If you're thinking of investing in a hair tool, this is your sign.

I haven’t gone a week without straightening my hair since I was eight years old. 

I’m 25 now, so that’s a lot of hours, days and years dedicated to my hair.

When I first started using heat on my hair, I wasn’t aware of how I could avoid damaging it, and to be quite honest, I had absolutely no concept of what heat protectant was.

I thought frying my hair at 200 degrees was the price I had to pay for having the sleek, straight hair I always wanted. I know now it doesn’t have to be a choice between one or the other.

There are high-quality straighteners that don’t compromise your hair health. This week, I trialled The Original Iron from CLOUD NINE to test exactly that. 

Before straightening my natural hair. 

Image: Supplied.

I would describe my hair as naturally curly, wavy and thick, but not the aesthetic, uniform waves you see on Pinterest and save as inspo to show your hairdresser.

My hair can be uneven, unkempt and unpredictable. After I wash my hair, it's truthfully up to chance that it dries in a way that allows me to walk out the door without any styling required.

Sometimes, it dries beautifully and I don’t have to do a thing. Other times, I figure it’s easier for me to go in with my straightener, iron out the waves, and know my hair will be easily styled for the next three days.

What I found most fascinating about trialling The Original Iron was the CLOUD NINE Temperature Calculator. The brand is built on the idea that every hair experience is unique, and because of this, every hair straightener temperature should cater to that. 

Before using the hair straightener, I jumped online to use the Temperature Calculator and discovered which styling heat was best for my hair within a few minutes. I was taken through a series of questions identifying my hair type and hair styling habits, only to find out my optimal styling temperature is 150 degrees with Revive Mode.

For context, CLOUD NINE’s Revive Mode uses Axial Vibration Technology to stop the breakage cycle and avoid friction once the hair is fed through.

Straightening with The Original Iron.

I started out by spraying my damp hair with the CLOUD NINE Magical Quick Dry Potion which halves the time of drying hair while protecting it from heat damage. 

The spray uses an oil-based formula to lock in moisture and reduce frizz and flyaways. 

Image: Supplied.

After switching on the tool and setting the temperature to my recommended 150 degrees, I sectioned my hair in half and did my usual straightening routine. 

The results? Glossy, smooth hair with 25 per cent less heat than I normally use.

Left natural, right straightened! Image: Supplied.

There was no friction at any point and the straightener practically glided down, taking only a few run-throughs to get each piece of my hair perfectly straight. 

Image: Supplied.

Curling my straight hair. 

Do I have wavy, curly hair naturally? Yes.

Do I still default to straightening and then curling my hair? Also yes.

Wavy or curly-haired girls will understand that hair straightener curls hit differently than your natural hair.

They’re more uniform and give off that fresh-from-the-salon look. Luckily, because of my hair type, they also hold for ages, lasting all day and night.

The Original Iron was easy to use and, similar to straightening, seamlessly glided all the way down to leave behind a perfect, bouncy curl.

Image: Supplied.

Touching up day-three hair. 

If my hair isn’t greasy by day three, sometimes I pop some dry shampoo and run a straightener over any kinks in an attempt to extend having straight hair for as long as possible.

I decided to test out and see if I could get my hair back to that sleek, shiny finish it had before.

A reminder that day-three hair has been slept on, tied up, and rarely stays straight if you’re someone with naturally wavy or curly hair.

With a quick round using The Original Iron, it took my hair from looking like day three to day one, as if it had been freshly straightened, proving itself as an everyday hair tool no matter what stage of the washing schedule you’re on.

(Can I also just say, obsessed with the straightener's hibernation mode, where it automatically switches the tool off after 30 minutes of being inactive. Peace of mind for the mornings I'm rushing out the door and sending a courtesy text to my parents to check that I actually did turn my straightener off. I'm sure they'll miss that!)

My final verdict. 

Image: Supplied.

Whether you’re straightening or curling your hair with CLOUD NINE’s The Original Iron, you don’t have to worry about friction or frying.

You can actually feel the cushioning of the mineral-infused plates as they clamp down, and you’ll find that you probably don’t require as much heat as you thought you did.

What I love most about this product is that it promises to get you the look you’re after at the safest temperature possible, and it delivers.

Shop the CLOUD NINE The Original Iron online.

Feature Image: Supplied.