a rule: start at the low end.

  • Fine, thin, damaged or color-treated

    °F
    250 to 300
    °C
    121 to 149

  • Normal or medium

    °F
    300 to 380
    °C
    149 to 193

  • Thick or coarse

    °F
    380 to 450
    °C
    193 to 232
Typical ranges published by tool makers. C = (F - 32) x 5/9, rounded.

Fixed and stepped settings

Not every tool has a dial. ghd stylers such as the Platinum+ and Gold run at one fixed temperature of 365 F (185 C). The Dyson Corrale has three settings: 330, 365 and 410 F (165, 185 and 210 C). Many professional irons, such as the BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium line, go up to 450 F.

Heat is only half of it. Thin sections heat through in one pass, so you rarely need the top of the range. More on that in heat and technique.