I really should have proofread my post.

“These flat irons do not heat the hair from the inside out. I suppose it would be possible to heat the hair from the inside out, but I’ve never seen a flat iron that actually does. And even if you could do it, there is no evidence that it would make a noticeable difference.” – How would you know if it did or didn’t? Just give an example like say putting a thermometer on the plates of two or three different kinds of flat irons.

The absence of proof doesn’t make something non-existent. By that logic the mountain gorilla didn’t exist until 1902. Come on now.

Here’s how to prove that far infrared technology has no effect on hair. Three test subjects with the same virgin hair type/texture(it must be CURLY) and they must have three natural colors of hair. One dark brown to black, one redhead, one with light blonde to white hair. If the only effective heat is conduction then all three subjects will have identical results. If far infrared heat(which is arguably a radiation form) plays any part such as smoother or straighter hair then the results will improve as the amount of melanin present in the cortex of each subject’s hair decreases. The darkest hair would have the best results.

Far infrared heat would heat the cortex more than the cuticle since the cuticle is clear.

One possibility is that the presence of far infrared heat(albeit alleged) allows the conduction type heat that touches the cuticle to remain relatively low while the heat generated in the more opaque cortex would be higher and more effective in temporarily relaxing a curl pattern.

In addition to the fact that far infrared(I’m still conceding that it has to be present to do anything) heat would heat hair from the inside out…

It would/should also make any leave in conditioners with heat protection more effective. The vibration caused by the far infrared wave would for lack of a better word relax the water(it evaporates but not completely) molecules in those products. Since the other ingredients are mixed into water the water would/should then carry the “effective” ingredients deeper into the hair providing a better result than w/o heat or just conduction heat.

So yes it has to be present to do anything.(and no I haven’t the evidence beyond my hair feeling/looking awesome in comparison to other types of irons and even blow drying) Since the technology does(whether it’s actually present in hair appliances or not) do what the companies claim it does, your points are scientifically flimsy even to a non-scientist. Why? Because the things far infrared heat does? It does them at the molecular level. Your not being able to see it happening with your bare eyes proves nothing. If it did then I could say cold germs don’t exist because I can’t see them with my bare eyes.

Additionally, while these ions do not break down water molecules (that would just result in hydrogen and oxygen going their separate ways), it does break down the molecular clusters (read: surface tension). This allows the water to penetrate things that it couldn’t have otherwise. Picture it like this: You can’t put a rock through a strainer, but if you grind it up into dust it will go right through. That’s what these negative ions do with water clusters.

I think what you see with the flat iron marketing is not lying, it is just dumbing it down and hyping it back up. But at the end of the day, the tourmaline technology is effective and is scientifically backed.