Hair Styling Tools

Most of us are used to picking up our curling iron to curl our hair.  Some of us use hair straighteners if we are looking for a loose curl, and then there are the hot rollers that will provide our hair with curl.  For those of us who have short hair, or layered hair with shorter lengths, I have found a wonderful, fairly new to the marketplace, 1″ styling brush.

Spornette, who makes a wonderful collection of styling brushes, has now added what they call the Spornette 1″ Boar Rounder.   This lightweight styling brush is aerated and has boar bristles.   Boar bristles on this brush are great because not only will you be contributing to  your hair health, boar brushes also remove shed hair which is great while you are in the process of styling.  Any time that you can integrate a boar bristle brush into your styling routine, you will be glad that you did.  The benefits of a boar bristle brush, whether it be for curling, styling, or just brushing through your hair, you will be enjoying the fact that these type brushes help distribute your natural healthy oils from the scalp to the ends.

What I liked about the Spornette 1″ Boar Rounder brush was that the bristles held my fine hair extremely well while blow-drying each section of hair.  The aerated feature helped to calm down some of the heat  coming from the dryer and as I unrolled each section of hair from the brush, the hair came out very easily and the curl was just as tight as if I had used my curling iron. 

My only word to the wise is to just be aware that any styling brush that has a metal core, will take on the heat from your hairdryer (this is what helps form the curl with your brush)  and you want to be certain you are not touching it with your fingers or getting it close to your face or scalp.

I was out shopping recently to see what the marketplace had to offer in the way of professional hairdryers to see just how many came with attachments.  First of all, most of the professional hairdryers that I am familiar with seem to be only sold in beauty supply stores and hair salons.  The web has far more to offer.  Secondly, the majority of hair dryers only come with concentrators and not diffusers.  So, the hunt was on on for finding diffusers that were sold separately.  This became a very difficult task so I gave up and came home to shop online.

What makes shopping for a diffuser for your hair dryer complicated, is not necessarily where you can find them, but what will fit on the hairdryer you already are using.  Many brands make diffusers for their line of dryers, but not all.  The other thing to take into consideration is what type of diffuser do you need?  Do you have curly hair, straight hair, wavy hair, and what is your goal?

There are basically, three types of diffusers available in the marketplace.  Two of the three are made from a very hard plastic and are typically found as cone shaped.  These usually can be found in a couple of different sizes (small or large) and with prongs or fingers or without.  The third type of diffuser is the Hot Sock, which is made of soft, flexible lightweight foam that adds volume to your hair. Its unique design gives you better overall diffusion.  It literally is so small and weighs only ounces that you can take it anywhere with you.  

So, which diffuser is right for you?  No matter what type hair you have, if you are looking to increase the volume of your hair and don’t really need to style the hair , the prong-type diffuser will work best.  The reason is simple.  While you are blow drying your hair, the diffuser is restricting the bolt of air to a milder force of air, that would otherwise be blowing out an extreme force of air.  At the same time, the fingers of the diffuser are lifting your hair from your head to create volume and maintain whatever type hair you already have.  If your hair is curly, it stays curly.  If your hair is wavy, it stays wavy.   This gentler force of air and diffusion of heat results in less damage to the hair and definitely less frizz.

The second type of diffuser mentioned above is one that does not have prongs.   This type diffuser looks like small round speakers.  Diffusers without fingers generally do the same job as the ones that do have fingers, however, in my opinion typically takes a person a little more time to dry their hair.  Of course it also depends on the size of the diffuser that you are using as a larger model will dry more hair at one time than the smaller.  If you are not necessarily looking for extra volume but still want to reduce the air flow and heat concentration, then this is the one to buy.  The Hot Sock does a similar job but the difference is that this diffuser fits on any size blow dryer, is easier to travel with, and focuses on a smaller section of hair at a time. 

Now, to get to the point of finding a diffuser that fits.  There are many universal diffusers to choose from.  If the nozzle of your blow dryer is perfectly round, the universal diffusers will generally fit.  However, many of the newer brand hairdryers are coming out with elliptical shaped nozzles and some other shapes.  The universal diffuser will not fit these and you will have to contact the manufacturer of your hairdryer to see if they sell one that fits.

