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A curling iron is one of the most reliable tools one can have in their hair care arsenal, and for good reason. This super powered tool can transform even the most lifeless of hair into a beautiful collection of tightly defined curls or a bouncy and voluminous wavy masterpiece.  Curling irons utilize direct heat straight at the hair strand and outer cuticle layer, allowing it to very easily seal in a unique hairstyle while holding the hair in place with tension. Because of this tool’s incredibly effective styling ability, it is not uncommon for this tool to be a hair stylist’s go to styling tool, and a good quality tool made with high quality materials is safe enough to use on the hair every day!However, with this everyday usage, one must be sure to properly maintain and clean their curling iron, as with any tool that is used on a frequent basis. Your curling iron can accumulate a large amount of product buildup and residue like sebum and flakes, which can very quickly degrade your device while causing a whole host of potential scalp issues. Follow our guide below to learn the best way to clean your curling iron, whether it needs a daily upkeep or a deep cleaning!Why you need to clean your curling ironA curling iron, just as with any styling tool such as a hairbrush or flat iron, needs to be cleaned and maintained on a frequent basis to avoid numerous issues.  First of all, regular cleaning and maintenance of your tool will help extend its lifespan and maintain optimal performance for as long as possible. Given how expensive these styling tools can be, this tip is vital for ensuring your investment in your hair styling tool goes a long way. Outside of extending your product’s lifespan, you’ll also need to clean your hair on a regular basis to ensure your scalp’s overall health. Each time you use a curling iron on your hair your device collects product buildup, flakes, and hair sebum. While you may not notice this in one session, over time your device will accumulate enough residue that it can eventually deposit it back into your hair and scalp, leading to fungal and bacterial issues.How to do a basic weekly cleanTo keep your device clean on a weekly basis, you simply need to get a cotton ball and a bottle of rubbing alcohol. With your device unplugged and cool, apply rubbing alcohol to the cotton ball and rub the ball on the plates of the device as well as the handles to disinfect the device while removing residue. If there is any additional residue left you can use a damp terry cloth towel to remove it.For a deep cleaningIf you can’t remember the last time you cleaned your curling iron, then you might want to consider a deep cleaning. Mix equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to build a paste and apply it to the barrel of your curling iron. Let it sit for fifteen minutes before rubbing it in with a toothbrush. Finish by wiping the curling iron clean with a damp cloth.

Few tools are better suited for creating beautiful, long lasting curls than the curling iron. The curling iron is designed with a round barrel, typically with a clamp to secure the hair, which allows for an even and direct application of heat right at the hair strand all throughout the curl.  When you combine this direct heat with the tool’s ability to hold the hair into a perfectly circular, curled manner, the hair is able to hold itself into whatever curl pattern you desire, whether it be tight and defined or loose and bouncy.Unfortunately, you can’t always rely on your handy dandy curling iron for creating your curls.  If you can’t access your tool for whatever reason and need to curl your hair in a flash, what are you to do without this trusty tool? Thankfully, hair curling is something that can be achieved with a variety of other tools and techniques, and you might find that some of these techniques might even produce better results than from your curling iron! Read below and learn the best methods of curling your hair without a curling iron and find new ways to sharpen your hairstyling arsenal.Use your blow dryer for voluminous curlsEveryone’s favorite tool, the blow dryer, may be perfect for quickly drying off the hair or for adding volume for a big blow out, but did you know that this hairstyling powerhouse is capable of creating curls as well? While this method involves using both hands at once as opposed to just one hand with the curling iron, you’ll find the results to be nearly comparable. To start, select a round bush with the diameter of the curl size that you want to style your hair into. Drape the hair on top of the brush and roll the hair away from your face. With the hair fully curled one rotation, hold the blow dryer with your other hand and point it at your curled hair, holding for a few seconds to heal the new curl pattern in place. Continue with other sections of the hair until you’ve reached your desired look.The no heat method for creating fun, long lasting curlsIf you don’t have access to any heat styling tool or if you are in a situation in which you don’t want to apply heat to your hair, such as after a chemical coloring treatment or if you are suffering from damaged hair, you’ll still be able to create a curly hair style in your hair! To start, you’ll want to have your hair damp, such as after a shower and lightly air drying your hair. Then, grab various sections of hair, two to three sections, and tie them into tight braids, working your way around the head until you’ve braided as much hair as desired. With your hair still damp, place a cap over your hair, securing your style in place. Go to sleep with the cap on overnight and you’ll find that your hair is full of beautiful curls when you awake! Just remove the cap and undo the dried braids and enjoy your curls.

