Why dont you just do what you do with your tweezers before you get on the plane and pack the tweezers in your suitcase. I know I would be pretty disgusted if the person next to me was sitting there plucking there eyebrows. And besides how long does a hair grow over 1 day!!

In regards to your straightner, there are alot of post on here about that, see the massive one above this one. I dont use one, but if i had to I would be taking it!

I used my straightener overseas and it worked the same with an adapter as it did without one. Im sure you can buy them here but they can be pricey and bulky. Also makes sure you tak the right adapter with you depending on where you’re going because the outlets are different in europe and asia for example

You probably won’t be allowed to take tweezers on the plane anyway.

Well, I definitely don’t tweeze in front of people =O) I’ll be gone for 3 weeks. I think I’ll leave those home and take a pair a wouldn’t mind security taking from me. Thanks for your responses!

I can’t speak for the tweezers, as I usually put them in my checked bag, but I think you will be fine with the hair straightener for 3 weeks. When I took mine with me (from the U.S. to Europe), I was AMAZED by how much better they work over there! My straightener heated up in about 30 seconds and even though I had it on the lowest setting (I have thick hair and usually keep it on the highest setting) it got super hot and straightened my hair in no time flat. If it takes you 5 mins. to do your hair here, you’ll be in heaven in Europe! Have a great trip!

hmmm…maybe I can check if my straightener has a warranty. HAHA! It doesn’t have temperature settings so I don’t know if that might be a problem. Oh well..

You must have a pretty robust hair straightener, coco. In general, if you plug a 110V hair straightener into 220V socket with no step down transformer or a 50 W step down transformer (the little ones), you will fry your unit. That is why it heated up so quickly. You’re lucky.

My advice to himee is to buy a dual voltage hair straightener in the US. Then all you will need is a plug adapter(s) and no transformer. If you try what coco did, you probably will not be so lucky.

I would not take the tweezers with you in a carry on they will be taken away 100 % I speak from experience. So check them.

I am travelling abroad this summer and had some of the same concerns.. thanks for the tips

Conair does sell a mini travel straightener for about $15. Its ceramic but i don’t know how well it works. It uses one of those butane things and is about one inch. I have corse hair so i’ll probably end up bringing my regular one(Bio Ionic) cause i don’t know if the travel mini one is strong enough. It might be good for touch ups though, in case of humid cities.

Why not just leave the straightner at home and just walk around with frizzies or curls, like all the rest of the backpackers you’ll meet?

Honestly, things that are essential at home like hairdryers, curling irons, straightening irons, hair products, etc. are just silly while backpacking.

Both Conair and Vidal Sassoon market dual voltage straighteners. If you absolutely, positively can’t live without a straightener buy a dual voltage one and take an adapter plug. However, learning to live without the straightener is definitely the prefered option for a backpacker.

BTW — I’m not sure you can take those butane cartridges for the travel straighteners on the plane anymore — either as carry on or checked, so find that out for sure before you buy one.

I’ve decided to do the wavy hair while I’m there. I think that would be the easiest option for me. Thanks everyone!

QUOTE [Why not just leave the straightner at home and just walk around with frizzies or curls, like all the rest of the backpackers you’ll meet?

Honestly, things that are essential at home like hairdryers, curling irons, straightening irons, hair products, etc. are just silly while backpacking.]

Segacs, I am sorry but I completely disagree with you about this issue. If you are the kind of girl that likes to look good, getting on a plane and landing on another continent is not going to all of a sudden have an effect on your brain and change your character. You don’t have to walk around looking like a beauty queen but if looking nice is your thing, trust me, you will want to look nice over there the same as you do while back home. I never understand why people swear that you will just not care how you look while traveling. I think if you are the kind of person that is not so much into their hair and make-up, etc. then yes, it would make sense that you would not travel with beauty supplies. However, if you are the kind of girl that does care, do yourself a favor and take the supplies that make you feel good. The worst thing that could happen is walking around a wonderful city and feeling not yourself. Do what you usually do and enjoy Europe!

P.S. There is ways to look great and pack light. Just buy travel size supplies and take your absolute essentials. If while there you feel as another lipstick would add to your day, there is tons of cool make-up stores over there. Plus, it would make for a nice souvenier ;o)

I was just reading the past conversations and I have to bring a curling Iron. Where can you get the adaptor in the US for your flat Irons?

Check your flat iron carefully, look for words that say something like "Input: 110V-240V" or something along those lines. The numbers are important because North American electricity is 110V and European is usually 220V.

If your flat iron has a wide enough input range to cover both, all you need is a plug adaptor, which you can easily pick up at any travel store, AAA, sometimes even Wal-Mart or places like that. They’re small and no big deal. By the way, most of Europe needs one kind of adaptor but the UK and some other places use another configuration; you might want to pick up a universal adaptor kit (available in the same places).

If, however, your flat iron only accepts North American current, then you would need a voltage converter to use it in Europe. Converters are bulky, heavy, and they rarely work very well; you have a pretty good chance of breaking your appliance and even a risk of causing an electrical fire. I personally wouldn’t bother bringing an appliance that needs a converter; if you must take a flat iron, buy one in Europe or buy one in the US that will work with European electricity.

AS Nicoleg wrote " don’t tweeze on planes" as well as buses or trains – it is rude to groom yourself in public places. Would you like some guy cutting his toenails next to you? – Also, please don’t paint your fingernails on the planes, buses or trains. Do to lack of fresh air the fumes are toxic and there is bad enough body oders to effect you for life. Please be considerate.

THanks for the advise- Hopefully it will be that easy in purchasing the Iron- i don’t think that I would get one in Europe because of the cost however.

lol i love how there is a topic by someone like me! i too am a bit high maintance in things like hair (but the weird thing is i could go 5 days without bathing gross i know). i love my hair straightener and my tweezers so i will definitly bring those when traveling and leave my hair dryer at all since i hardly use it anyway. i would check with the airlines on if you could bring tweezers. you could just tweeze before you go to the airport though same with straghtening your hair. people here will hate me. i pluck my eyebrows in my car if the light is red. i honestly dont care if people see that. i also have given myself a facial on a flight from new york to rome but i did it like at 2 am when hardly anyone was awake. i would love to meet a fellow girl who would want to give facials and stuff on airplanes lol.

Okay people….I have ignored the comments made on this topic but I feel it’s time I redeem myself. First, I never said I groom in public. Secondly, I am not high maintenance. My eyebrows grow fast so I have to pluck every 5 days or so. I have a straightener and a tweezer. But I also generally get ready in about 25 minutes, including shower. Quit misconstruing my words. Thanks to those of you who helped by giving me a serious response. =O)

HI hieeme. i didnt mean to offend you at all. i just thought you were like me who is a bit of a "girlie girl". i guess i am the only gg backpacker who is a minority among backpackers.

well, i’m not a total butch either! haha I just hate it when people come to the conclusion that one is so rediculous and vain because you asked a simple grooming question hehe. I can be girly, trust me!

To Hieeme2

I’m glad U decided to be yourself. So if U have wavy hair, but are also low mainteinance that can be ready in 25 mins including shower, and still look good and be girly… U can do whatever, U’re one in a million !!! By the way, Would U marry me ???