ALL HAIR TOOLS LINKED BELOW ARE 20% OFF AT ULTA.COM UNTIL 3/16! USE CODE ‘703933’ AT CHECKOUT!
Once upon a time, I went to hair school.
If there’s one thing I learned, it’s that the cut and color of your hair can be extended if you’re using the right tools. My hair has had a bit of an identity crisis this year and is still in self-imposed rehab! I went from subtle highlights to full-blown blonde and then to the rooty look I’m sporting now!
But, with the proper tools, hair damage can be minimized and even reversed!
HAIR CLIPS | HAIR DRYER | FLAT IRON
Going heat free is probably the best thing you can do for your hair if you are trying to give your hair a break. Keep in mind, you can’t “fix” a split end. Once split, it’s always going to be split unless you trim your hair above the split!
Some of the ways I try to prevent split ends from happening are with the right hair clips and elastics.
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HAIR ACCESSORIES
A few years ago I discovered the Wet Brush a few years ago which made it much easier to brush out my hair when wet but was even better for my girls. It made brushing out wet hair basically painless and I wasn’t tempted to cut everyone’s hair short!
But last year I was sent the BathPack brush which I love even more. It’s less expensive ($5 brush!) and if you spend $10 you get FREE shipping! Plus, they’ve come out with a few more brushes and hair accessories that I love! They have hairclips like the ones above.
The second thing I do to ensure that I am not causing more breakage and also to prolong my hair (I get anywhere from 6-8 days out of a wash!) style while I sleep is “pineappling” my hair at night.
ALL HAIR TOOLS LINKED BELOW ARE 20% OFF AT ULTA.COM UNTIL 3/16! USE CODE ‘703933’ AT CHECKOUT!
If you want to know about the hair accessories I keep around the house HERE
HOW TO PINEAPPLE YOUR HAIR AT NIGHT
The “pineapple” hair technique is a way to protect your curly hair when you sleep. This is my secret to going 7-8 days between washes!
Essentially, by loosely securing your curly hair on the top of your head, “pineappling” allows you to prevent tangled hair and preserve your curls overnight. The best part: it’s so easy, there’s pretty much no way to screw it up. Here, exactly how to pineapple curly hair:
- Gently gather your hair into a high ponytail. Slip a BathPack clear hair ties over the base of the ponytail and twist around once and loop over the hair again. You want the tension to be as loose as possible to avoid a dent in the morning. Let half of your curls fall to one side, and half to the other. Don’t worry if it slips a little—your curls will still be protected.
- The next morning, remove the tie, shake out your hair, and instantly refresh your curls by using a hair oil (Bathpack has a brand new hair oil that is AWESOME!) and re-curl any pieces that need to be redefined.
I love to use Invisibobbles or the BathPack clear hair ties for this! Invisibobbles get pricey and the BathPack are only $5!
HAIR DRYERS
I have tried sooooo many hair dryers this past year and I’m listing a few of my top picks! None of these is just a hairdryer (which is why I have a few favorites) and each one does something different.
Dyson
This is by far my favorite hair dryer ever. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Yes.
It dries my hair in half the time, comes with a diffuser, a smoothing nozzle, and a nozzle that concentrates airflow for perfect styling! It has 3 speed settings and 4 different temperature settings:
212°F fast drying and styling
176°F regular drying
140°F gentle drying
Constant cold
If you have damaged hair but don’t feel like air drying is the way to go, choosing a hair dryer with multiple heat settings, as well as a true cool blast button, is the way to go. I know that blow drying my hair has done less damage the past year all thanks to this hair dryer!
ALL HAIR TOOLS LINKED BELOW ARE 20% OFF AT ULTA.COM UNTIL 3/16! USE CODE ‘703933’ AT CHECKOUT!
Revlon
If giving yourself a blowout isn’t your thing, I would suggest this drying brush!
This is a stationary brush that blows air at two different temperatures. The lower temperature just means less power but I still think this is worth the investment. At $49.99, it’s the best all-in-one for the price that I’ve found. It straightens and smooths medium textured hair great so I’m assuming fine hair would be a breeze. Really coarse hair might need to be pretty damp to get super smooth.
It does get hot to the touch during prolonged use but it literally dries my hair in like 15 minutes – super fast! IT does have a cool setting but I don’t think it’s really effective.
Bottom line, this is totally worth it but does have a few drawbacks. I think you’ll love it as much as I do!
Conair
I haven’t personally used this brush but I have it on good authority that it is a dream for short hair! I think anything that spins and gets close to my longer hair sounds like a nightmare! But I’ve been assured that this brush makes drying and styling shorter (shoulder length and shorter) so easy!
It comes with a 2-inch and 1 1/2- inch spin air brush that rotates in both directions. For $39.99, it’s totally worth a try!
STYLING TOOLS
Flat Iron
If you’ve been here for more than a minute, you know I love this flat iron. I’ve been using it for years to get my picture-perfect curls and these babies last for daaaaaaaayz. Serious staying power and even better volume!
You can grab one of these miracle-workers HERE.
Curling Iron
I don’t know why it took me so long to convert to a curling iron but I really do love my flat iron curls! Lately, though, I’ve been trying out the Babyliss curling iron and I LOVE it! The curls are totally different than the flat iron but super bouncy and tons of volume!
This curling iron has 50 heat settings up to 450 F Degrees and a turbo button that instantly boosts the heat to the maximum temperature. The other thing I love about Babyliss tool is that they all have super long cords (8 ft) and don’t get hung up on door handle etc.
The other curling iron I’ve loved for years is the Hot Tools 24K Gold 1.25″. This iron has a bunch of heat setting as well and is a great alternative to the Babyliss if you’re budget conscious!
ALL HAIR TOOLS LINKED BELOW ARE 20% OFF AT ULTA.COM UNTIL 3/16! USE CODE ‘703933’ AT CHECKOUT!
Hair Waver
If curls aren’t your style but you’re not a fan of the 80’s crimped look, this waver is a great pick! My girls beg me to do their hair with it all the time and I do it when I’m not wanting to rock my natural curl, but also don’t want to wear my hair straight!
It’s another one by Hot Tools (they have a really awesome affordable product line!) and I really love this brand. They last forever, have versatile heat settings and aren’t hard to operate. These are great ‘starting out’ tools!
Honestly, taking care of your hair isn’t difficult and it doesn’t have to be expensive. I do think the more expensive options I’ve listed here are totally worth the price tag and my hair is absolutely feeling and looking so much better!
Xx Tara
P.S. do you have a hair tool you love that I’ve got to try? Tell me below!
ALL HAIR TOOLS LINKED BELOW ARE 20% OFF AT ULTA.COM UNTIL 3/16! USE CODE ‘703933’ AT CHECKOUT!
What size straightener do you use? I bought a 1”, but am now wondering if I should have gotten a 1.25”.
I use the 1.25″!
Have you done a tutorial with the babyliss curling iron? If not I would love to see one ❤️ I feel like I remember you saying it makes your hair super smooth by running it through and then curling it but maybe that was another tool.
I’ll put it on the list! The curling iron definitely smooths but it’s the flat iron that I use to really smooth and then curl!
What do you do with the ends of your hair when you use the waver? Do you leave them out? Or wave all the way to the end?
I just leave them out!