A big, volume filled blowout is always in style, and is one of the toughest styles to perfect. Not only does this style require a great deal of time and technique, but it usually involves numerous tools and various hair styling products to obtain that perfect blowout. Some of these products include a volumizing spray or hair serum that can help to accentuate the effects of the blowout, as well as a blowout brush that combines a round brush with a blow dryer for massive results. The most popular tool for crafting a blowout, however, is the beloved round brush. Preferably chosen in the largest barrel size possible, the round brush is the perfect blowout tool due to its ability to curl and hold the hair in place while under tension, which, combined with the hot air of the blow dryer, allows you to seal your results in place.Unfortunately, there may be instances in which using a round hair brush isn’t a viable option, such as if you want to do one-handed styling or if you don’t have access to your favorite round brush. Thankfully, we’ve got a few techniques for you to craft a head turning blowout without a round brush! Read below and find your ideal technique if you find yourself without a round brush but need that perfect blowout.The curling iron wrap methodWith this technique, you’ll need both a blow dryer and a curling iron. With damp hair, work your fingers through your hair or a wide tooth comb as you dry the hair with a blow dryer on its highest setting. With the hair fully dried, it’s time to turn to your curling iron. Grab two to three inch sections of your hair and wrap the sections around the barrel of your curling iron while its hot. Hold the hair in place for a few seconds and release, repeating the process with the rest of your hair. The hair roller methodWith this method you’ll want to use that curling iron, but this time you need to add in some hair rollers. Begin by curling two to three inch sections of your hair, then immediately wrapping the sections of hair around the hair roller. Continue doing this until every section of your hair is set in a hair roller. Let the rollers sit in your hair for about thirty to forty minutes and then unroll, letting yourself bask in the glory of this hairstyle!The bun methodThis method actually involves zero heat styling whatsoever and is gentle and safe for all hair types. Simply allow your hair to lightly air dry after the shower, then wrap it into a high bun. Cover your bun with a hair cap and allow it to stay in place as you sleep in the bun overnight. In the morning, your bun will be dry and you can safely unwrap the bun to wake up to glorious, volume filled hair!

Dyed hair is one of the most dramatic changes one can ever make to their hair. Aside from changing a person’s entire look and the way one looks in certain colors and outfits, the dying process is an extremely transformative one for the health and makeup of one’s hair. The chemicals and procedures involved in changing one’s hair color can alter one’s hair at a dramatic level, requiring a great deal of upkeep and maintenance to maintain your results while ensuring positive hair health.While this may sound overwhelming, we’re here to guide you through the maintenance process of dyed hair and you’ll be an expert in no time! Read below for some tips and tricks on how to keep your dyed hair healthy, happy, and long-lasting.What happens when hair is dyed?In order to change the color of one’s hair, the hair dying process has to work in a truly powerful yet unique way to create long-lasting results. After all, changing one’s hair color is no simple ordeal, and it requires a great bit of work from the chemicals that interact with your hair. These dyes lift the cuticle layer, which allows the dyes to deeply penetrate the hair strand and change the pigments of the hair. Although this process is necessary for the dye to last as long as possible and be most effective, it causes a great deal of temporary damage to the outer layer of the hair, putting it in a temporarily weakened state. Due to this, the first several days following a dye job are when your hair is at its most fragile and dry, requiring a great deal of TLC on your part. Afterwards, while your hair will regain its health after the cuticle layer closes, you’ll still need to take extra care to ensure the new pigment remains in your hair strand as long as possible, otherwise you’ll risk losing that beautiful color you spent so much of your hard earned money on.How to care for dyed hair: the first weekFor the first 72 hours you absolutely must not shampoo your hair. Because your cuticle layer will still be lifted, you run the risk of not only removing the dye from your hair, but you also are at a huge risk of stripping the hair of its natural moisture and oils. As mentioned, your hair is in an incredibly weak and fragile state, and shampooing during this time period could be unbelievably harmful. After 72 hours, feel free to shampoo with a gentle shampoo, taking care to use a rich, nourishing conditioner afterwards. It should also go without saying that heat styling is a no-no during this first week.How to care for dyed hair: long-termAfter the first week you need to make sure to take some very important extra steps to ensure your hair color stays intact for as long as possible. Be sure to use a sulfate-free shampoo that will avoid stripping the pigment from your hair and consider using a tinted conditioner that leaves a small amount of pigment in your hair to match your dye job. Additionally, always use a heat protectant spray when styling to prevent fading the hair color, as well as using a hair spf when in the sun.

