Hair tools 101: Your guide to hairdryers, straighteners & curling tongs
How would we cope without our favourite heat styling tools?
Whether you’re a Dyon die-hard, a GHD devotee or a Babyliss babe, we can all agree that trying to get ready for work in the morning or a night out would be a lot harder without a hairdryer.
Straighteners and curling tongs are essential in the salon too, of course, especially when it comes to creating glamorous waves.
“Some softer styles you can do with a hairdryer and a brush,” says Siobhan Baynes, senior director at Paul Edmonds London. “But if it’s something specific you would need heated tools to do it, such as Hollywood waves or even beachy waves - you can’t do those with a brush.”
But with so many hairdryers, straightening irons and curling tongs on the market it can be hard to know which is best for your needs, and how to use these high-temperature gadgets safely.
“We can’t talk about heated tools without talking about heat styling products, because you need to use something to protect the hair,” says Paul Edmonds.
To help you cut through the confusion, here the team offer their advice on choosing a heat styling tool in three key categories - hairdryers, straighteners and curling tongs - and the best products to safeguard your strands…
HAIR DRYERS
While some salons use only one type of hairdryer, at Paul Edmonds everyone’s got their favourite. GHD is the most popular brand, but Siobhan prefers a Parlux Professional hairdryer.
“I’m left-handed and prefer a hairdryer that’s got a bit of weight to it, I feel like it gives me a better ‘pull’ when I’m blowdrying,” she says.
“I’m the opposite,” says Paul. “I like a light hairdryer so I use a Gamma Professional. It's got a completely different feel.”
Designed to be as lightweight as possible, the Dyson Supersonic is a ‘Marmite’ tool that people either love or hate, he explains: “What happens with the Dyson is that it dries the hair very quickly but often it will leave the inner part of the fibre damp so you have to go over it a couple of times.”
The most important thing when selecting a hairdryer is to make sure you feel comfortable using it, he says: “Pick it up to see how the wright feels in your hand and so you can test the length of the nozzle to see if it’s easy to use.”
As a benchmark for quality, you’re looking at spending around £150 at least to get a hairdryer that will perform well and stand the test of time.
To blow dry your hair quickly without causing heat damage, Paul advises: “Start on full speed and full heat while you’re rough-drying then turn the temperature down or use the cool setting - a button you push to make it go cold - when you're styling with a brush.”
For crafting perfect curls, a diffuser attachment is a must, Siobhan says: “Have the hairdryer on full heat but turn the the speed setting down to medium.”
Whatever your hairstyle or type, heat protection spray is essential. Siobhan suggests cocktailing two products for defined curls: “I like the Davines Curl Building Serum mixed with Kérastase Ciment Thermique cream.”
HAIR STRAIGHTENERS
There are two clear camps at Paul Edmonds when it comes to straighteners, with most of our staff preferring either GHD or Cloud Nine. So which is better?
“I’ve been a GHD girl from day dot,” says Siobhan. “However, with Cloud Nine having a temperature gauge - meaning it can go up from 100C to 200C instead of just 185C like the GHD - is a game changer, especially for people with coloured hair who have to be very careful of the heat.”
She recommends Cloud Nine if you’re straightening your hair every day and want to use a lower temperature, but if you’re doing it less frequently then GHD is a good option.
“If you've got very thick, coarse hair you might need the temperature to go up slightly higher than 185C,” Paul says. “But you’re not going to damage the hair, as long as you use heat protection, because it's very strong and has got a really hard cuticle.”
Another excellent option is the L’Oréal Steampod Straighteners, which have a compartment for water and act like a steam iron on your hair.
“It may seem a bit odd using steam as we’re usually told that dampness will make hair go frizzy, but actually it's a brilliant tool if you’ve got curly or frizzy hair that you want to smooth down,” Paul says.
As well as creating poker-straight locks, straightening irons can be used for some wavy styles too.
“You can do a bendy blow dry if you've got straighteners with a wide plate,” says Siobhan, who recommends Oribe Straight Away Smoothing Blowout Cream for hydrated and glossy straight hair. “It's really good for de-frizzing.”
HAIR TONGS
For everything from tight curls to voluminous waves, curling tongs are a styling must-have. When choosing curling tongs, how should you decide which size of barrel to go for?
“It depends on the length of your hair,” says Siobhan, who prefers a conical shaped wand for a more natural look: “If you've got longer hair and you want more of a bouncy sort of look then you’d probably go for a 32mm barrel, whereas if your hair’s quite fine and the curl drops quite quickly or you want more of a beachy look you should probably go a bit tighter, like the 24mm.”
In the salon, Babyliss is the most popular brand of curling tong among our stylists.
“They’re good because they have multiple temperature settings,” Paul says, explaining how he avoids damaging hair while tonging: “I always start at the root and then work down to the end, whereas a lot of people hold the end of the strand and wind it up so you end up with heat staying on the ends for a long time.”
Siobhan agrees, warning that you should hold the hair on the tong for “about five seconds, no more than 10 seconds.” She recommends Oribe Royal Blowout Heat Styling Spray for curly or wavy locks: “But use a small amount because it can be quite sticky.”
Paul is a fan of Shu Uemura Netsu Design cream: “It’s really good when you want to have some long-term hold because you can actually re-adjust your style with heat tools - it's got a ‘memory’ to it.”
Tools of the trade
From salon blow-dries to DIY styling, heated hair tools are essential for everyday looks and getting glammed up, but with such high temperatures you can easily damage your tresses if you’re not careful.
By following our expert advice and using an effective heat protection product, you can choose the perfect hairdryer, straightener or hair tong and create gorgeous looks without harming your hair.
Head a stylist’s expertise to create beachy waves or a super-sleek bob? Book a blowout at Paul Edmonds London.
