Back before I made the decision to get locs, I – like many other Black women – had relaxed hair. As such, I curled and flat ironed my hair into heat damage that soon turned into breakage. This was devastating, because I had spent a year growing my hair and had just gotten it to 1.5 inches past my shoulders. All of that work only to be reduced to a rather blunt pixie cut. Mayhaps if I had the L'Orèal Light Straight + Multi-styler back then, I wouldn't have had to make a traumatic trip to the salon, ugly crying all the way.
Created by the Research and Innovation arm over at L'Orèal, the Light Straight + Multi-styler uses a patented near-infrared light technology and a lower temperature (320°F) than traditional heated hair tools. There are a myriad of flat irons on the market, the hottest of which can have a max temperature of 450°F.
Near-infrared light falls just beyond the visible spectrum. L'Orèal claims that the light penetrates deeply into the hair fibers, gently loosening the hydrogen bonds to reshape molecular structures that determine the hair's shape and texture. This also keeps the heat off your hair's cuticles (the outermost layer), staving off heat damage and that telltale fried hair smell. It also means your hair stays shinier and stronger, avoiding heat damage.
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Styling at higher temperatures can potentially damage the hair by breaking down keratin protein in its protective layer. (It's also found in skin and nails.) When that happens, you weaken the strands as well as knock out any of the shine you associate with healthy hair. You try to fix it with product, and now you have heat- damaged follicles that are drowning in ineffectual oils, mousse, and serums.
The Light Straight + Multi-styler seeks to nip the problem in the bud, as the device never gets hotter than 320°F degrees. L'Orèal claims the Multi-styler can straighten hair three times faster and two times smoother than premium devices on the market. And while heat is definitely a factor in the equation, L'Orèal's leaning into near-infrared light to get the job done.
To further protect your tresses, the Multi-styler has integrated smart sensors with proprietary algorithms and machine learning. (AI's everywhere, even in your hair!) The more you use the Multi-styler, the more it will adapt to how you navigate styling your hair and maximize the experience, says L'Orèal.
So as a lady that falls somewhere in that 4b/4c Black woman hair texture range, I was concerned if the Multi-styler would work with my hair. L'Orèal says the product can handle all hair textures. However, folks with bleached, dyed, or chemically treated hair might get different results, particularly if the hair is damaged at the base. This is important because your hair gets weaker when you play with chemicals, especially bleach, perms, and relaxers. But this is also true with a regular flat iron or curler.
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I'm extremely curious to see just how straight the device can make my hair type. Will it have the voluminous body of a Dominican blowout? Will it have the satisfying glossy sheen of a good silk press? Or will it be bone straight as if it was done with an old-school hot comb? Unfortunately, I won't get to see the L'Orèal Light Straightener + Multi-styler in action until its launch in 2027. Until then, I'll bide my time watching Brad Mondo hair fail videos.
[Image credit: L'Orèal]
