Everyone has heard the old (tired, but true) expression: “The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence,” and the reason for its lasting use is how it applies to so many other elements of life. It most definitely has always applied to the hair that people were born with. Women born with lovely, perfectly-formed curls, cascading down, almost playfully, when asked would usually give anything to have silky straight, fine hair that always fell into place on its own, and needed no particular help to look good. Then, if you ask someone with that same silky, straight hair their preference, most covet those beautiful curls that they missed out on, in the gene selection that formed their physical characteristics.  Thankfully, over the past few decades, heated hair styling tools have been evolving to give today’s women an almost infinite number of choices for obscuring whatever type of hair they were born with. Take a look at what’s currently trending:

Gold-plated Straightening Irons give even the coarsest of hair the “shaft,” transforming it into silky soft, straight and frizz-free strands. (Prices beginning at $40)

Silk Ceramic Heated Clip Setters are an innovation using ceramic-plated clips that heat up in a little over one minute, and in five short minutes they conform all types of hair into beautiful curls that are smooth and long-lasting.(around $35)

The Heat Stylus is a bit of a hybrid hair tool, with six rows of nylon teeth for managing all hair types the way a brush would, and it also functions as a styling iron that can form romantic mermaid waves or silky strands with equal precision. (around $140)

The Switch Kit gives the most versatility to heated tools for hair styling. Made by a company called Amika, the starter kit comes with one base and a 1-inch interchangeable barrel The Starter Kit (around $100,) gets you started. Then three additional snap-on barrels can be purchased separately. One gives you silky strands; one, romantic waves; and one, lovely curls.

The InStyler Tulip Auto Curler provides a fantastic way for anyone to get professional looking results. Offering a variety of heat and timing settings, you simply place a 1-inch section of hair into the designated chamber. From there, relax and let the curler do the work. it gently winds hair around the barrel. When it sounds three beeps, you have ringlets that cascade down in perfect ribbons. This amazing little tool makes the perfect hair styling tool for everyone who tends to fumble with the sometimes awkwardness of conventional heat styling tools for hair. (Available for $120.)