Hair Styling Tools

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.

When I last visited my hair stylist for my usual  7 to 8 week trim and color, I was on the fence as to whether to make a change to my current hair style.  My style really works for me and it actually isn’t all that difficult or time consuming  to do, but there was this nagging feeling that perhaps it was time for a change.  I was flipping through magazines in the reception area and I wasn’t all that intrigued by what I saw.   While sitting in the stylist’s chair I thought I would just ask what the current trends are in hair styles.  I actually was somewhat shocked to hear her say that anything goes.  Since I didn’t really have anything particular in mind, I went ahead and stayed with the usual.  

After leaving the salon I started paying more attention to hairstyles being worn by women just out in the general public and in no particular setting.   My stylist was right.  There is this hodge podge of hair styles going on.  Long hair is either straight, wavy, or curly.  Some have their hair pulled back in a pony tail or hanging loose.  Short hair is styled all different types of ways.  Some women are wearing bangs, and some women aren’t.  So, as I drove home it hit me.  We are so fortunate to be living in this space and this time.  Why??  Because, with the use of a few hair styling tools, we can accomplish just about any hair style we want, whether our hair is long, short, straight, or curly.    

Obviously, having the right hair styling tools, and hair styling accessories isn’t the answer to everything, but it can make our life so much easier.  When I stop to think about when I was a teenager and the only two hair styling tools I owned (and felt ever so fortunate) were a hairdryer and a set of steam hot rollers.   Of course, my hair was long and became very damaged.  Hair health wasn’t the topic of the day back then and the only answer was to either stop using the hot rollers, or to get a trim every two to four weeks.  I remember always getting my mom’s sewing scissors out and individually cutting split ends on my head of hair.  One other major reason that we are so fortunate today to have the multitude of haircare products at our fingertips.  Albeit,  there are so many haircare products available it is sometimes hard to choose just what works for our own particular hair type, the point is that we have these choices!!

The next time you think about going for a hairstyle change, first consider your options in terms of what’s available out there to use to style the head of hair that you already have.  In these tough economic times, we sometimes just have to take alternative routes and much of what we think we need, we might already have, or a friend might have and could be easily borrowed.  Just remember what’s hair today, is still hair tomorrow.

After graduating from high school, I was at a loss as to what career path to pursue. Once I had worked the grill at McDonald’s for a few months, I knew that I needed to get some sort of education. That is when I decided to go to beauty school.

Although I took classes on many aspects of beauty and cosmetics, I developed an affinity for hair and styling. In November, I graduated from my training and immediately started looking for a new job. Luckily there was a salon hiring nearby, and after a series of interviews, I landed the job. The best part was that the company gave me a brand new set of styling combs, clippers and brushes when I started.

Isn’t it wonderful that we live in a time where all of the modern conveniences are right at our fingertips.  Some of these smaller modern conveniences include makeup brushes and for most of us women, we have a nice supply of make-up brushes in our drawer or make-up bags that are collecting  make-up, dust, germs, bacteria, and whatever else can latch itself onto these wonderful little instruments of beauty.

Makeup brushes are aplenty in the marketplace and can range anywhere from under $5.00 (yes there are some that cheap out there) to over $100.  So, if you are like some of us, when a particular make-up brush looks like it has bit the dust, we simply throw it away and buy a new one.  At least that is what most of us do if we didn’t spend that much for the brush in the first place.  Obviously, if you have spent a great deal more for your brushes, one can only hope that you are taking care of them.  Well, why not take care of all of your brushes no matter what the cost?  Let’s face it, in this uncertain economy now, we all need to be a little more serious about spending money.  Right???

So what exactly is proper maintenance for your make-up brushes?  There are several ways that you can clean your brushes.  Let’s start off with the most economical way.

SHAMPOO:    What  better way to save money than to use something you already have on hand.   If your brushes are natural brushes then this is the route to go.  Once a month, mix some warm water with a little shampoo.  Just swish the brushes around in the soapy water and then rinse well.  Pat dry with a towel  and then lay them out flat to air dry.  If your makeup brush is synthetic, use dish soap rather than shampoo and go through the same process.

VINEGAR & WATER:   Most households have vinegar on hand.  Use one part vinegar to two parts water.  Dip your brush into the mixture and swirl around.  Rinse with warm water, pat dry with a paper towel and then lay the brush flat on the towel to air dry.  Did you know that this concoction will also disenfect your brushes and that is great.

FACIAL CLEANSER:   Many of us have this already on hand as well.  If you do, take the cleanser and whatever instructions you follow for cleaning your face, apply to the brush.  Typically, you are rinsing your face with warm water so do the same for the makeup brush.  Again, pat dry and lay flat on a paper towel to air dry.