One of the more common diffusers sold in the marketplace that a shopper can pretty much rely upon to fit their hairdryer if the nozzle is round shaped is the Helen of Troy Euro diffuser.  The reason this is so popular is that it comes with 4 different size adapters to fit different size round nozzles.

Whatever hair type you have, or hair dryer you have, if you are looking for yet another way to protect the health of your hair, then the diffuser is for you.

When you need a flat iron, the first thing most professionals will tell you is to make sure that whatever you buy has ceramic plates.  Well, what about tourmaline?  What is significant about having tourmaline in the plates of  flat irons?

First of all, whenever the term tourmaline is used with regard to hair straighteners, the reference is really in conjunction with ceramic.  Tourmaline and ceramic go hand in hand.  Both tourmaline and ceramic produce negative ions.  With the addition of tourmaline you are getting more negative ions.

Negative ions are what protect your hair cuticle from damage.  Tourmaline, which is a semi-precious gem, is crushed to a fine powder and then infused into the ceramic plates of the flat iron.  When tourmaline is heated, it becomes charged and generates far-infrared energy.  This penetrating heat passes through the hair cuticle going directly to the cortex to dry it first.  As a result, the hair cuticle does not become over-dried and is resistant to brittleness and cracking.  The natural oils of your hair are sealed and thus this process is what helps your hair maintain its shine and softness.  Tourmaline also destroys odors like smoke, pollutants and perfumes. 

Tourmaline flat irons are available in the marketplace but are not as prevalent as just ceramic flat irons.  You still can’t go wrong with a ceramic flat iron but if you are really concerned about the health of your hair, try to find one that has tourmaline.  Some brands of tourmaline flat irons cost more than just ceramic, but in some cases you will find they are less.   Who knows exactly why that is?

Reading through the all of the popular fashion and women’s magazines I am constantly finding articles written that describe certain hairstyles that are achieved by using different attachments on the hairdryer.  I began to wonder if there were actually very many hair dryers for sale that actually came with the necessary attachments or if they would have to be bought separately.

I narrowed down my research to professional hairdryers and salon style hairdryers as these are typically the most durable and have the most variety of features that I know will help keep my hair healthy.  What I found is that most hair dryers in the $40.00 or more range come with concentrators.  A select few hairdryers in the higher price ranges come with both a concentrator and a diffuser.  That is not to say that all higher price dryers come with diffusers.  I actually found a few lower priced hairdryers that come with a diffuser.  Hot Tools is one of these brands.  One brand that I came across that comes with a diffuser and concentrator is the h2pro brand.  I actually ended up testing one out and was very pleasantly surprised at how powerful and lightweight this blow dryer is. 

The h2pro hairdryer comes in an 1800, 1900, and 2000 watt model.   I especially liked the 1900 watt model for several reasons.  The dryer is actually called The Nano Ultra Light 1900.  This model weighls 25% less than the other models weighing in at 12.65 ounces.  The compact design allows for easy carrying and storage.  One of the features of the dryer is the ceramic tourmaline which helps to seal in moisture while reducing drying time by 50%. There is also a cool shot button to set styles and a turbo button for a little extra boost.   While this dryer is over the $100 price range, I feel it is well worth the money when you take into consideration the features, especially when diffusers are not a cheap attachment.

Just as with clothing, trends with hairstyles come and go.  I like to call it recycling.  Why not?  We are definitely in a world where recycling is so very important.  What is so amazing is that if you hold on to things long enough, whatever it is, it will resurface once again.  Such as is with parting your hair on the side.  For how many years now have females been parting their hair down the middle?

What seems to be coming back into fashion now as displayed by many of the celebs, is that sultry hairdo that is swept to one side.  Mostly you see the part on the side with a slight wave or slight curl to the hair.  This particular style is actually very easy to achieve.

1)  Wash your hair with your favorite shampoo and then blow-dry your hair.

2)  Part your hair with a styling comb on whatever side seems to work best for you. 

3)  Take no more than a 2 inch section of hair and using a larger diameter curling iron wrap your hair around it and hold for approximately 5 to 10 seconds.  Continue to do this around your head till you reach the other side.

4)  Flip your head over and shake out the curls.  If necessary, take a brush to help loosen some of the curls that may not want to fall free.

5)  Spray your favorite shine spray.

6)  If you are feeling nostalgic, pull out an old hair barrette or clip that you haven’t worn in awhile and pin back one of the sides of your hair.  Or, you can put your hair behind your ear on one side. 

