Hair Styling Tools

For the last few months I’ve been in somewhat of a funk at work and have been looking for a new career path. Going back to school has always been in the back of my mind, but I’ve never been able to find a subject that really grabbed my attention. My friends and I were talking about our futures the other and it suddenly dawned on me what my passion was: beauty.

Each day I spend hours on my hair and makeup, and I’m constantly doing research to stay-up-to-date on the current trends and fashions. Cosmetology school was the perfect fit! After my epiphany, I immediately went home and enrolled in some classes. I start next week and have already begun buying Denman styling brushes and the other supplies I’ll need.

It’s no secret that hair dryers can wreak havoc on your hair, but sometimes you simply have to get your hair dry quickly and a hair dryer is your only option. Personally, I let my hair dry naturally whenever I get the change, but on occasion, I do have to pull out the hair dryer. Here are a few tips to ensure your locks beat the heat:

~Always read the instruction manual to ensure you are being safe when using your hair dryer.

~Towel your hair off first to reduce the amount of time you use the dryer.

~Start on a low setting and only increase the heat if you need to.

~Dry from the roots to the ends and use a soft brush when you are combing out your hair.

For those of you who have got to that point in your life where you just don’t want to spend as much time on your hair as you used to, have you ever considered using a hot air brush?  While this won’t necessarily fit the bill for all, there are many of us who as we have gotten older, have continued to shorten our hair and opted for easier  hairstyles.

If you don’t have a ton of hair, and don’t need 1875 watts of power, hot air brushes just might be the answer for you. Using a hot air brush can eliminate the need for use of a round brush and a blow dryer if these are the two tools you are used to using when styling or straightening your hair and blow-drying.  Since the hot air brush is blowing air out from its core  through the bristles of this electric brush, you are essentially able to style and dry at the same time and are using only tool rather than two.  This can be ideal for those women who have arthritic issues and/or issues with holding anything up in the air for any extended period of time.  The hot air brush is lightweight and easy to maneuver.  While not every hot air brush in the marketplace comes with all of the following features, each has their own distinct features and depending on how much you want to spend and what features work best on your particular hair type, this will determine which one you may want to consider.

HOT AIR BRUSH FEATURES:

Barrel sizes that range from 3/4″ to 1 1/2″  (full bodied curls to full curls, waves, and body)

Ceramic, Titanium,  and Aluminum Thermal barrels (seals hair cuticle and eliminates frizz, even heat distribution and corrosion resistant to styling products, and holds heat for faster drying),

Ionic dryer (for stay moist hair cuticles resulting in less brittle hair and quicker drying times)

Tangle-free (easy release features whether it be retractable bristles or a rotating vented barrel)

High/Low or Adjustable heat settings

Range in wattage from 250 watts to a 1000 watts

Two different bristle types (nylon as with most round styling brushes or plastic/rubber with ball-tipped bristles)

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Most manufacturers of hot air brushes are continually updating and improving their features.  Hot Tools just recently came out with the CeramicTi® 1 1/4″ hot air brush.  This model has many of the bells and whistles people are looking for.  This particular brush has retractable bristles  for easy one step drying and styling.  The CeramicTi ® element produces far-infrared heat to seal the hair cuticle and eliminates frizz. Hair is soft, radiant and shiny.  The titanium element provides even heat distribution and durability and is corrosion resistant to styling products. It also has an ionic on/off switch to enable you to use the ionic heating capability.  It has ball-tipped bristles that gently grip the hair.  This hot air brush retails for approximately $35.00.

I’d like to think that I knew everything there was to know about the bristles in hair brushes, but it is safer to say I don’t, just in case someone out there has some little tidbit of information I will undoubtedly leave out of this post.  And my disclaimer for this article right up front is that everyone’s hair is different and what works well on one may not work that way on another.  Keeping this in mind, let’s get started.

