REVIEW #15: MK-I Halo Ceramic Flat Iron

Disclaimer: While I used temperatures of 360 to 380 F on my hair, I am in no way suggesting that others will not suffer heat damage in that range.  My hair is thick, dense, AND very kinky (except for some fine strands in the back), all of which allow it to undergo this level of heat exposure with no noticeable heat damage.  Learn what temperature range works for YOUR hair.  Here are a couple of blogs that discuss safe ranges of heat usage:

1. http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2009/05/straightening-factshow-hot-is-too-hot.html
2. http://confessionsofablogvixen.com/2011/07/how-to-prevent-heat-damage-when-flat-ironing-natural-hair/

In the midst of straightening.

Purpose: To straighten very curly hair.  Also perfect for Brazilian Keratin Treatments.

Number of trials: 1 (straightened hair was then worn for two full weeks)

How I used it:

Hair was prepoo-ed, washed, conditioned, sealed, and then air-dried in 10 big twists.   Heat protectant was then applied as hair was flat ironed section by section.  The sections were as big as 1 inch by 2-3 inches, some smaller, but none bigger than that.  Only 1-2 passes were used.  The straightener was set to a temperature of 380 degrees Fahrenheit.  (I later tried 360 degrees, which achieved the same level of straightening.)

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THE REVIEW:

I was given this product to review and, to give you my honest opinion, this product is really good for the price.  If you have been following me for a while, then you know that I am a big fan of the GHD iron (the gold professional), which I purchased for $200+ a while ago.  Well, the MK-I Halo is the first straightener that I have used that comes close to the GHD.  What's more? It is priced for almost 45% less!  The MK-I Halo straightens just as well (1-2 passes, minimal effort) but leaves the hair with more volume.  This may be a good thing for those who want straight, voluminous hair.  I am by no means talking about the "frizzy, dry, stiff" kind of volume either;  I am talking about straight, sleek hair that is voluminous.  When I use the GHD, I notice that I lose a lot of the natural bulk in my hair, and I have a more flat look, which I actually like, but others may not.  Voluminous or flat, when it comes to the actual straightening, the two tools are fairly comparable.

Other than the actual straightening, what I like about this tool is that it has an adjustable digital temperature setting, which ranges from 140 to 450 F.  This is ideal for those who want to monitor the temperature they are applying to their strands.  In the future, I would like to use a setting of 300 F just to cut down on my heat exposure, and this tool will allow for that.  The GHD, on the other hand, does not have an adjustable temperature setting; according to the company website, the gold professional iron ranges from 347 to 365 F.

Now for the question of whether the style held up.  Yes, the style held up really well for the full two weeks with minimal reversion.  In my experience, the GHD does slightly better at withholding reversion than the MK-I Halo, though the latter is still pretty good.  Again, the difference between the performances of the two tools is minimal.

What are some other nice features of the MK-I Halo?  It heats up really fast (within seconds, it seems).  It automatically shuts off after the straightener has been on for 30 minutes.  This is a protective feature that comes in handy if you accidentally leave the room or house with the tool still on.  I also received a heat shield pouch, which comes in handy for storing and transporting the straightener.

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PROS: straightens well and effortlessly; leaves the hair looking sleek and voluminous; reasonably priced; digital temperature setting; heats up within seconds; automatic shut off for protection; locks in moisture and does not dry the hair; heat shield storage and transportation pouch

CONS: none really; if you're like me and prefer straight hair that is flat over voluminous, then that might be considered a small con.

RATING: Overall, I give the MK-I Halo Ceramic Flat Iron 4.5 out of 5 stars based on what it accomplishes given the price alone.  It comes close to GHD, but I like the GHD slightly better. However, when it comes to cost, you can spend almost $100 less for the comparable MK-I Halo.  Also, again, you can use less heat with this straightener!

If you are interested in purchasing this tool or other products from Onei, use the "HHB40" code (for 40% off) at www.oneibeauty.com.

