Hair Styling Tools

Are you concerned that you are going to damage your hair if you continue to blow dry it?  To answer that question begs the question of  when was the last time you bought a hairdryer?  The reason for the question simply stated,  is that there have been, and will continue to be, ongoing changes to the mechanics of the hairdryer.  Modern technology will continue to be applied to the functionality of this all important hair styling tool.  Having said that, unless your hair is in extremely bad shape from perhaps over-processing or just plain neglect, using an up-to-date blow dryer is not going to make the damage any worse.

If you haven’t heard of ionic technology by now, then it is time to get educated.  When the hairdryer is turned on and you have it pointed at your hair, there is a stream of negatively charged ions that are injected into the airflow and onto your wet hair.  These negative ions break apart water molecules and make them smaller so they are more easily absorbed by your hair or dried through evaporation.  This process results in hair cuticles staying moist and thus, less brittle.   The final result is that your hair dries quicker.

We can actually take this one step further.  If you find a hairdryer that is infused with tourmaline, the tourmaline nano particles naturally generate far-infrared energy when heated.   When the hairdryer is on this penetrating form of heat passes through the hair cuticle,  going directly to the cortex to dry it first.  The cuticle of the hair is no over-dried and resists brittleness and cracking.  This helps your hair maintain its softness and shine.  Tourmaline also helps cleanse hair of odors and impurities.

Now I have hopefully dispelled any concern you might have about a hairdryer ruining your hair, that is,  if you are using a current model.  But what if your hair is still dry and damaged and you are using a current model ionic hairdryer?  Are you using other hair styling tools?  Usually the answer to this is yes.   And, usually, these same people are also coloring their hair, bleaching it, and doing everything that is possible to their hair but now suffering the consequences.  Regardless of all of the new technology in hair styling tools, whether it is a hairdryer, flat iron, curling iron, etc., a head of hair can only take so much.  Not all of the haircare products available to you will be able to save your hair if you are not treating it with some caution and limiting the amount of things you are doing to it.

If you are fortunate enough to have enough hair to be able to air dry it rather than blow dry it because you need the body, lift, and style that can be accomplished with a styling brush, then go for it.  Let’s face it, if your hair is long and straight, or your hair is naturally curly and you wear it that way, and,  if you have the time to let it air dry, then do it.  Most of us don’t have the luxury of time and rely on whatever electronic gadget there is to help us get out the door faster.

Whenever I hear friends or colleagues talk about buying a hairdryer, I sometimes cringe when I hear them say they just bought one at the local discount store (Target, Walmart, K-Mart,etc.).  The comments typically start out with “I only paid $20.00 and it works just fine,” or “why should I pay all that extra money for a professional hairdryer  or salon hair dryer, when I can just pick one up at _______ for really cheap.”  You see the operative word here is “cheap”.    I equate “cheap” to you get what you pay for.   When it comes to hairdryers, and you are going for ”cheap”, this typically means $20.00 or less.  But did you know that if you are willing to shop the web, you can actually find some professional hairdryers in the $20.00 price range?  Typically this might be a sale or a low end professional blow dryer, but the fact remains that there are some professional dryers out there that are “inexpensive”.

So why go for a professional model hair dryer versus a standard one?  Well, let me ask another question, “how much does the health of your hair matter to you?”   I hope that you are savvy enough to know that a standard dryer will, after time, end up damaging your hair.  For this very reason, professional hair stylists either when asked, or if they really care about your hair, will recommend that you purchase a professional hair dryer.  Most people who are skeptical about this recommendation will come up with excuses why not to buy one.   Probably the most popular one I hear is that “the stylist is just saying that because they sell dryers in the salon and they want to make more money.”  In reality this can be true but more times than not, a stylist wants repeat business and they are actually giving you sound sound advice.   And,  just because a stylist recommends that you buy a professional dryer, it doesn’t mean you have to buy it from the salon. 

Ok, so after you get through the financial excuses for why you shouldn’t buy a professional dryer, and if someone could prove to you that financially in the long run it will pay off for you to “give in” and buy one, what are the reasons you should do so?  

