A hair styling appliance

A hair straightening apparatus (10, fig.1) comprises two arms (12, 14, fig.1) pivotably coupled together and a heating plate 24 on a facing side of at least one arm. A flexible edge 36, 76 substantially surrounds the periphery of the heating plate 24. The flexible edge has a non-uniform resilience around the periphery of the heating plate. The flexible edge may comprise a flexible skirt 76 and a protective rim 36. The flexible skirt 76 may have reinforcing members such as diagonal struts (90, fig.8a) arranged to increase the resilience at certain areas of the periphery of the heating plate. The plate 24 may be devoid of struts at the middle section and this have a reduced resistance to compressive forces at this point. Cut-outs may be provided instead of struts (see figures 9a-9c). Variations in the cross-section of the protective rim 36 may also allow for variations in the resilience of the flexible edge.