This product is ideal for those who:

- have dense, curly/coily/kinky hair

- want the super straight, sleek look for a reasonable price

- want a quality straightener with a temperature setting

Finito.  Put in two big twists for waves.  Note the gloss, shine, and straightness after flat ironing.

FOLLOWING PHOTOS ARE FOR COMPARISON:

Back in 2010 with a name-brand $50 flat iron.  Note the textured, stiff look after straightening.  Similar technique but different flat iron.  I would again get a textured, stiff look with a $60 more heavily-popular flat iron.

After the GHD.  Note the sleek, straight tresses.  Similar results are achieved with the MK-Halo, which is almost 45-50% cheaper.

GHD on the left.  MK-I Halo on the right.  Virtually no visible difference, but prior to achieving the waves, my hair is less voluminous with the GHD.

MK-I Halo on the left.  GHD on the right.  Note the digital screen on the MK-I Halo.

What I am working with when it comes to straightening.  The closest I can get to my natural texture shot.  This is after washing a twistout that was not separated (hence the clumping).  My hair shrinks down to about 2-3 inches.

Healthy Hair Feature Update: Caroline

August 2012.  Fully natural.  About 2 years and 8 months since her last relaxer.

Caroline was previously featured in 2010 for her relaxed tresses in this post. Since then, she has transitioned and big chopped; she is officially natural now.  Read more about her decision to go natural and her current hair care journey below ...

1. What made you go natural?
I had really long hair. Every time I got a relaxer, then blow dried, and flat ironed, I looked like "slickhead", if that's a word.  I did not like the idea of texlaxing as an alternative - slightly textured hair.  I figured, why not just go all the way.  I went natural because I wanted volume and sheen. I didn't want my greasy, thin processed hair anymore.

October 2010. Texture shot after the big chop.

2. How long did you transition? How long have you been natural?
I transitioned for 10 months and big chopped in October 2010.  During my transition, I trimmed over time.

3. Describe your transition?
My transition was difficult because the two textures were competing against each other.  I had really processed, relaxed ends battling my thicker, kinky natural hair.
While transitioning, I initially did the Brazilian Keratin Treatment (BKT) and blowouts at home.  That was about three times.  Then I switched to primarily blowouts.  NOTE: I knew I wanted to be a "press n' curl" natural.  

October 2010. Bob cut and press after the big chop.

4. What is your Healthy Hair routine now that you are natural?
I wash and condition every 2-3 weeks, primarily at a local natural salon.  At the salon, they use Elucence ; if I am washing at home, I use Oyin Honey Wash and Oyin Honey Hemp Conditioner.  For my moisturizer, I use Oyin Whipped Butter and as needed.  At the salon, the styling process is as follows: They wash, condition, and then do a gentle detangling with a wide tooth comb before rinsing.  After rinsing, they apply Moroccan oil, then blowdry with a comb attachment, and then using the tension method.   After this step, they apply heat protectant, and then flat iron with one pass only using the FHI. If I am styling at home, I use the GHD flat iron instead.  I do not do touch-ups (with the flat iron); the style will last me 2-3 weeks.  In addition to my regimen, I take One-A-Day multivitamin.  I also dust every 3 months.

March 2012. Twistout on natural hair.

5. What is your Healthy Body routine? 
I workout 2x a week for at least 30 minutes each time.  My workout routine is a combination of circuit and strength training and cardio.  For my diet, I eat a lot of lean meats, whole grains, fruits and veggies, healthy fats (omega-3's), berries (anti-oxidants) like blackberries and raspberries, and dark leafy greens like kale and spring mixed greens.

6. What advice do have for those seeking healthy tresses?  What tips do you have for "press-n-curl" naturals?
My general advice is to continue to eat healthy and lead a healthy life. Keep active. Length will come. For "press n' curl" naturals: I do switch to all-natural styles if I need a break from the heat. Pay attention to your hair. It's a delicate balance. Assess the health of your hair regularly. Keep it moisturized. I think heat can be your friend if used in the right way.

