I like to make things easier for myself when I travel. Bringing along all my styling tools and attachment tends to be a bit much at times so I went on the hunt for a blow dryer that travels well and gets the job done. Let me tell you why the Revlon One-Step Paddle is the best blow dryer brush on the market. 

The Revlon One-Step Paddle Brush is the best blow dryer brush on the market. This is because it saves you time, is temperature-controlled, and easy to use. This blow dryer brush is lighter than most hair dryer brushes available and is able to blow all hair textures. 

How To Use The Revlon Blow Dryer Brush

If you are looking to stretch your hair while blowing. Or have never used a paddle brush to blowdry I would recommend that you do the following. Start by sectioning clean hair. I have a complete list of my most recommended shampoos and deep conditioners for all hair types listed here. I recommend sectioning the hair into four sections. Apply your favorite heat protectant to the hair. Then start from the back take a small subsection. Apply the paddle brush on the ends of the hair and work your way up towards the roots. If you have straight or fine hair you will have the ability to start from Roots and work your way down. However, starting from the ends of the hair will help to eliminate tangles and also help prevent hair breakage. 

If you are looking to create volume using this paddle brush I recommend to blow dry your hair in the opposite direction in which you want to wear it.

So if that means you would like to wear your hair with a part on the right section your hair to the left and then flip it over once the hair is dry. This will create volume and also help straighten the hair at the roots. 

 Another way to create volume using this paddle brush would be to flip your hair upside down and brush your hair downward. Since your head is facing down all of your hair is being blow-dried at a 90-degree angle. This will create volume once you flip your head back up and is also a great way to blow dry your hair fast. 

The Revlon Roll Brush Is Also Great.

If you are looking to create volume and blow-dry your hair at the same time. The Revlon Round Roll Brush blow dryer is also a great option. It’s a one-stop-shop when blow-drying your hair because you do not need a roll brush and blow dryer, it’s all in one.  The reason I believe the paddle brush is best is that it can be used on all hair textures. Although the roller brush is also a great option. Textured and curly hair will have a hard time using that brush. It can also be a bit cumbersome if you are not used to using a roller brush on your hair. Besides that, it still has all the great and had the same great features that the paddle brush has to offer it just comes in a simpler design. 

What Products Work Best

When using any heated styling tool I highly recommend that you use a heat protectant. Heat protectants are made up of humectants to lock in moisture and eliminate frizz; natural hair oils help to protect seal the hair cuticle.

Heat protectants come in many forms. You can use cream, lotion, sprays, serums, and oils. It is hard to recommend a heat protectant without seeing and feeling your hair texture however what I can say is no matter which form of heat protection you decide to use make sure that you thoroughly saturate each strand of your hair. The key to using heat protectants is to be consistent in their usage and to make sure that they are applied properly. In my experience spray heat protectant works best with all hair textures. They tend to be lighter and do not weigh the hair down as much as serums, creams, and lotions.

Does It Work On Curly & Natural Hair

For curly and natural hair I recommend that you detangle and section your hair off prior to using this blow dryer brush. Curly and natural hair tends to tangle more frequently and detangling prior to use makes using this brush a lot faster. In addition, I  highly recommend you use a heat protectant also when using this brush. I have a full list of my favorite heat protectants listed below if you are unsure which brand you should try. 

Curly and naturally textured hair tends to be dryer than most textures so applying a leave condition is also recommend. 

My Final Thoughts

I highly recommend this blow dryer brush for all hair textures. I think this blow dryer brush works best on textured hair because it allows the hair to stretch while your blow-drying. It makes it easier to work in small sections. You are able to still achieve volume while blow-drying. The hair and the temperature controls allow you to cool and seal the hair while blow-drying. My recommendation for fine and straighter textures would probably be the roller Brush. I feel as though that will give you a little more volume and you won’t have to use a curling iron once you finish blow-drying your hair. 

