Q & A: Tools that make a difference

Ok, so, this entry is going to be mostly in response to some very good questions I got in the comment section of the last article; you guys're on the ball! The first question I'm going to address is the issue of why you should invest in a professional tool instead of a dryer/brush you can get at Shopper's or CVS. I use them on clients in a different capacity than the average user, so do you really need one just as high-quality/expensive?
As far as blow dryers are concerned, they're not as expensive as you'd think. The one I use is the Elchim 2001 Classic and I found it for only $70, making it the cheapest one I've used, even though I find it to be the best. Just google "Elchim 2001 Classic" and there's a bunch of beauty websites you can buy them from. I can't remember exactly which I used but the layout was pink, and they were good.

Truth be told I'm sure some with easy hair can get along just fine with a Goody round-brush, but there are definitely advantages to spending the extra money. I did some research, and I found that most drug-store round brushes that're considered ionic (I'll get to this in a bit) run in the range of $8-$13. The Paul Mitchell Ion round brushes that I use in the salon cost $18-20 at your local salon.
So what're you getting for that extra $5-8? Ions! Drugstore brushes say they're ceramic, but they're only ceramic coated, which means they don't give off nearly as much ionic energy as a full ceramic professional round brush does. And more often than not you'll find the bristles warp and start to look like little hooks. No fun!
So what does this mean? What's the deal with ions, anyways? Ceramic brushes (as well as ceramic straightening irons and curling irons) give off negative ions which in a number of ways changes the process in which your hair dries. Water molecules are positively charged, so when they're bombarded with negative ions, these negative ions attract them and attach to them, effectively breaking them into smaller molecules. Some of these smaller molecules can now penetrate into the hair shaft while others left on the surface now evaporate more quickly. This means that not only is your hair drying faster, but it's a "wet" dry instead of a "dry" dry, because you're actually drying water INTO your hair! How cool is that? You're essentially drying your hair from the inside-out! So, even though your hair might feel like it's getting hotter and making you think you're damaging it, it's actually much healthier for it.
Ions also pump up the final result of your blow dry. Not only do the negative ions help seal the cuticle better (giving you nice shiny shiny hair and helping seal split ends), but they break up static electricity that causes frizz!


This leads me into the next question I'm to answer today. Ashley asks about using her straightening iron everyday on her thick, curly, virgin (aka never-been-colored!) hair, and how to prevent it from drying up. The key really is two things: an ionic flat iron and product! A ceramic ionic straightening iron has all the same benefits as a ceramic round-brush; they actually lock moisture into your hair and prevent it from drying out! The Paul Mitchell one I use costs around $200 depending on where you buy it form, but will last you a long time, and you will definitely notice a difference; a worthy investment. And product product product! There are a number of products out there that can actually protect your hair and create a shield from any attack on the health of your hair. There are lots of products out there that can do this, but my boss Greg has his own line of Greg May hair products (available at our salon and soon off our website: http://www.gregmayhair.com ), which I love, and the product I always always always use before I use a straightening iron on a client or friend's hair is his Smooth Operator. It's a leave-in treatment that actually improves the quality of your hair every time you use it with heat (like a blow dryer or iron!) as well as speeds up dry time! It's under $20 and lasts a long time; every client I've sent home with it can't live without it. And it smells nice, like really expensive orange juice. =)

I risk sounding like a commercial in this entry, but buying the right tools and the right products are really key to not only keeping your hair in tip-top shape, but keeping you from going insane trying to manage it! I'm not here to sell, but to educate =D

So that's all for today, I'll get to the other questions in the entries to come!