ghd’s New Interactive Styler Is So Impressive, I Ditched All My Old Hot Tools

Like most of my journalist peers, I view AI with a healthy dose of antipathy. Call me a Luddite, but I don’t want my jewelry to tell me I’m not getting enough sleep or a bottle to scold me when I forget to drink water (it’s pretty often).

There are times, though, when I’ll gladly accept help from the machines, and one of them is taking the chore out of styling my hair. Happily, ghd seems to think it has cracked the code with its brand-new Sculpt Interactive Straightener.

ghd Sculpt Interactive Hair Straightener, $449

What is ghd Sculpt and what are the benefits?

Sculpt is ghd’s first-ever “interactive” styler. According to the brand, it’s “powered by AI that senses, learns and adapts to your hair’s temperature” — monitoring it 2,900 times per second, no less — “for personalized styling.” So, what exactly does that mean? Five times faster styling compared to the ghd Original straightener, better curl definition compared to the ghd Chronos straightener, and 2.5 times less frizz (but more on those later).

Perhaps the most impressive benefit, though, is no heat damage. Impossible, I hear you say! But it makes complete sense. The plates are packed with sensors that measure how much hair is between the plates, how quickly you’re going, and the angle at which you’re holding the tool. All of these factors send information to the sensors, which then decide how much heat you need and, more impressively, how much heat you don’t need. So instead of turning your straightener all the way up to a scorching 230° and keeping it there, the tool itself decides what your hair needs, minimizing damage such as split ends and color fade over time.

Of course, I’d always recommend using some form of heat protection. For me, that comes in the form of styling products, and I like Kérastase Elixir Ultime Hydrating Hair Oil, which not only moisturizes parched strands but also protects against heat and friction from styling.

What makes the ghd Sculpt Interactive Straightener special?

It was top London hairstylist Samantha Cusick who really convinced me, though. At the preview, I watched her conjure up a head full of waves on a model with thick hair worthy of a shampoo commercial in just five minutes flat — and it’s all down to the artfully designed plates.

“Infinity” plates, to be exact. Unlike the OG ghd straighteners, which have a sharp, clunky edge, these boast what the brand calls “waterfall” edges, so there are no seams per se, just a smooth surface all the way around. If you ask me, this makes the tool so ergonomic that, when it comes to creating waves, each section of hair appears to twirl itself into the plates, going in dead straight and coming out as a perfectly formed, almost accidentally perfect tousle — no snagging whatsoever.

Then there’s the shine. ghd promises 90% more versus naturally dried hair, and I can vouch for that. Each wave emerges from the plates with the kind of gloss usually only achieved using tools with dangerously high temperatures — what I thought I needed, since my hair is both thick and naturally curly.

What to know about ghd’s Sculpt Interactive Straightener:

Details

• Personalizes temperature based on hair thickness, movement and styling angle, delivering more or less heat where needed for zero heat damage.

• Features slim “infinity” plates with smooth, waterfall edges, making light work of both straightening hair and creating waves.

• Promises 90% more shine, 2.5 times less frizz, and styles up to five times faster than the original ghd straightener.

How do you use ghd’s Sculpt Interactive Hair Straightener — and is it worth it?

It’s one thing watching an expert use a tool. The real proof was using it at home myself. While I consider myself something of a beauty expert, hairstyling always evades me, mainly because I’m impatient. Going slow with a straightener? I’m more of a ten-speedy-passes kind of person. Curling irons are a mystery to me, too, especially the ones with a clamp. With Sculpt, I can get pin-straight hair and two different types of wave — depending on which angle I hold the straightener — in moments, and it never feels like a chore.

To create a simple barrel-esque wave, I simply feed a section of hair into the plates from the mid-lengths, clamp down and twist the tool away from my face with both hands, pulling the hair through. Even better, I can save time by taking much larger sections of hair. Because these straighteners are so high-tech, the wave they create is just as perfect as when I feed through half the amount of hair with my ghd Chronos — the tool before Sculpt. When brushed, my hair looks professionally blown-out. I also love fashioning cool-girl S-waves by alternating the direction of the twist as I work down the section, creating a soft, undone bend. As for straightening, the plates feel slender and much easier to maneuver than my trusty ghd Chronos, making it easier to reach the roots and flatten frizz. Thanks to the temperature sensors, it takes fewer passes to make my curly hair straight, too.

Final thoughts

I was convinced that nothing could replace my ghd Chronos, but the Sculpt is smarter, niftier, and faster — and, for the first time, I actually don’t dread styling my hair in the morning. I’m also convinced that my hair is in better condition, too. It feels softer, springier and healthier, which could be thanks to the clever temperature control.

Where can you get ghd’s Sculpt Interactive Hair Straightener?

ghd’s Sculpt Interactive Hair Straightener retails for $499 and is available at ghd.com.

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Originally published at www.refinery29.com.

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