If someone told you that your hair would be less prone to split ends and drying out, and that your hair will look shinier and fuller, would you be interested?  Also, would it interest you to know  that with a professional dryer you would be spending less time drying and using  40%  to 50% less heat?  This means no overheating of the dryer, especially if you have a lot of hair, whether it be short or long.  These are just a few of the benefits of a professional dryer. 

 The truth of the matter is that when you pay more for something, whether it be a hairdryer, a vacuum cleaner, a coffee maker, etc. you are typically paying for better quality, better benefits, and usually more options.  I think we as consumers all know this and yet, when it sometimes comes to buying a personal item such as a hairdryer, we are hesitant to spend the extra money.    Additionally, when you spend more for something, you also expect it to last longer.  That is not to say that there are always exceptions to every rule and lemons can be found in anything that is manufactured in quantity.  This is obviously the exception to the rule.

Professional hairdryers are built to last longer.  Keep in mind that stylists are using their hairdryers all day long and we at-home stylists are either using them at the most once daily or every couple of days. 

So, have I convinced you?  The choice is yours, however, I think investing in a professional hairdryer is a no brainer.  For many of us, we just aren’t happy unless our hair looks good.  How do we keep our hair healthy so that it can look good when you style it?   Buy a professional hairdryer and then answer the question.

How many of you honestly can say that styling your hair with a blow dryer and styling brushes is relatively easy for you?  I have no problem admitting that while I seem to be able to style one side of the hair on my head, I always have problems with the other side.  I don’t know if it makes a difference when you or left-handed or right-handed, but being right handed I always have problems with styling the left side at the back of my head but no problem styling the right side.   Perhaps it all boils down to being able to have one hand free to help do the job.  However, as we all know, it takes one hand to hold the styling brush and one hand to hold the dryer.

If you fit into the category of at-home stylists as described above, then this question is directed to you.  Have you ever tried using a hot air brush?  If not, you just might want to try one because in my opinion,  hot air brushes   are definitely the solution to one hand styling.  While styling the sections of your hair, you can easily use one hand to hold the hot air brush and use the other to help roll the section of hair around the barrel.  This makes it so much easier to make sure you are getting the hair properly wound around the barrel. 

Hot air brushes basically come in two different styles.  First there is the flexible and soft ball-tipped bristle type.  This hot air brush gently grips your hair and rests softly against the head.  The Helen of Troy Professional Tangle-Free Brush helps do the finishing touches on drying your hair along with the styling brush all in one.  It is best to start out with relatively dry hair when using the hot air brush.  I feel that damp hair works best.    The rotating vented barrel will release tangle-free curls and with its 250 watt motor it is enough power to style your damp hair in a relatively short period of time.   Please note that unless your hair is extremely fine and short, you don’t want to count on a hot air brush to take care of the drying and the styling all in one.  With this particular model, you can select from three sizes, 3/4″, 1″ and 1 1/2″.    

The second type of hot air brush is the nylon brush bristle type.  Both Helen of Troy and Hot Tools have very good models available.  Between the two you can find them also in the 3/4″, 1″ and 1 1/2″ sizes.  The nylon brush bristle hot air brushes help hold your hair in place while styling.  I find this to be true with those of us who have fine or thin hair.  On the Hot Tools model, a curl release button allows the curls and waves of your hair to be released tangle-free.  The two different models available by Hot Tools come in 800 watt and 1000 watt versions.  With this increased wattage, you have the capability to dry more of your hair along with the styling.  The nylon bristle Helen of Troy model comes with 300 watts of power. 

If you are looking for ionic features, the Hot Tools 1 1/2″ Ionic Hot Air Brush is the one to get.  The anti-static ionic dryer and styler dries your hair faster. Negative ions reduce the size of water droplets on your hair, allowing more water to be absorbed. This helps condition, soften, and make your hair shinier while adding volume.