Lastly, apply the makeup, spray on your favorite perfume and you are ready to party!!!!!

Growing up I never paid that much attention to how much time my mother would take to get ready to go out anywhere.  I remember just looking at her and seeing what I thought was one of the most beautiful women around.  A bit biased I know, but truly I don’t recall ever seeing her spending all that much time in the bathroom getting ready. 

Now, fast forward to today and trust me, if it takes me anything less than an hour to get ready to leave the house, then I’ve left something off or undone.  Perhaps it is the makeup that I wear that adds on that extra time, but let me tell you, I won’t leave home without it.

Thank goodness for makeup brushes.  I remember a time when I would use cotton swabs to put on my eye shadow because the flimsy little applicator that came with the shadow fell apart after a couple of uses or the eye shadow didn’t come with any type of applicator.  A makeup brush is a must have in my household.  I use various types and many of them I wash out to reuse and they are as good as new.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I am one of those people who try to achieve a passable appearance without spending excessive time and money. With most people, a vast proportion of their cosmetic time and budget goes into their haircare. For men, there is a quick and easy alternative to typical haircuts that save an immense amount of time and money.

A few years ago I bought a hair trimmer and began to cut my own hair about once a week; I also decided to leave my beard the same length of my hair. Now I no longer have to go to the salon, and I spend just 15 minutes a week on my hair. Most mornings all I have to do is rollout of bed and I am good to go.

With the holiday season behind us and the New Year well under way, for many of us January can be a very depressing month.  The parties have taken a dramatic drop-off and the weather can be at its bleakest.  New Year resolutions are in place but are we sticking to them?   

I say that sometimes the simplest change can make a huge difference in one’s outlook.  What about a new hairdo?  It doesn’t have to be as drastic as cutting off your long locks.   So, instead of just looking at your collection of styling combs and styling brushes, use them to create that new look.  It actually could be as simple as changing the part that you wear on the left side of your head to the right side of your head.  Or, perhaps you always wear your hair straight.   Take your curling iron or your hot rollers out and curl away.  And, if you have curls, there are these hair styling tools called hair straighteners (lol) that you can use to straighten away.  What about wearing hair styling accessories such as beautiful barrettes?  Lastly, if your hair is long and you always wear it down, why not pin it up?

While these are not monumental ideas, it doesn’t always take money to make a change.  Just look in your bathroom or dressing area and see what is already there that you can use to make that simple change to your current hairstyle.  You  just might receive some unsolicited compliments and it certainly will bring a smile to that face of yours.

With so many professional styling brushes to choose from, what makes a boar brush stand out?  They tend to be more expensive and yet I see people spending the money for them.  What do they do for your hair that makes it worthwhile to pay the extra cost?   

First of all, boar bristles are natural bristles and are not manufactured like plastic and nylon bristles.  This automatically adds to the cost.  More importantly, however, using a boar bristle brush does so much for your hair.  When using a boar bristle brush you are actually helping to clean your hair.  These brushes also help to redistribute the oils that are produced by your scalp.  And, if you are looking for a brush to help massage your scalp, the boar bristle is the one.  It even seals the cuticles of your hair resulting in shiny hair.

What’s not to like about a boar bristle brush?  They even come in various types and should be selected based on your hair type.  If you have really long hair I would suggest using a paddle brush.  If you have thin or fine hair, try using a brush where the bristles are widely spaced.  If you are styling your hair and are shooting for body or more volume, try a boar bristle round brush.

How many of you out there are just wanting the straight hair you worked so hard to obtain to last more than a day?  For those of us who have curly or wavy hair and want it straight,  it is a process, and to have to go through this on a daily basis is just too much.   Keeping it straight more than a day can be a challenge. 

If you don’t care about how you look when  you go to bed, have you thought of wearing a thick shower cap to bed?  Believe it or not, it works.  It is like wearing a hairnet but for some reason it works better.  I think it’s because you are sealing in moisture.  Or, what about sleeping on a silk scarf or slip, or even a silk pillowcase?  Using one of these also helps hair from riding up the head.  And, lastly, as you are getting ready for your day, consider using the cool shot button on your hairdryer as it also seems to tame any frizz that might have been created during your sleep.

Try out these helpful hints and if you have any of your own, PLEASE SHARE!!