This may seem odd to most of you but I've just entered into a completely different world of hair care. I have naturally curly hair which I've always managed by wet setting. The rollers or pin curls force the hair to dry straight (not frizzy) and curl in the desired direction. Most hair dressers don't have a clue as to how to deal with natural curly hair. Any experience I've ever had with them has been a disaster. I've always had to do everything myself. However, lately nothing has been working right and I have been hating my hair consistently.
So..........My daughter has a friend who does hair in her home. She herself has naturally curly hair and she'd done a lovely job for my daughter, who also has naturally curly hair. I went to her today thinking if anyone could help me, it would be her. Well, she did a fantastic job! She also did it with a curling iron and blow dryer. Now I need both of those items. She suggested a beauty supply place and said to get a ceramic iron because they control the heat better. I went to the shop and was standing before a wall of irons and dryers, the brands of which I have never heard of before. Everything was ceriamic. This was nothing like a display in Target with Con Air or Revlons. I can make a decision about a blender, microwave, dishwasher, snow blower or car. I have no clue about these hair appliances. Do the sizes of the irons vary for larger or smaller curls? I don't want to throw my money away on something that won't work properly for me or that will break down prematurely. I walked out of the shop.
Any wisdoms or advice regarding the irons or dryers would be most appreciated.
I haven't used a curling iron since the early '80's, so I can't help you there. Maybe your daughter could go with you -- does she use one? Or call the stylist back and tell her you're overwhelmed with choices and ask exactly what brand she uses.
I found my current blow dryer online because the one I bought in Walgreen's sounded like a jet taking off. I read consumer comments on Amazon and finally zeroed in on one that seemed to be both quiet and a favorite. So that's another avenue -- check out reviews on Amazon. I know some people must write in to push a particular product, but overall I find them very helpful. Amazon's not just for books!
I only use a hair dryer or curling iron sparingly, but I like my big fat curling iron. It's not a ceramic one -- just a cheapo brand, so I can't really be much help there.
However, when I permed my hair, I had the hardest time figuring out how to manage the curls. What I eventually ended up doing was using a conditioning comb in the shower to comb my hair as I rinsed the conditioner out. Then, when I got out of the shower, I wrapped it up in a towel for a few minutes to get rid of the excess water, then just put a dab of smoothing lotion (I just used Suave) and rubbed it onto my hands and through my hair, combing it slightly with my fingers. Then I just let it dry that way. It looked better that way than any other way, even though it was the least amount of effort.
Of course, with shorter hair, this is probably an entirely different ballgame, but I figure it's worth a try before you spend lots of money (and time) on a dryer and curling iron.
I have some natural curl in my hair too and it always seems to be going the wrong way to what I have in mind. I use a blow dryer with a round brush to dry it and touch it up with a curling iron. My blowdryer and curling iron are inexpensive ones from the drug store, based mostly on size and weight. Some of the dryers are huge and I can't imagine holding them up over my head long enough to get the job done.
I find the stylists tend to recommend the upmarket, pricely appliances but if it works for you it's not a bad investment.