If someone asked you the question what is meant by a Salon Style Hair Dryer, would you think the question meant the type of professional hairdryers that people sit under at the beauty salon, or would you think it meant a salon hair dryer, i.e. a hair dryer used by a salon stylist or salon professional? 

In my mind a salon style hair dryer is one that is typically found just in a beauty salon and it is the type  that you sit under while either drying your hair or having your hair processed for a perm or hair color.  If we are on the same page, then you are in the right spot.

Salon style hairdryers do not have to be exclusive to a beauty salon.  There are several brands in the marketplace that offer the hooded rollabout type dryer.  These dryers are inexpensively priced considering the alternative of having one that is identical to one in a salon.  In fact, some smaller salons use the hooded rollabout type dryer because of its ease in maneuverability.

So, if what you want in your home or salon business is an alternative to the higher priced hooded dryers, the rollabout models are the answer.   Two of the more popular brands that are available are the BaByliss and Hot Tools brands. 

The BaByliss Ionic Hooded Stand Up Dryer is a 1600 watt dryer that comes with 3 temperature settings.  The ionic technology conditions the hair for a softer,shinier look and reduces frizz while drying the hair faster.  The adjustable bonnet  with the lift-up visor is an added convenience for easy fitting.  BaByliss provides a 2 year limited manufacturer’s warranty.

The Hot Tools Tourmaline Hooded Roll About Stand Up Hairdryer is an 1875 watt dryer that comes with 2 speeds and 4 heat options.  This dryer too has the ionic technology but also the extra added tourmaline feature which cleanses hair of odors and impurities.  The nano tourmaline is a  penetrating form of  heat that passes through the hair cuticle, resulting in more shine and softness with less over-dried hair.   Hot Tools also has an adjustable visor which can be adjusted to your comfort.  Hot Tools provides a 1 year limited manufacturer’s warranty.

Both dryers are an excellent value and aside from the previously mentioned features, they have other features that they share in common.  Both have removable lint filters for ease in cleaning, adjustable height, and long cords for ease in placement.

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.

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.

Bangs go in and out of style and if you are skeptical about chopping off any length from your hair, perhaps just getting some bangs might be all you need for a hair style transformation.  As we know, bangs come in all lengths and styles and one certainly has much to choose from.

So now that I have suggested that all you might need is adding bangs, what is the best way to style them and what is the proper care?

First and foremost, I recommend that you have your bangs professionally cut.  The reason I say this is that there are so many things one must consider before starting to style them.  Each person’s hair type is unique and the manner in which your hair grows on your head is an important factor in how the bangs should be cut.  In terms of the length there are things to consider such as shrinkage after the hair is dried.  This definitely pertains to hair that is naturally curly or wavy.  Even if you don’t have curly or wavy hair, your hair will shrink up when dried and again depending on the way it grows from the scalp, you might have a cowlick that needs to be addressed.

Ok, you have washed your hair and you are ready to blow it dry.  When styling bangs it is usually best to dry the rest of your hair and save the bangs for last.  You will want your bangs to be damp so if they have dried while the rest of your hair was blown dry, spray some water on the bangs.  The next step is to apply haircare products such as an extra or super hold gel.  Now you need a small round brush so that you can dry your bangs from the roots to the ends.  Dry upward and forward until the bangs are dry.  Make sure that you keep the brush moving while you are drying and don’t spend all your time on one section.  You don’t want to end up with dried out looking bangs.   The end result for this drying technique is  that your bangs will have that curved look that can be seen from the side of your face.  This bang style is good for those of us who have large noses and want to have the attention drawn away from this.  Keep the brush moving while drying and don’t concentrate on one area too long. Doing so can make your hair look dried out and damaged.

What about having your bangs styled to one side?  Again, starting with damp hair, apply the gel and then taking your hairdryer, blow dry the bangs to one side using a paddle brush.

Or, what about if your bangs are a little longer and you want to create a somewhat more stylish bang that has a wavy curled back look?  Once again make sure your bangs are damp and apply that styling gel or whatever product you choose.  Place your paddle brush on the top of your head right behind your bangs and slowly blow dry your bangs from the roots to the ends in a backwards motion.  Sometime using hair straighteners becomes necessary if  you are having some difficulty getting the hold you want.  Be sure to use the flat iron on dry hair only unless you have a wet to dry flat iron.   