BALL OR EPOXY TIPPED – These particular brushes can actually be used to style all types of hair. The nice thing about these brushes is that the nylon bristles are flexible.  Both ball-tipped and epoxy-tipped bristles are generaly kind to the hair and scalp.  They were designed to help detangle hair and hold perfectly for blow-drying.  The little ball-tip or epoxy-tip bristles feature a tiny ball of resin that is there to ensure that hair is not damaged while being brushed.

BLENDS – Blended bristles consist of both synthetic and natural bristles.  Blends are sometimes also known as a reinforced bristle, buffered bristle, or fortified bristle.  Blended bristles are more commonly noted for use by those with coarse, wavy, or thick hair.  The boar part of the bristle (natural) helps to polish the hair resulting in shine, and the nylon part of the bristle (synthetic) help to penetrate the hair.  Typically a blended bristle brush will penetrate longer, thicker hair more easily than a 100% boar bristle brush and will not cause split ends.

BOAR – Boar Bristles are also known as natural bristles or pure bristles.  These brushes are generally preferred over synthetic or nylon bristle brushes.  An interesting note about boar bristles and from personal experience, there are many types or qualities of boar bristles.  In looking at a boar bristle brush you will see that the bristles are uneven.  This is so that the bristles can penetrate more easily through your hair, and allowing for fuller and longer brush strokes.  The bristles of a boar brush are judged by their stiffness  I have tested what I call soft bristles and then the very hard type boar bristle.  If you are looking to scratch or massage your head, the harder bristle might be just for you.  100% boar bristles are known to rejuvenate the hair by releasing the natural oil in one’s hair.  Boar bristles are also similar to the keratin of your hair and absorb the dirt and oil just like your hair. Some brush manufacturers will be up front and tell you that 100% boar brushes are not necessarily the best choice for thick hair.  

IONIC –  Ionic bristles on a brush have been charged with negative ions.  This technology came from the same technology applied to your hair styling tools such as hair dryers, hair straighteners, and curling irons.  These negative ions make contact with your hair as you brush through the strands, which results in sealing the hair cuticles and locking in moisture to the hair strands.  Using an ionic bristle brush in combination with an ionic hair styling appliance can be only healthy for your hair.

NYLON OR SYNTHETIC – This type bristle is generally produced as round and smooth at the tips to avoid breaking or tearing the hair.  The synthetic bristle is either singular or has tufts of multiple strands that are known as “fill”, and are made from nylon or stiff plastic.  Synthetic bristles are typically stiffer than boar bristles and unlike boar bristles, they ARE recommended for thicker, heavier hair.  However, this type bristle can be used on all hair types.

If you are in the market for professional hair dryers or flat irons, one of the top selling companies that offers their products at affordable prices is BaByliss.

The BaByliss company now in partnership with Conair,  has several lines of hair styling tools that offer a multitude of options for all of us to select from.  The tools include hair dryers, flat irons, curling irons, specialty irons and hairsetters (hot rollers).  The product lines include BaByliss®PRO, BaBylissPRO TT® Tourmaline Series, Ceramic Tools™, GT Gold Titanium™, Nano Titanium™, and Porcelain Ceramic™.

BaByliss product lines have something unique to offer in each of their product categories and are reasonably priced.  You can buy BaByliss hair dryers for under $40.00.  In particular, the BaByliss Pro Ceramix Hair Dryer that falls in this price range gets reviews such as “Once you use this there is no way you would ever want one of the discount store ones.  With the Babyliss there is no frizzy or dried out hair”.  Their professional curling irons start at under $35.00 and flat irons (straightening irons) from under $25.00.  BaByliss’ hairsetters can be bought for under $25.00.  Naturally, these are the low end prices and each category of styling tools have ranges that are obviously higher depending on how many bells and whistles you want on your tool.  However, given the quality and also that many of their tools come with a 4 year warranty, you are not overpaying for these excellent hair styling tools.

