What kind of abapter do I need for a hair strengther?

Amy I assume you mean your hair straightner? It needs to be dual voltage, and all you will need is an adapter plug( cheap)
Warning,even if its dual etc,, it will not work as well overseas,,especially if hair needs a really hot iron( thicker hair etc) .. they never heat up the same as at home. It will be ok if your hair is finer etc. Those of us who do our hair find it challenging in Europe, different water, weak lame hairdryers , poor shower water pressure in some hotels,,,its just not as easy as at home. Now,,waiting for some nature girl to come on and tell us to "put it in a ponytail" lol

If you have a hair straightener with a nameplate that says only, 120VAC, it will not work in Europe (will probably, no will, burn up) without a voltage converter. There might be some sold in this country that can operate on both voltages. They will say something like Input: 100-240VAC, 50-60 Hz. Those will probably have a slide switch to change it from 120V to 230V. In all likelihood, one of these appliance from the US will have a "polarized" plug (one blade wider than the other). This is required to get UL approval here, for your protection, but receptacles on the continent are not polarized, so that protection is lost. Similar appliances sold over there have either a grounding plug or, more likely, are double insulated, and are designed to be safe on their power sources. If you insist on using your polarized American straightener over there, you can use what is called a Euro plug adapter, and they are sold on this website.

amy, It would help to have some idea what specifications are listed on your Hair Straightener. That will determine whether you need only a Plug Adapter, or also a Voltage Converter. The easiest solution is to either buy a dual-voltage model (check the Magellans catalogue) or buy a cheap Hair Straightener when you arrive in Europe. With more detailed information, it will be easier to provide more specific advice. Cheers!

Amy - I bought a dual voltage hair straightener (Revlon) at Walmart for our upcoming GAS tour. It also came with a very small mini hair straightener (only 6 inches long, one inch ceramic plate) that I thought I might actually take instead of the regular sized one. Cost was only $24. By the way, we lived in Lubbock fourteen years....lots of good friends still there! Hope you have a wonderful trip!

Of course I failed to mention as others already have, you'll need the small plug adapter to go along with your dual voltage straightener :)

Amy,
I've blown two CHI flat irons while in Europe. I followed intructions carefully - voltage, adapter, plug... and they both still blew! The last trip I bought cheap one in Paris and it was pretty bad. I've got thick and curly hair so it was no help. I wore a ponytail for the next three weeks.

Amy, Amanda raised a very good point. Hair appliances from this area won't always work well in Europe, and my self destruct. In fact, some manufacturers specifically recommend against using their products on 220 VAC electrical systems, even with Voltage Converters (I know that as I've contacted a few of them for confirmation on that point). If you really MUST have a Hair Straightener, I'd suggest contacting Magellans or buy a reasonably good quality unit when you arrive in Europe. There are most certainly good quality and good performing products available there, as millions of European women also use them. Cheers!

I bought a Voltage Valet dual voltage flat iron in America last month and it's been serving me well in Europe these past few weeks. I tried it at home first and it heats up just as well here as it did there. I've used it primarily at our apartment here in Switzerland, as well as at hotels in France and at a home in Spain. I use it with one adaptor plug ~ akin to the "European Style Adaptor Plug" sold by Magellan's travel shop. Happy travels!

You can purchase a Dual Voltage 1" ceramic hair straightener at Walmart for $20. It is by Remington and it works very well. You will not need a voltage converter for this model, but you will still need a plug adapter. I used this one last fall in 4 different countries in Europe and had no problems at all. Be sure to read the packaging to make sure it is the dual voltage model. They also have an inexpensive hair dryer from the same company. You can have well styled and smooth hair in Europe!