Ionic, ceramic, tourmaline flat irons?

I am very confused about the different types of flat irons. What is the difference between ionic, ceramic, and tourmaline flat irons and what are the benefits to each for your hair. Which kind would you recommend for relaxed 4b hair? Thanks for any info you have.Ionic, ceramic, tourmaline flat irons?
As a stylist, I have used a lot of flat irons/hair straighteners, including Sedu, Hai, Infrashine, Chi, Paul Mitchell, Solia, Big Sexy, Andis, Babyliss Ghd, T3, Kenta etc. You should get a Professional hair straightener, they style much better and faster, and most importantly, they protect your hair.





In terms of performance:





The best ones are: Sedu, Kenta, Solia, Infrashine, Ghd. These are top of the line professional brands





Above average: Chi, Hai, Paul Mitchell,





Average: T3, Big Sexy, Andis, Babyliss





Below Average: Conair, Vidal Sassoon, Revlon, Bed Head etc. These are cheap consumer brands that you will find in drugstore. If you care about your hair, do NOT buy them.





=== Flat Iron Hair Straighteners FAQ ======





Q: What size should I choose?





A: For most people, 1';, 1-1/4'; or 1.5'; are all good choices. If you have very thick, coarse, long or ethic hair, bigger size (1.5'; or 2';) will save you some time. If you have thin, fine hair, get a smaller one (1'; or 3/4';).





Q: What temperature should I should on my hair?





A: Based on my expereince, 380F is the average temperature to use. If you hair is thick and coarse, bump it up a bit, if you hair is fine or overprocessed, start it at somewhere 300F, and try it. If the setting does not work well for you, increase a bit until you get a setting that works well for you but does not burn your hair. Trial and error.





=== Helpful Flat Iron Instruction Video ====





How to Curl Hair With Straightener





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfoihBOzP鈥?/a>





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k57daS_c_鈥?/a>





http://www.folica.com/info/curl-hair-fla鈥?/a>





http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-curl鈥?/a>





How to Use a Flat Iron





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov7NWAWPb鈥?/a>





How to Add Volume to Your Hair:





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCyLM_kuu鈥?/a>





How to Create Sexy Waves with a Flat Iron





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7_Olhlb2鈥?/a>





How to Flip your Hair:





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrMPuIdQ0鈥?/a>





=== Tips for buying professional hair appliances ===





Do NOT buy professional hair appliances from unauthorized places like amazom.com, eBay, Target, Walmart, etc. Because if you do, manufacturers will refuse to honor the warranty. Buy from licensed places like salon, licensed professional beauty stores like Folica.com, Ulta.com, West Coast Beauty Supply Inc. etcIonic, ceramic, tourmaline flat irons?
After straightening my hair for 5 years...and having to go through a new cheap flat iron each year due to burn-outs..I decided that it ultimately would be cheaper to invest in a good iron that would last me a few years. So I read the reviews and recommendations for the Sedu, and I totally agree with all of them - this iron is by far the BEST I have ever used. My hair stylist even has this ionic-ceramic iron he got from a convention in Europe, supposedly top of the line, and the Sedu is SOOO much better. This thing leaves your hair looking and feeling like silk, no exaggeration. It will save you so much money in the long run - I went from using 5 different products to 2, and I use a lot less of them, too. Plus, I can roll out of bed with a head of wavy hair and have it straight in 3 minutes.