So let me give you a brief rundown on each of the product lines:

The BaByliss®PRO line offers a complete line of appliances and salon essentials that are the most technologically advanced products on the market. Ionic hair dryers and hairsetters with ceramic cores keep the at home user and salons running at top speed.  Customer Review: A comment recently made on the web regarding this product stated, “Babyliss Pro works on all hair types and straightens even the thickest curly hair quickly.  It is an excellent product, all my friends love it as well, it’s big so it does more hair quicker and leaves my hair smooth.  It can get quite hot so use caution when using”.

BaBylissPRO TT® fuses pure tourmaline and ceramic technologies to promote smooth, shiny hair and eliminate frizz. Tourmaline produces far-infrared heat that delivers faster styling times and releases natural ions to combat static and frizz. Combined with ceramic technology that ensures maximum heat efficiency, these two innovations unite to deliver unprecedented styling performance in a beautifully styled tool. Customer Review: This PRO TT hairdryer is amazing, it takes me 10 minutes to do my hair now! All I have to do is toss my head upside down, or, if I make two sections, I don’t even have to use my flat iron, and my hair is spirally curly. I don’t use it on its highest setting either because it gets incredibly hot. I’ve also noticed that my hair is healthier and shinier and I never want to be without it”.

Ceramic Tools™ style with uncommon ease and commanding efficiency because it utilizes the advantages of ceramic technology. Barrels and plates heat evenly and quickly, while natural ions reduce static for frizz-free styling. Far-infrared heat allows faster styling time and reduces the stress on hair. Wrap up smooth, sexy curls or slide through the hair from root to tip for pin-straight styles.

These high-tech GT Gold Titanium™ tools offer quick, smart solutions to challenging hair. Combining 24k gold with high-performance titanium technology, this line provides bold, healthy styling possibilities for thick, brittle, coarse, and chemically treated hair. Both gold and titanium deliver superior heat conductivity while sustaining even temperatures. And titanium has the strength of steel but only 60% of the weight, creating the ideal lightweight styling tool.  One of the more interesting hair styling tools under this line is the specialty iron that is the GT Root Straight Iron/Comb.  This iron straightens the roots from the scalp while adding body and lift.  It is great for use on very curly, frizzy hair, and African-American hair.  Another newer product in this line is the GT mini crimper.  With a 5/8″ plate this crimper is excellent for travel and fits conveniently in your purse.

The Nano Titanium™ line fuses advanced technology, elite design, and powerful performance to create a truly groundbreaking set of products. Utilizing nano technology and harnessing the high-heat conductivity of titanium, the dryers dry hair quicker and the irons straighten faster, with longer-lasting results.  The temperature controls are well positioned and have a heat indicator that enables you to view the temperature setting before proceeding with styling your hair and adjust it during its use as needed.  Sleek, soft metallic-toned Ryton® housings withstand ultra-high temperatures, and the well-balanced, ergonomic design ensures sustained comfort while styling.  A comment made on one of the many other blogs on the internet somewhat tells you just exactly how the nano titanium products work:  ”Being a Woman of Color, the flat iron is my best friend and enemy. A frenemie if you will. I love love LOVE the results of a flat iron and could use it every single day. And herein lies the problem; flat irons essential tool/weapon is its heat factor. And we all know we aren’t supposed to use heat on our hair daily no matter who you are or what your hair type is. That is why it is so important to find a flat iron that is so good you don’t need to use it every day. And that’s where the BaByliss Pro Titanium comes in”.

Porcelain Ceramic™ is the innovative breakthrough fusing porcelain ceramic performance with ionic technology  that creates a set of tools equipped with unlimited styling advantages. Commercial-grade porcelain ceramic within the heating surfaces of the irons and dryers enhances heat distribution and optimizes far-infrared heat and ion production. This delivers extraordinary benefits to your clients’ hair, leaving it silky, shiny and healthy. Customer Review:  My normal curling iron is the Conair Instant Heat, which I LOVE but I have to say using the Babyliss Pro Porcelain Ceramic curling iron — my hair does feel a LOT softer and I have less frizz Yes, I would buy babyliss again, I’m waiting for my order of the 3/4″ & 1 ” curling iron to arrive

Obviously, if you are not already a customer of BaByliss products, I would definitely suggest that the next time you need a hair styling tool, check them out.