When using flat irons to aid in styling your bangs, I recommend using a mini flat iron which is actually a 1/2 inch plate size.  This enables you to get as close to the roots as possible and there is less possibility of burning yourself while styling.

Lastly, if you are looking for a blunt bangs look,  set your straightener on a medium heat setting and start as close to the root as you feel you can.  Quickly move the straightener to the ends of your hair.  Take a fine-tooth comb and comb your hair into place.

Whatever type hair you have or whatever style you are comfortable with, be bold and create that new style with bangs!

Did you know that according to a recent www.allure.com poll, that 35% of women blow-dry their hair every day?  In reality that is a staggering number.  Knowing this, tells us all that a hairdryer is an essential item for most working women and females that are generally in the age bracket from early teens to women in their 60’s and 70’s.  What all of this equates to in terms of the number of hairdryers in the households of these individuals must be huge.

Looking back in history, I found that the first hand-held dryer was available in the marketplace in 1925 and it only produced 100 watts of heat.  It took an additional 20 years for the wattage to be increased to 300 watts.  Then, in the 1960’s a 500 watt hairdryer was produced.     In the late 1970’s safety was the focus for most manufacturers of hairdryers.  It wasn’t until the 1990’s that a portable hair dryer could produce over 1500 watts of heat.  Up until this time, the only electric motors that were available to be used limited the power that a hairdryer could have.  With time there was improvement in plastic technology and new insulating materials that resulted in the lightweight hairdryers that are available today.

As we all know, today there are 2000 watt professional hairdryers available for purchase today.  For those of us who grew up in the 1960’s and 1970’s it is hard to imagine that we even made it through that period of time with what is now considered archaic hair styling appliances.  Thank goodness for modern technology!!

When it comes to buying a professional hairdryer, you simply can’t beat the quality of a Conair. I’ve had my same Conair hair dryer for about ten years now, and it still works great, and I have yet to have any problems. In addition, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dropped it on my bathroom counter or the floor while trying to use a hair brush and hand mirror. Conair hair dryers just seem much more durable than other brands I’ve owned.

Despite their obvious salon quality, Conair hair dryers are available in just about every location from drug stores to super markets. I don’t think it matters which model you buy. I happen to have one of the retro style metal plated ones, but as far as I know from talking to friends and others, they all work great.

Are you challenged when it comes to using a styling brush and blow dryer at the same time?  It always looks so easy when the hair stylist does it, but when we get home and try to do it ourselves, it isn’t as easy as we thought it would be.

Hot air brushes have been around for awhile and the technology continues to improve their performance.  One of the technologies that has become more and more prevalent in hair styling tools is ionic technology.   In fact, the Hot Tools 1 1/2 inch Ionic Hot Air Brush has such technology.  This is wonderful for those of us who are concerned about our hair’s softness and shine.  It also helps reduce fly away hair.

Of course there are several brands of hot air brushes in the marketplace.  Some come with nylon bristles and others come with flexible ball-tipped bristles.   One advantage of the flexible ball-tipped bristle hot air brushes is that the bristles gently grip your hair and rest softly against your head.  They are also considered tangle-proof.  The locking barrel switch locks in place for curling and it unlocks when you are ready to unwind the hair from the barrel.  The advantages of a nylon bristle hot air brush is that the bristles also gently grip your hair for exceptional control in styling.

My personal preference is the nylon bristle hot air brushes simply because for my hair type, which is fine and short hair, the hair tends to curl better with this type bristle.  This may not be true of other types hair.  Additionally, if you have very thick hair I would not recommend this type of styling appliance as it will inevitably take longer to dry and style.  If there are any of you out there reading this article and find that this is not true for you, I would love to hear about it.  

Prices for hot air brushes range anywhere from the high teens to the mid thirty dollar range.