A good hair care routine is the cornerstone of any healthy head of hair. No matter how naturally healthy your hair is or how badly it has been damaged by environmental stressors or excess heat styling, your hair’s current state is a reflection of how well you care for it and maintain it.  We’ve gone into great detail regarding the importance of things like developing a healthy shampooing routine and how to properly use heated styling tools on your hair to minimize damage and breakage, and this advice is applicable to just about every hair type.However, one of the most difficult and challenging of hair types to maintain is hair that has been dyed and chemically treated to alter one’s natural color. Due to the process of chemically treating the hair and the chemicals involved in the hair dying process, it is very easy to mistakenly damage the hair and destroy the outer cuticle layer, which can lead to breakage, severe dryness, and an overall terrible experience.Thankfully we have you covered when it comes to taking care of your chemically colored hair.  Read below to learn tips and tricks on how to keep your new hair color looking its absolute best, while most importantly making sure that your hair is as healthy and well maintained as possible!What happens when we chemically color our hairThe process of chemically altering your hair color, otherwise known as dying, involves a great deal of chemical alteration when it comes to how the chemicals interact with your hair strand. In order to remove the pigment from your hair, the chemicals need to break down your outer cuticle layer enough to deeply penetrate the hair strand. This process is no easy feat, and it causes a very powerful but temporary breakdown of the cuticle layer. Due to this, your hair can become temporarily dry and brittle after the hair dying process. Depending on how bright the dye is compared to our normal hair color, the process may require a very strong amount of bleach, which will only further damage the cuticle layer.How to care for bleached and dyed hairThankfully the cuticle is able to recover relatively quickly following its destruction during the dying process. However, it is crucial that you treat your hair very gently and cautiously during this recovery process, otherwise you run the risk of completely damaging your hair’s health. For this reason it is vital to not wash your hair for at least 36 hours following your hair dying process, and only using an extremely gentle shampoo when doing so. After this 36 hour period you want to avoid any shampoo that contains sulfates, as these are extremely powerful surfactants that are capable of removing the pigment from the hair and breaking down the recovering cuticle layer.  Additionally, you’ll want to be continually looking to apply moisture to your hair, using oils and deep conditioners to seal the cuticle layer to ensure your hair’s moisture levels while locking in that new pigment as long as possible.