Revlon products work really well in conjunction with your heat protectant and leave-in conditioners. I will list my favorite products below that work in conjunction with the blow dryer brush of your choice. As well as my favorite styling tools to create the perfect hairstyle.  If you would like to get more information on my favorite shampoos for natural hair I will list those below. I also have a post where I talk about my favorite deep conditioning products. This includes a deep conditioner and hair mask to repair and hydrate the hair. 

Helpful Resources: Best Shampoos For Natural Hair|Best Deep Conditioners

As I’m finishing up my last client of the day she says something to me that made me think. She says “We tell you everything about our lives and yet I’m sure there are things you want to tell us about yours”. I laughed it off because sure, my clients tell me everything. The good, the bad, and the ugly. But sometimes there are things we want to tell our clients that we keep to ourselves. It’s not about the kids or what we did that Saturday night. It relates more towards things we want to tell them about their salon visits. This is about to go left really quickly, I can feel it lol. But the bible says, “The truth shall set you free”. Today it shall as I share 20 things your hairdresser wants you to know.

I stand in solidarity with my fellow salon workers to tell you some hard truths. I know I’m being melodramatic here but I speak for many when I say we are thinking it and don’t say it. Sometimes we say it and it goes in one ear and out the other or it’s taken the wrong way. The purpose of today’s post is not to make you feel bad or indifferent. It’s to educate you and to make your salon visits as pleasant as humanly possible. The things your hairdresser wants you to know can be very subjective and can vary from stylist to stylist. I’ll just say this, I have a great relationship with the patrons of my business and an open communication policy. This is not always the case.

So I want to list a few things your hairdresser wants you to know with the hopes it creates an open dialogue. Again this list is very subjective and it is based on years of salon experience. These are also things I and fellow stylists have discussed. I will try to keep this list as general as I can. Take my word for it, I cut this list down quite a bit. 

20  Things Your Hairdresser Wants You To Know

1. The client is not always right.
2. Pictures are for reference, not a duplication.
3. Do not show up late and empty-handed lol, we love coffee also. 
4. Please respect our time. The doctors charge for no shows, so can we.
5. Please don’t tell us how to do our jobs, if you knew what you were doing you wouldn’t pay us. 
6. Just because the information is on YouTube this does not make it right. Have you ever seen the videos of people burning or over bleaching their hair?
7. Please don’t talk on the phone while getting your services done. This is a time to relax and decompress for everyone around you. Be courteous.
8. We aren’t upset, we are HUNGRY. We often don’t eat. Think about this next time you’re running late.
9. We have lives and don’t work around your schedule.
10. Gratitude goes a long way, 
11. Sit still, if you want your haircut straight stop moving.
12. Your hair appointment is for you, come alone.
13. Sometimes your relationship drama is too much.
14. A trim and a hair cut is the same price.
15. Clean up after yourself, we aren’t maids
16. No, I can’t squeeze you in.
17. We appreciate tips more than you know. 
18. Ask us how we’re doing, were human too
19. We are creatives and sensitive about our work. 
20. Trust our judgment. We are trying to bring out the best in you. 

As I mentioned earlier, this list can go on and on. 

Bonus Tip

Learn to hear the words No. If your hairdresser truly cares about you and that’s pride in their work they will tell you NO. I’m laughing while writing this because my clients are well aware, I will tell them no and smile while doing it. It took me years to work up the courage to do so and now it feels liberating to say no and mean it. You want highlights but don’t take care of your hair, NO. You’re requesting a relaxer after scratching your scalp, NOPE. You bleached your hair the day before and want it redone today, KEEP DREAMING. And the most famous, you’re going through a breakup and want to cut your hair and dye it to mimic Skittles. Maam, that’s also a no.

Let me reiterate, we are not trying to be mean or disrespectful. We are trying to do what’s best for you and if a no means saving your hair strands then so be it. 

No I know this was a lot of hard truths shared here today and you might have said ouch a few times. It’s ok. The more you know, the more you grow. In the event, you like to maintain your hair at home like many of my clients do, be sure to read up on some of my favorite shampoos HERE. I also shared my favorite styling tools HERE. 