Every summer my husband and I pack up our Winnebago and hit the road to explore a different part of North America. Last year we decided to venture south to Guatemala and Belize, but this year we’re keeping our expedition confined to the contiguous US. My husband carped incessantly last time about how much I packed, so I’ve made a concerted effort to lighten my load this time.

I only packed 52 outfits for the three weeks this year, as opposed to the 88 I brought last time. Typically, I have three extra bags for all of my cosmetics and accessories but I invested in travel hot rollers and other compact items, cutting it down to just one bag. My packing may sound a bit excessive, but I like to be comfortable and look my best on vacation—who doesn’t?

Did you ever think that there are actually do’s and don’ts to brushing your hair?  Well, in fact there are, and when it is so important that we do what we can to keep our hair looking healthy and attractive, I thought it would be newsworthy to share some tidbits of information with you.

Most of us have always been told to comb our hair after shampooing rather than brushing.  Several celebrity hairstylists are now saying that it is actually better to brush.  While I might beg to differ when it comes to certain combs that have been specifically designed for detangling freshly washed hair, I can agree that a brush that is a mix of natural boar and nylon bristles has more flexibility and will “give” when it’s time to brush out the tangles after shampooing.   One such brush that I would recommend is the Cricket Smoothing brush.  This brush is a great boar/nylon mixed bristle brush that is known for promoting shine. The cushioned oval pad is soft on the scalp, while the flared bristle pattern shapes and styles. This brush is designed with a sleek, ergonomically correct handle.  So, you could easily look at this as an all-around type brush.

If you have long hair, what is the best brush to use?  Most stylists will recommend that a hair brush that  has balls on the tips is best because these little balls actually keep the hair from splitting and help to prevent your scalp from being sore due to the tugging that would be happening if you weren’t using a ball-tipped brush.  Once again, Cricket is a good source for these ball-tipped type brushes.  The Cricket Cushion Brush #220 is ideal for heavy, thick and/or curly hair.  The metal bristles easily penetrate the hair.

What is the best type of brush to use when you are blow drying your hair?  The Spornette hairbrush comes to mind with this question because from an economical and well constructed brush for the money, their thermal styling brushes are some of the best in the marketplace.  Of course, there are many to choose from and it depends on your hair type, length, and the type of style you are going for as to which one to choose.  One of my personal favorites is the Spornette Ovation Round Thermal Styling brush. This brush has boar bristles that have tourmaline enhanced conditioning nylon.  The vents on this brush provide for quicker drying and styling.

In today’s world it’s all about organization.  It can and probably should start in your bathroom or dressing room.  In other words, wherever you are drying or styling your hair, there has got to be an answer for how to either store or display your hair styling tools in such a way that they aren’t just left laying on your counter and causing clutter.

The most common complaint I hear from men is that the female population in the household are notorious for leaving out hairdryers, flat irons, curling irons, etc., on the bathroom counters or vanities (although I know some men who do the very same thing).   Not only does it look cluttered but sometimes the curling irons and flat irons are left on and burn the countertops.

Well, we are all in luck as there are many accessories now online and in the marketplace that actually are designed to hold our hair styling tools and either keep them neatly organized or off the counter entirely.  These tool holders come in a variety of options including those made from stainless steel to other type materials that withstand extremely high temperatures so if you leave an appliance on, it is not the end of the world.  So, the next time you hear that complaint about leaving out your hairdryer, or other hair styling tool, check out what is available and get on the road to getting organized!