The state of hair care technology has reached a point that there’s a dedicated styling tool for achieving practically any look that you can imagine. Want straight hair? Pick up a flat iron or hair straightener. Want big mermaid waves? Pick up a three barrel hair curler. Want curly hair? Look no further than your trusty hair curler, of course! But with these specific tools at our disposal, it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that you don’t necessarily need a specific styling tool to achieve a certain look. While certain tools may make certain hairstyles much easier to attain, it is possible to get your desired hairstyle from any type of hair styling tool, so long as you have dialed into your technique.Although it is good practice in general to know how to style your hair with different tools, it is also an important skill to have for instances in which you don’t have access to your favorite tool for a specific hairstyle. One of these instances is in which you want to straighten your hair without your trusty flat iron or hair straightener. As counterintuitive as it may seem, did you know that it’s possible to straighten your hair with a curling iron? No, we promise we aren’t joking!The key is to use a curling iron that has a clamp, which will secure your hair in place against the hot curling iron barrel while styling your hair. Additionally, you’ll want to use a hair curler with high quality materials like titanium, ceramic, or tourmaline, as these materials are ideal for even heat conduction and can subject your hair to prolonged heat exposure while straightening without causing any damage or breakage.The curling iron hair straightening methodFirst, you’ll want to make sure you have your curling iron plugged in, clean, and ready to use.  With slightly damp hair, blow dry your hair and lightly run your fingers through your hair, which will help to add volume to your hair while detangling and making the hair much easier to style.  Once dry, apply a heat protectant or a hair styling serum to your hair, working it from the roots of your hair to the very ends of the hair strands, making sure it's evenly applied and absorbed by the hair before styling.Once ready, you’ll want to separate your hair into two to three inch sections and place part of your hair section closest to your scalp in between the opened clamp and the curling iron barrel.  Let go of the clamp and allow it to secure the hair in place and gently run the curling iron down the section of your hair and away from your scalp. This method works much in the same way that a flat iron works, as you keep the clamp secured against your hair but loose enough to allow for downward movement. Continue with the rest of your hair and you’ll find yourself with a straightened masterpiece!

The blow dryer is one of the most important tools that any hair care enthusiast can have in their arsenal. Thanks to a combination of forced air and high-temperature heat, the hair dryer is able to provide an extremely quick and convenient method of drying wet hair, all while adding incredible volume and locking in all sorts of unique styles. However, this combination of high heat and forced hair can be damaging to hair in certain instances, such as when the hair is recovering from a color treatment or when traveling to extremely dry environments that can cause the hair to temporarily lose its moisture. Fortunately, there are several great alternatives for drying your hair without having to use a blow dryer! These options are simple, cost-effective, and provide fantastic alternatives for those trying to boost their hair’s health while promoting an accelerated hair drying time. Read below to learn which of these options may be best for your particular hair type and hair needs!Blot Your Hair with a Bath TowelWhile it seems like common sense advice to suggest drying your hair with a towel after you shower, the key here is specifically how you use the towel to dry your hair. Rather than aggressively rubbing your hair and scalp with your towel until it is dry, take your time to gently blot sections of your hair, working from root to tip until your hair is mostly dry. Doing so will help prevent breakage and frizz while speeding up the time it takes your hair to dry as opposed to a simple air dry. Make sure to use a towel that isn’t rough or overly textured as to avoid damaging the cuticle layer of your hair.Use a Microfiber TowelIf the bath towel method isn’t working as quickly as you’d like, you can always opt for a dedicated hair towel made of microfiber material to dramatically reduce the amount of drying time. Microfiber is able to absorb a significant amount of water compared to basic cotton, making it a quick and convenient method for drying one’s hair. Additionally, microfiber is a very soft and smooth material that causes minimal friction when rubbed against the hair, which is exactly what dry and fragile hair types need to avoid breakage.Brush with a Wide Tooth CombThis two in one method provides both detangling and air drying benefits, as the wide teeth of this comb help to promote air flow and quicker drying of the hair strands. A wide tooth comb is also ideal for preventing breakage and damage, as the large teeth can section large portions of hair without snagging or tangling. After washing one’s hair, very gently run the comb through your hair from root to tip, making sure to separate as much hair as possible to encourage the most air flow. Be careful not to be too aggressive with your combing, as wet hair is extremely fragile and prone to breakage.