A friend of mine came to me because she wanted to cut back on her salon visits and save money. Times are hard for many and she wanted to achieve the salon look at home. She, like many others, has textured hair and needed a few tips. I wanted to help her learn to blow dry 4C hair without heat damage. 

The key to blow drying 4c hair without heat damage is to stretch the hair while blow drying. Also applying heat protectants with humectants to lock in moisture and eliminate frizz; natural hair oils help to protect seal the hair cuticle.

Tips For A Great Blow Dry

In order to have a great blow-dry, you have to have the right tools. The blow dryer I recommend to all my friends is the Conair Yellow Bird. I recommend this blowdryer in particular because it’s lightweight and very powerful. It comes with two attachments which include a nozzle and comb. If you have a hard time using the nozzle with a brush to blow-dry. The comb attachment is your new best friend. It works well with all hair textures, not just 4C hair. In my early salon days, I couldn’t afford the blowdryers all my co-workers were using. They were often over $100 and to be honest weren’t even that great. Imagine their surprise when I pulled out this bright yellow blow dryer and achieved better results as a new stylist. Let’s just say they all asked where I purchased it and ran out to get one.

My favorite blow dryer is the Conair Pro SilverBird Turbo Blowdryer. This is the big sister to the Yellowbird I mentioned previously. I love this blower. Yes, I even use it in the salon and at home. It comes with a comb attachment to help blow-dry the hair faster. I have used it in a few of my hair tutorials HERE. This video is a great way to see the blow dryer in action and to see how well it is able to stretch my hair for an amazing silk press or any other hairstyle I choose to achieve. 

Picture Tutorial

While styling a client’s hair I got the bright idea to take a few pictures so that you can see the process of stretching and blow-drying natural 4C hair. I will show you a few steps to achieving a great blow-dry. I’m aware the quality of these photos isn’t the best however it was a  busy afternoon. Unfortunately, I decided last minute and on a whim to take pictures for you. I hope that these pictures provide you an idea of how easy it can be to achieve a great blow-dry at home. 

By following this method it will ensure you can retain the length and thickness of your hair. It also prevents heat damage. In order to blow dry 4c hair, you have to be patient and work in small sections. As you can see from the pictures above this client has quite a bit of hair. In order to save time while blow-drying the hair, it’s best to detangle first then section off.

The reason I don’t recommend this one as often is that it is a bit hotter than the Yellowbird. It is a salon grade and it can be hard to gauge how hot it needs to be for a proper blow-dry. I’ve seen stylists use this blow dryer wrong and cause heat damage. Additionally, the Silver Bird is heavy. If you are using it on yourself you will notice very quickly how heavy it gets. My arms are conditioned at this point to hold heavy blow dryers but trust it even starts to hurt my shoulders. 

How to stretch the hair

Stretching your hair for a blow dry before and during the process is a great way to avoid excess heat to the hair. 

You can achieve this the following ways:

• Twisting 
• Braiding
• Wrapping with String

These techniques allow the hair to partially dry and the hair to flat on the scalp. This cuts your drying time in half and stretches your curls with added heat or excessive tension. 

Using these methods to stretch your hair I recommend that you use small sections of hair. Also, I recommend that you put your hair into small ponytails at the root and then continue to twist, braid, or wrap your hair. This will allow you to moisturize each section of the hair as well as detangle your hair properly.  Detangling is key to retaining length width in your hair.

What heat protectants To Use

Heat protectants come in many forms. You can use cream, lotion, sprays, serums, and oils. It is hard to recommend a heat protectant without seeing and feeling your hair texture however what I can say is no matter which form of heat protection you decide to use make sure that you thoroughly saturate each strand of your hair. The key to using heat protectants is to be consistent in their usage and to make sure that they are applied properly. In my experience spray heat protectant works best with all hair textures. They tend to be lighter and do not weigh the hair down as much as serums, creams, and lotions. I will list my favorite spray heat protectant below for you to research.

Tried and true heat stylers

Now that you have properly  stretched and blow dry your hair it’s time to move on to styling. If you have 4C hair you may tend to style your hair naturally and it’s stretched state or you may want to move on to heat styling. 

