Hair Styling Tools

If you are planning to travel internationally and taking a curling iron is a must, you need to be prepared for the fact that plugging in your curling iron in the United States and plugging in your curling iron abroad is just not the same.  And, if you don’t want to short out your curling iron or even blow out a fuse where you are staying, the following precautions should be taken.

When traveling outside of the United States, it is important to find out what electrical voltage is used in the country where you are traveling and what type of adaptor or plug is needed to plug your appliances into the outlet.  Most electrical appliances made for use in the United States work at 115 volts.  While most of North and South America, the Caribbean, and Japan also use 110-voltage electricity, most countries in Europe and other parts of the world have 220-volt electrical outlets.  

So……what about curling irons?  Well, when shopping for a curling iron to take abroad, you need to be looking for dual voltage curling irons.  There are several in the marketplace to choose from.  Once you have bought the iron, you will find that either the curling iron will automatically adjust to the proper voltage or there will be an identifiable button or lever on the appliance that you will adjust.  It is extremely important that you read the instructions provided with the curling iron with regard to using the dual voltage feature.  Most dual voltage curling irons will require an adapter plug that is not included with the iron.  The adapter plugs can be found at any travel and luggage store, and also sometimes at Radio Shack.