We may think of hair types in terms of length, such as short hair and long hair, or in terms of moisture content, such as dry hair or oily hair, but we seldom think of hair in terms of fullness, such as thick hair or thin hair. The thickness of our hair is just as important as how long or dry our hair is in terms of developing a proper hair care routine, and it is incredibly important to have your hair’s thickness in mind when deciding how to care for it.While thick, full-bodied hair is about the most envied hair types imaginable, those with thin hair tend to find their specific hair type to be quite frustrating to work with. Thin hair lacks the fullness and body of thin hair and can be much more difficult to style and maintain. Thankfully, we have all your thin hair concerns and questions covered! Read below to learn more about thin hair and we can give you the best tips and advice on how to make the most of this hair type and maintain it.The difficulties of thin hairThin hair, as described by the name, is hair that is thinner in diameter than the average hair strand. Due to its thin size, this hair type is lighter than thicker hair, making it much more susceptible to frizz and flyaways. Additionally, thin hair looks less full and voluminous than thicker hair types, making it much more difficult to style and manipulate. Additionally, thin hair can easily become more greasy and oily due to its smaller surface area, which can lead to the hair becoming stringy and easily mangled if not properly maintained. Lastly, thin hair is much more easily broken than thicker hair due to the weaker structural makeup of thin hair types.How to care for thin hairWhen dealing with thin hair, one thing you may need to start with immediately is assessing your own internal health. Many health issues can lead to hair thinning and weakening, such as a variety of illnesses and/or mineral or vitamin deficiencies. Make sure you consult your doctor to make sure you aren’t suffering from any internal issues that may be causing your thin hair.After addressing your internal health, you need to look for products like conditioners and leave in serums that help to volumize the hair while providing it with vitamins and minerals like biotin and keratin that help boost the overall hair structure. Products that contain ingredients like polymers can help to bind the hair and create the appearance of fuller, thicker hair, while other ingredients like humectants can help to swell the hair strand and make it more fuller and full bodied.Lastly, look to use a clarifying shampoo or detoxifying scalp product to keep the scalp and hair strands clean and free of excess oil and sebum. Removing this excess oil and sebum will help to give your hair more body and volume while preventing blockage at the hair follicle to boost hair growth.

There is so much variety in the world of hair styling tools that we sometimes need some guidance in order to sort through all of the different gadgets and toys available at our disposal.  When it comes to those looking to curl their hair, the overabundance of tool options is even more obvious, as there is no shortage of curling devices on the market today. From curling wands to diffuser attachments to curling pins and ties, you’ll never be at a loss for finding some sort of tool that can help you achieve curls!The most popular tool for getting curls, however, is the reliable curling iron. Curling irons, as you can gather from the name, are designed specifically for curling hair, and they do an incredible job at it.  While many other curling tools exist on the market such as curling wands, what separates the curling iron apart is the addition of a clamp. This clamp is usually designed with a heat resistant material and holds the hair firmly yet gently in place while styling to ensure efficient head conductivity and proper hair curling. The clamp also serves to provide a safety benefit, as the clamp prevents you from having to hold your other hand close to the hot iron and risk a potential burn. In short, the clamp is one of the most useful product features of any hair styling tool out there!Because of the unique nature of the clamp design, you may find yourself struggling to get used to how to best use this device. Read below for our step by step guide on how to use a curling iron with a clamp.Step One: Prepare the hair for stylingBefore you begin to style your hair, you’ll want to make sure your hair is untangled and manageable, which means running a brush or comb lightly through your hair. Additionally, make sure your hair is completely dry before styling. For added volume, you may want to quickly run a blow dryer through your hair. Lastly, spray a light amount of heat protectant to prevent dryness and breakage. Once prepared, grab two to three inch sections of your hair and hold in place.Step Two: Curl and heat styleWith your section of hair held in place, bring the curling iron near the root of your hair and slide the section of hair between the iron and your barrel, and then release the clamp gently to secure the hair in place. Then slowly rotate the barrel away from your face one full rotation and hold for a few seconds to seal the curl in place. When finished, open the clamp to release your hair and continue down the rest of the hair section.Step Three: Putting on the finishing touchesWith your hair prepped and curled, you’ll want to make sure everything stays in place.  Run your fingers through your hair to release any stray hairs or fly aways and then mist your hair with a light coat of hair spray.