How Hot Should a Curling Brush Be? According to Your Hair Type

By Leah Williams •  Updated: 04/17/22

Have you noticed that burnt smell while curling your hair? This is often a sign that your curling brush is definitely too hot for your hair to handle!

Getting the temperature of hot tools right is vital to prevent hair damage and maintain beautiful and healthy hair.

In this article, I’ll focus on giving you an answer to the question – how hot should a curling brush be? Hopefully, after reading you’ll be more careful around curling irons.

Here’s what Lucky Curl has to say…

The right temperature for a curling iron depends on your hair type. For example, you should set your curling wand below 200 degrees Fahrenheit if have fine hair; and for thicker hair, somewhere between 200 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit is suitable to achieve the best curls.

Let’s explore further!

What is the right setting for your curling iron based on your hair type?

Generally speaking, different hair types require different heat settings – the temperature of your curling wand shouldn’t be too high or too low.

Too much heat can burn your hair which makes it fragile and prone to breakage and other hair damage. On the other hand, low temperature is useless if you’re styling your hair.

In this section, I’ll show you the right setting for your curling brush according to hair type. Keep reading!

Finer hair is most prone to heat damage. The strands are too thin compared to thick hair. Setting your curling wand to low heat is the most suitable. Keep it under 200 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid burning your hair.

As for thick hair, you can go up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and nothing more to avoid damaging your hair. However, there are some people who can go up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, especially with coarse hair. I prefer to go lower than that figure just to be sure and to prevent burnt hair.

Moreover, for chemically-treated hair, a curling iron temperature that’s below 200 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. You’ll want to keep your curling brush at a low heat setting to avoid ruining your hair color.

With that said, the right heat setting for your hair really depends. It doesn’t matter what kind of heat tools you’re using to curl your hair – the same rules apply.

 Hair Type  Ideal Temperature
 Fine Hair  200 degrees Fahrenheit
 Thick Hair  350 degrees Fahrenheit
 Chemically Treated Hair  200 degrees Fahrenheit

 

How to Use the Curling Iron Without Damaging Your Hair

Choose the right curling brush.

Curling wands come in various types and sizes and are made of different materials too.

Titanium, ceramic, and tourmaline are the main materials used on curling irons.

Ceramic irons emit negative ions that seal the hair cuticle and repel moisture. It smoothens your hair and makes it look shiny and sleeker after styling.

Tourmaline irons, on the other hand, emit six times more negative ions than ceramic irons. It also smoothens hair cuticles and adds more shine to your hair.

The last type is titanium irons which distribute heat evenly on your hair. It has a smooth barrel surface which prevents the hair from getting caught on the iron.

As for the question, which is the best one? A professional stylist would probably choose tourmaline or ceramic iron. Whatever you choose is completely up to you!

Still, getting to know your curling brush, in general, is vital to prevent damaged hair and to ensure it is the best heat tool for your hair.

Heat matters!

Realistically speaking, it could be hard to come by the best heat setting for your hair. However, as a baseline, you shouldn’t set your curling iron’s temperature too high or too low.

As I mentioned earlier on, finer hair types require low heat settings and thick coarse hair needs a higher temperature for best curls. It’s not only with curling irons – the same goes for blow dryers, flat iron, and other heat styling tools.

In other words, the best temperature setting for your curling brush entirely depends on how much heat your hair can take on.

Heat protectant is a must.

Heat styling protectants are essential for your hair. Be sure to apply it to your hair before styling or blow-drying.

It offers a great deal of protection against hair damage due to styling tools. It doesn’t totally stop the hair damage but it does minimize it.

Still, if you want to stay on the safe side, it doesn’t hurt to grab a heat-styling protectant before curling your hair.

Conclusion

There’s really no perfect heat setting for a curling brush – it depends on how much heat your hair can withstand.

Each hair type requires different heat settings – low heat is suitable for finer hair and high heat for thicker strands.

It is important to choose the right curling brush and to use high-quality hair products to minimize damage to your hair.

If you’re looking to buy a good quality hot curling brush, check out our articles to see the best recommendations!

Leah Williams

Leah Williams is the founder of Lucky Curl and has been in the hair care and styling industry for the last 15 years. Since then, she has developed incredible expertise and a deep understanding of how to treat and style the most difficult hair types and is passionate about sharing her knowledge with the readers of Lucky Curl.

Related Articles