Essential hairdressing accessories

If you are serious about making your mane your crowning glory, but want to cut down on your salon bills, you need to equip yourself with these essential hairstyle accessories. The right hair dryer, combs and brushes, and curling irons or rollers can do wonders for your hair. Here are some tips on how to choose these styling products.

Hair dryers

Look for a lightweight model, as it will be easier on your arm. Sometimes you will have to hold the dryer in a particular position while combing your hair, which can make your arm sore. It’s also good if your dryer has adjustable temperature and speed controls, as some styles require you to blow dry your hair at a higher setting and then reduce it to a lower setting. This also helps with very fine or damaged hair. Buy a diffuser accessory if your hair is naturally frizzy, as the hairstyle will be frizz-free.

If you want to straighten your hair, you need a dryer that emits more heat and comes attached with a nozzle that can direct the hot air to a particular point. A dryer with tourmaline and ceramic technology produces more heat than the rest.

Hot rollers, curling irons, or hot air brush?

That is the eternal question that annoys all those who want to curl their hair and want to do it fast. The answer depends entirely on the condition, type and texture of your hair, how fast you want it to be done, whether you want soft or tight curls, and how much you are willing to pay for it.

Curlers are the choice if your hair is short and you are looking for stable, well-defined and tight curls. They take less time as they heat up quickly and are perfect for some quick random curls at the ends of your hair. They are definitely easier on the bag, but they tend to leave a dent where they attach to the hair.

Hot rollers are now more expensive, take longer to heat up, and are more suitable if you have long hair and are looking to create softer curls all over your head. With hot rollers, you can curl your hair from the roots and it is definitely the safest option if your hair tends to be damaged easily.

Hot air styling brushes are not very popular, but they are quite effective in creating soft curls quickly even when the hair is still damp.

Hair brushes and combs

It’s an old wives’ tale that 100 strokes a day with a good brush will do wonders for your hair. In fact, brushing or combing too much can damage your hair. However, using a good natural bristle brush or wide tooth comb to detangle the hair causes less damage. Again, the type of brush you should buy depends on the type of hair:

Short hair: small round brush

Long hair: medium-sized padded brush

Curly (or) wavy hair: flat and paddle-shaped brush

Thick hair: metal spoke brush

With the right styling accessory, a good hairspray or hair gel, and a little time, you can transform your dull, lifeless hair into a sparkling halo!