One of my favorite hairstyles for natural hair is a silk press. This is when we take a flat iron and smooth the hair strands to a silk-like texture. It is a temporary style and once you wash your hair your natural curls will revert back. This is why heat protectants are so important. When doing a silk press on natural hair it requires heat in order to straighten your natural curls. Over the years I have used hundreds of heated tools to achieve this hairstyle. In a previous post, I shared with you my favorite flat irons to use at home and in the salon. I will leave a link here for you to read up on my favorite styling tools to achieve this look. I hope this post helped you learn to blow dry 4c hair. These techniques can be used on all hair types.

Next Up: Best Flat Irons For Natural Hair

Natural hair is versatile. It can be worn twisted, braided, curly, and even straight. Straightening your curly strands is a huge undertaking and I would be remiss  If I didn’t recommend you see a licensed hairstylist for this service. I mean, I am a professional here. But for my readers who know their way around styling tools today, I want to recommend a few brands I know will get the job done. Don’t get me wrong, if done incorrectly, silk pressing your natural hair can cause your hair to lose its curl pattern, dry the hair out, and cause permanent heat damage. This is why I recommend a professional stylist. They are familiar with flat irons for natural hair and how to use them.

A professional stylist will be better suited to give you a consultation on your hair type. Some hairstylists like myself even show you how to properly silk press your natural hair. Or you can just watch in the mirror. This is also a great way of keeping your head up when getting your hair down. Your stylist will thank you for this lol. The key takeaway is, learning is key, and having resources and recommendations can help save your strands in the long run. Not to worry, you can learn the proper technique to do it yourself at home. If you invest in great tools you won’t need to see your stylist as often. Technique and tools are your focus. I will be sharing my favorite flat irons for natural hair.

Three Things For A Perfect Silk Press

Silk pressing natural hair requires three things. Patience, a great blow out, and amazing styling tools. The flat iron used for natural hair will be 50 percent of the result achieved. The other 50 percent will be calculated based on the technique used. If you would like to see my previous hair tutorials of me silk pressing my own natural hair I will leave those HERE.  I myself have gone through hundreds, YES hundreds of flat irons in my career.

In my business, I offer this service to my clients daily. I would like to think I have a great understanding of which flatirons make the cut. All of the brands I will be sharing with you today are brands I personally own, have used in the past, and or currently use in my salon to silk press my client’s hair. In the event you are new here, I own and operate my own multicultural salon in New Jersey. You can read up on all those wonderful details on my about page HERE.

What should you look for when purchasing a flatiron for natural hair?

If you’re in the market for a new flatiron and don’t know what to look for, here are some of my must-haves. I will have my favorite flatirons listed below.

• Adjustable temperature controls.
• Quality plates. Ceramic, Titanium, Ion, etc
• Manufacture warranty (trust me on this)
• Ability to reach 430F- 450F
• The flat iron size should be one inch thick. Size matters.
• Outer material is heat resistant.
• Not to heavy
• Tip: Don’t buy the pretty design flat irons. The designs start to burn and turn brown from the heat and usually cost more for the packaging. 

Here my top flatirons for natural hair.

Babyliss Nano Titanium Pro

Fhi Platform

Bio ionic 10x flat iron

Chi Original

HSI Professional Glider Ceramic Tourmaline Ionic Flat Iron Hair

NuMe

Express Ion Smooth + XL Styling Iron 1.5 Inch

Hot Shot Tools

Paul Mitchell Neuro Smooth Flat Iron

Kipozi

Remington Pro 1

As I stated previously, you have to make sure you take the proper steps to prepare the hair for heat styling. This also includes how the hair is cleansed before styling. Make sure you reference my top shampoos for natural hair HERE.

I have raided my beauty closet and salon dispensary to bring you the best deep conditioners and mask for naturally curly hair. These products are sure to give you proper PH levels, moisturize, and leave you with healthy, shiny hair. Even if your hair isn’t curly, you may be in need of conditioning treatments to help stop shedding and breakage this list is for you.