February 2012.  Pressed and natural.

Oldies, But Goodies

1. No Poo: Baking Soda with Conditioner
2. Reader's Question: How to Gain Weight
3. Review: Karma Organic Nail Polish Remover
4. Basic Regimen for Healthy Relaxed Hair
5. Mixology || It's Avocado Time!

Healthy Hair on Youtube: Kasheera

I stumbled upon youtuber Kasheera while searching for new naturals to which to subscribe.  Her journey exemplifies length retention at its finest.  In just three years since she started growing out her relaxer, she has retained a maximum of 14 inches of growth!  I'm eager to see where she will be next year and the years to come.

You can now find HHB on Facebook. Share with your friends:

http://www.facebook.com/healthyhairandbody.

Free Range Chicken vs. Natural Chicken: Is the Difference Worth It?

Chicken is big part of my diet.  To put it simply, about 60 percent of the meat that I eat is poultry while the remaining 40 percent is split between salmon (about 30) and other meat (the other 10 percent).  That being said, I want to buy the freshest, purest chicken possible ... which is next to impossible ... or is it?

Normally, when I go to purchase chicken at the grocery store, I look for labels that say "natural", "no antibiotics", "no added hormones", and other indicators of minimally-altered poultry.  In particular, I usually pick up the following brand and label at my local market:

Natural chicken. No antibiotics, no added hormones, 100% vegetarian diet, raised cage free.

Now, last week, the store apparently introduced a new labeling for "free range, USDA Organic" chicken.  I immediately substituted that poultry in place of the one I usually purchase because the "free range" and "USDA Organic" labeling are the ultimate indicators of the least-tampered-with chicken ... or are they?

Organic, free range chicken.  No antibiotics, no added hormones, organic vegetarian feed, no preservatives.

I will admit that I want to do more research on just what exactly I am putting into my body when I'm buying my usual "natural" chicken versus this "organic" and "free range" chicken versus just "free range" chicken.  In the mean time, I will leave you all with this snippet from Wiki (not exactly the best place to do research, but it will suffice as an intro to the topic of "free range").

"Free range is a term which outside of the United States denotes a method of farming husbandry where the animals are allowed to roam freely instead of being contained in any manner.  In the United States, USDA regulations apply only to poultry and indicate that the animal has been allowed access to the outside. The USDA regulations do not specify the quality or size of the outside range nor the duration of time an animal must have access to the outside." - Wiki

You can now find HHB on Facebook: 

http://www.facebook.com/healthyhairandbody.

Onei Beauty Discount Code for HHB Readers

Use the product code "HHB40" to receive 40% off of your order from www.oneibeauty.com.  The company offers many products including the MK-I Halo Ceramic straightener (seen below).  This flat iron straightens just as well as my GHD, has a temperature dial (which the GHD doesn't), and is less expensive.  A full review will be coming soon, but don't wait to use the discount code above.  Feel free to spread the word and the code!

Hair Diary || Twistout and More Twists

This will be a monthly series in which I discuss my hair journey from now through my 5-year nappiversary in February 2013.

See what had happened was ... the twistout, which was only supposed to be worn for one weekend, ended up living for two.  Sometimes I get too busy OR lazy to face wash-and-detangle day ...

Twistout after one week.

When I finally braved the task at hand, fortunately my hair was still fairly "detangled" from being in a defined week-old twistout.  I put my hair in 8 big braids, pre-pooed, washed, conditioned, and then comb-detangled.  Then I rinsed out the conditioner, and airdried my hair until somewhere between damp and dry.  After that, I went into my usual twists.  I'll keep this set for two, if not three weeks.

New twists to be worn for 2-3 weeks.

Until next time!

You can now find HHB on Facebook: 

http://www.facebook.com/healthyhairandbody.