Brushes and Combs and Curlers Oh My!

 Whenever someone new would come to my salon, one of the many things I would discuss with them was...what kind of tools are you using on your hair and scalp? Most of them had never had a stylist, cosmetologist, hairdresser ask questions about their personal styling tools. It was always so amusing to me....it was as though I had asked them to reveal some very private secret about themselves. Once I explained the importance of using not only the right tools...and the best tools...they shared everything...sometimes even what their husbands and boyfriends were using.

We know that being the best chef requires the best equipment and tools.

Being the best auto-mechanic requires the best tools and the list goes on and on. 

Think about it...we spend so much money on our hair at the salon...it only makes sense to maintain it with great products and great tools....starting with Brushes and Combs and Curlers Oh My! 

Let's go pass the Land Of Oz and start with brush.....no wizards, please

The secret to perfect hair is using the right equipment. Here's a guide to the six best hair brushes

THE HALF-ROUND BRUSH
The Denman Classic brush, right, is great for all lengths and types of hair. This traditional design has close-set nylon pins set into an anti-static rubber cushion base. The best brushes of this type have pins that can be removed for thorough cleaning. This one is available in three sizes to suit your style and your handbag.

 THE VENT BRUSH
These have soft, flexible pins that are gentle on the hair and scalp.  Anti-static is brilliant for blow drying and detangling short to medium-length hair. Designed to allow warm air to circulate directly at root level, this brush features a short row of teeth that lets you pick up hair more easily. It gives hair more lift and more volume.

THE GROOMING BRUSH

The extra-large pure boar bristle hairbrush, is designed for detangling, smoothing and grooming medium to very long hair. 

THE HEAT-RETAINING BRUSH
Designed to smooth and add curl to hair, this reduces drying time, while the flexible nylon bristles gently penetrate and grip the hair for maximum control. It's ideal for short to medium length hair, but will smooth and add curl to any style.

THE ROUND BRUSH
Ideal for shoulder-length and long hair, the round brush is a truly versatile styler and cleans dull hair, brushing away excess products, dust and pollution build-up. The handles give added grip and styling control.

The Perfect Comb: 

Hair combs are handy for everyday use, and they make styling easier, as well as enhancing the effectiveness of other products. For instance, combing conditioning treatments into damp hair can help spread the product evenly throughout your hair. Combing your hair more often can also add shine to your locks by causing your scalp to produce more oil. As you comb your hair, you spread the oils throughout your hair.
Wooden and Bamboo
Wood and bamboo combs are very durable and easy to find. These combs are highly quality and can last a lifetime. Wood is nice, but bamboo is even softer. These combs are old-fashioned, and are usually wide and thick, and they last longer than most plastic hair combs. If you are looking for a durable comb, then select a wooden or bamboo comb. You can find these combs at your local grocery store or beauty supply.

What is a comb? This is a flat piece of wood, plastic or metal with a row of thin or wide teeth on one edge. A comb is an implement with teeth on one side for hair grooming. This is also the first implement for beauty created. Hair combs are made with different materials in different variety of shapes and sizes to suit the purpose of many and different styling options. The differences in combs can be in the spacing of the teeth, the length or the wideness of the teeth and in what ever shape  it is made of is for a particularly purpose. The different materials of combs can be in wooden, metallic, plastics, and horns. I will talk about types of combs and some of the materials that combs are made of.

Wooden combs: These types of combs are made with woods like boxwood, cherry and other fine wood. It can be called natural combs. They can be very nice on the hair if they are completely smooth. If used gently while combing can reduce breakage.  

Metallic combs: These types of combs are made with metals like aluminum and they are smooth, water-resistant and can not break easily. They can be nice in making hair to lie down flat a bit, styling and cutting hair.

Plastics combs: This types of combs are made with plastics and they are very common, cheap, water-resistant and can break easily if not handled properly. If you buy a seamless type of this comb it can be very nice to your hair and it is easily clean.

Horns: This types of comb are made with keratin and horns from animals. They are quite expensive but very nice, really smooth and gently to the hair. If you can afford it, just go for it. It’s not water-resistant.

Bones: This real types of this combs are made with bones from fishes or animals but there is also a good material which is 100% organic resin material that was found by beauty industries to substitute the original bones comb and they are hard and smooth just like real bones. So to buy this type of comb for hair care is advisable.

 Types of combs

• Wide tooth combs: This is generally used for smoothing out tangles, keeping hair healthy by making it free of tangles.
• Rat tail combs or fine tooth tail comb: This type of comb is nice for styling and parting hair.
• Picks comb: This type of comb is very good in lifting the hair away from the head, it is also used to add volume and in styling and also for parting hair.
• Styling combs with metal pins: This type is used for styling and smoothing.
• Fine and wide tooth comb (regular comb): This type of comb is divided in two parts and one part have a close and the other a wide tooth. This type of comb is used regularly. It can be used to smooth the hair.
• Teasing combs: This type of comb is used in teasing hair.

Combs Tips

• Always use a clean comb and keep it that way after using it.
• Don’t use a close teeth comb on wet hair to avoid breakages.
• Combs can be used on wet hair but not brushes.
• Use combs with smooth ends not sharp ends to avoid hurting your scalp.
• Buy strong combs not weak ones that can bend and break easily.
• All combs style differently so use the perfect comb for your style.

The Best Curlers:

Heat Rollers

I highly recommend investing in a good quality set of heat rollers. This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to create curls for hair instantly. Heat rollers come in a few different sizes and include the clips to keep them in place. Be sure your hair is dry before setting heat rollers. Leave in the curlers in your hair until they are cool to the touch and then finish the look off. You will be able to create small to medium-sized curls with heat rollers.

Types

Hair curlers come in a wide range of different designs, but they all remain fairly simple. One of the longtime staples is the plastic hair curler, which comes in various sizes and features little teeth around the curler to grasp hair in place. These were fastened with a metal clip. Foam hair curlers with a plastic frame and built-in clip were also popular. Another type were the soft curlers, featuring little pillows of foam sewn in an outer covering with wire inside that would wrap around the hair to keep a curl in place. 

Brushes and Combs and Curlers Oh My! Always keep in mind that there is no place like.......using the proper tools for your hair and scalp. Should you need more information....skip going over the rainbow and head straight to a beauty supply store and ask the sales person for help. For those who go to the salon often...ask your stylist for recommendations. And know that There's no place like......

H.O.M.E. - Having One's Mane Enjoyed.