Brazilian Blowouts have actually been available for close to a year or more now and yet they appear to be a treatment that will not be going away any time soon.  More and more hair stylists are becoming certified to perform this process, whether it be the brand name Brazilian Blowout, or another keratin type process that has been designed to do the same or similar type thing.  As you probably already know, these treatments are not cheap and can range anywhere from $150 to $400+, depending on the area, where you go to get the process, and what kind of special deals might be going on at the time.

If the desired goal of a Brazilian Blowout is to relax super-curly hair, add more shine, make wavy/frizzy hair straight but with a natural look to it, allow you to air-dry hair leaving it looking like a flat wave, and decreasing the amount of time it takes to blow dry and leaving your hair silky-smooth….THEN what do you do and use to hopefully extend the life of this keratin process.

It’s all about the haircare products that are used on your hair after you have had the keratin treatment and when to use them.  If your stylist has performed the brand name Brazilian Blowout keratin treatment on your hair there are no time limit restrictions as to when you can wash your hair.  However, most if not all other brands require that you wait a minimum of 24 hours and in some cases up to 96 hours before you wash your hair.  This is because these other processes need the additional time to settle into your hair and ensure that the process is complete and  successful.  No matter which brand of keratin treatment you have had, it is strongly recommended that you use a shampoo and conditioner that is free of sulfates and sodium chloride.  If you don’t, you will definitely strip your hair of the treatment that you not only spent a great deal of money on, but lose out on the time you invested in getting the process done.

There are several sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners in the marketplace, but not all are sodium-chloride free.  I’ve done my research and my vote is for Potions International (PI) Super Moist Shampoo and Super Moist Conditioner.  They are sulfate-free, sodium-chloride-free, paraben-free and are not only great for keratin processing aftercare but for regular use as well.  PI offers an extensive line of haircare products to include a super serum, a fantastic conditioning cream reconstructor made with pure carrot oil called Power Construct. and a whole host of other varieties of shampoos and conditioners.  All Potions International products are made in the USA!!

Marcel curling irons are not typically what the at-home user doing their own hair is accustomed to using to curl their hair. As pictured on the right, most of us are working with a spring curling iron. This is the type curling iron that has a spring loaded mechanism that requires the styler to constantly apply pressure on the handle with their thumb so that the hair stays curled around the barrel

Marcel curling irons actually come in a couple of different varieties.  There is the  type that has a lever that comes with a locking and unlocking device that holds the hair around the barrel.  So, instead of having to hold on to the lever as when using the spring curling iron, you are rotating the lever to open the iron.  You then insert the section of hair for curling and then rotating the lever again the close the iron.  This is not an easy task to do on your own hair, especially if you are an at-home user and not a professional stylist.  This type of marcel curling iron was initially designed for professional hair stylists to use and you still see many old-school stylists using them when styling hair.  Apparently, they give the stylist more flexibility and gives them the opportunity to be more creative.  In my mind the professional stylists should have exclusivity to using this type of curling iron.

The second type of marcel curling iron is the type that is not plugged in because the heat is generated from a specially designed stove that the iron is heated in.  The irons actually come in round versions and flat versions for either straightening or curling hair.  This particular type of marcel iron is more favorably used on African American hair as these irons get extremely hot and work best on very course and thick hair.  Due to the ability for them to get so hot it is important  to test the heat on a stove before applying to the hair.  You can also spritz some water on the iron and if it bubbles up it is usually ok to use.  Typically, straightening black hair with a marcel iron is faster than ceramic irons.  This is in part due to the heavier weight of the iron and oven used for heating.  These irons are used by gripping the section of hair that is to be either straightened or curled between the barrels of the irons.  There is no clamp to this device and it only takes squeezing the barrels together with the handles for it to work.   It is always advised that the right haircare products are used with these irons for ease in styling as well as for protection of the hair.  This type of marcel styling iron is also designed for use by professional stylists.