MAKEUP BRUSH CLEANER:   Last but not least is the Makeup Brush Cleaner which you can probably find in the marketplace at your favorite department store or beauty supply store.  There are all types and brands and price ranges.  Just follow the instructions on the bottle and you are good to go.

BABY WIPES:    Yes, you read it correctly, baby wipes.  This method is usually used just to do a quick daily swipe of the makeup brush to help reduce build-up of make-up residue and oils.   While I would not recommend this to be the only way you clean your makeup brushes, at least it is an interim measure to take before using the other recommended methods.

Of course there are many other methods one can use and perhaps there are some homemade concoctions you have already tried that work for you.  If so, PLEASE SHARE!! 

Lastly, how often should you clean your makeup brushes?  Alot depends on which brush you are referring to.  And, cleaning your makeup brushes becomes a personal preference.  At a minimum, every two weeks to a month is adequate, however, going back to that subject of saving money on buying brushes means being diligent at this process.  Therefore, I recommend with the liquid/cream makeup to do weekly, if not daily.  Powders of any type can go longer but every two weeks is probably best.  Just remember that if the buildup is not coming out of the brush and the shape of the brush is not returning back to its original shape, it just might be time to buy a new brush.

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.

With all of the modern technology and the fact that electric hot rollers have been around for at least the last 30 to 40 years, one would think that the old fashioned hair rollers no longer existed.  The fact is, they are still around and still being used by all aged individuals.  The very young generation will tell you they wouldn’t be caught dead in those rollers and why would anyone want to use them anyway? 

There are many reasons why so many of us still use the old fashioned hair roller.  And, if truth be known, there are many teenagers that are out there using them but just may not want anyone to know.  I had to laugh the other day when I was in an outdoor marketplace that sells beauty supplies.  The booth had a complete rack devoted to all different types of hair rollers.  I was browsing at different items and these two young girls walked by and pointed at the rollers on the rack and started smirking.  One of the girls says to her friend, “see those rollers there, those are the kind my Grandma wears to bed at night.  She swears by them and insists that she doesn’t need to have her hair done other than to get an occasional cut.  The curlers work just fine for her and that’s all she needs.”   It couldn’t have been more than a minute or so after that when a mother and her daughter walked right up to the foam curlers and the mother says to her teenage daughter, “which size of these foam rollers did your sister say she needed?”  Case in point.

Personally, I use hair rollers every other night and I do wear them to bed.  I find the velcro rollers work best for me as I don’t need to use any bobbie pins or clamps to keep them in.  Since my hair is fine, sleeping on it at night results in very limp and flattened hair the next day.  I don’t particularly need to wash and style my hair every day, so the curlers work out great.  Another time the curlers come in handy is when I’m in a hurry in the morning and my blow drying and styling just didn’t work out in certain areas.  All I do is take out one of my velcro rollers and roll that section of hair.  I apply some styling spray and let it take while I’m finishing up getting ready to go.  The results are just what I would expect had I done a good job at styling my hair with my styling brushes and blow dryer.   Sometimes the simplest of gadgets are all one needs to make what would have been a bad hair day, into  a reasonably nice day.

First of all, did you know that hair clippers are really not all that hard to fix?  Well, it’s true but the purpose of this blog today is to provide you with a few simple rules to follow each time you use your hair clippers so that you can avoid having to get repairs made.

The first basic rule in keeping your clippers functioning at an optimum level is the clean the clippers after each and every use.  While this seems painful, especially if you are a barber or hair styliest, some models have a self-cleaning feature so that isn’t going to be an issue.  Second and probably most importantly, read the instructions and guidelines for maintenance that were provided with the hair clipper when you bought it.   Do  take care to always unplug the adapter from the wall outlet without applying any pressure.  Never insert any hard objects to the cutters’ portion of the clipper.  You should never rinse the clipper under water as this will remove the lubrication provided to the clippers.  Avoid using liquid cleaners on the cutters or even on the main body of the unit.  Lastly, keep your hair clippers in shut-off mode when they are not in use. 

While the rules above appear fairly basic, you would be surprised just how many hair clippers do not last past a year with owners/operators failing to do any type of maintenance other than the occasional blowing off the hair from the blades.  Don’t fall into this category and you can feel good about spending your money of one of the nicer and pricier model hair clippers that is going to give you your moneys worth and then some.

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.

During my college years, I decided to grow out my hair like many young males. And also like many young males, I neglected my haircare and didn’t utilize the proper products. After a few years, my hair had transformed into an unmanageable mane.

In order to get my tresses under control, I sought out ways of improving the quality of my hair. The first, and most obvious, step was to begin using a conditioner on a regular basis. This made my hair softer and more controllable, eliminating the knots and allowing me to achieve something other than the “bed head” look.

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.