The best deep conditioners and masks for naturally curly hair will have the ability to moisturize, hydrate, and define the hair. It will provide natural luster and slip to the hair and make styling more manageable. Here are the top 20 conditioners and hair masks for natural hair. 

I have personally tried all the conditioners on these lists and offer them with services in my salon. So I can vouch for their validity. Some affiliate links are used throughout this post however if you’ve seen my YouTube videos you have seen me use them on my hair. 

Top Ten Best Deep Conditioners 

1. KeraCare Humecto Creme Conditioner
2. ORS Replenishing Conditioner
3. As I Am Hydration Elation Conditioner
4. Mielle Babassu & Mint 
5. Miche Protein Deep conditioner
6. Aunt Jackie’s Grapeseed Quenching Conditioner
7. Kinky Curly Knot Today Conditioner/Detangler 
8. Jessicurl Weekly Deep Conditioning Treatment
9. Motions Moisture Silk Protein Conditioner
10. Nexxus Humectress Ultimate Moisturizing Conditioner

Top Ten Hair Mask

1. Not Your Mothers Naturals Matcha Green Tea & Wild Apple Blossom Nutrient Rich Butter Masque
2. Afro Love Hair Soufflé Mask
3. Bomba Curls FORBIDDEN HAIR MASK
4. Carol’s Daughter Coco Cream Curl Quenching Mask
5. Blueberry Bliss Repair Mask
6. SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore Treatment Masque 
7. Mielle Rosemary Mint Strengthening Hair Masque
8. Cantu Grapeseed Strengthening Treatment
9. BRIOGEO Don’t Despair, Repair
10. Uncle Funky’s Daughter Heal & Renew Intensive Hair Masque

How To Prevent Dry Hair

 Try to look for some products with Dimethicone. Dimethicone is often found in all of the best deep conditioners on the market. This ingredient will sort of coat your hair shaft and really helps to protect it so that moisture doesn’t escape.  In addition to rinsing with cool water. More on that topic later in this post. Many of us believe that washing our hair more will help keep the hair healthy when in fact it actually dries the hair out. Try not to use heavy soaps and shampoos to wash your hair and minimizing don’t wash your hair every day. I have a complete list of hydrating shampoos HERE. Wash your hair every third day or bi-weekly depending on the texture.

Conditioning is a very important step to really keep the moisture in your hair but you don’t have to spend a lot of money on conditioners. There’s a lot of at-home products things you can find in your pantry to put moisture back in your hair. Look for any of those really oily products like coconut oil,  jojoba oil, avocado, egg, butter, and olive oil. All these things are really wonderful for moisturizing and they can really help to retain the moisture in your hair. 

Best Practices

Trim Your Ends

So many are a little fearful of cutting their hair. Trimming your hair is important because it removes split ends. If you allow split ends to remain it will slowly move up your hair shaft. Thus extending the damage. I recommend you trim your hair at least every 8-12 weeks. Especially if your hair is color or chemically treated. The longer you wait to have your ends trimmed the more your stylist will have to cut in order for your strands to look healthy again. Trust me, you do not want this to happen. 

Comb Conditioner Through For Even Saturation

In order for your conditioner to work properly, it must be applied correctly. Once the hair is thoroughly shampooed and detangled you can apply the conditioner of your choice. Section the hair then apply the conditioner from root to tip. Once the conditioner has been applied, take a wide-tooth comb, and make sure each strand of hair is saturated. This is the keep to a great conditioning treatment. Follow the instructions listed on the package for treatment duration. 

Use A Heated Cap

Most conditioners work best when the cuticle of the hair has been opened. This can be done with warm temperature water and or a heated cap. By sitting under a hooded dryer will allow the conditioner to penetrate the hair shaft to moisturize and repair. If you don’t have a hooded dryer you can create a heated cap using a warm towel and a plastic cap. Click here for a video tutorial on how to deep condition at home. 

Rinse Conditioner In Cool Water

To seal in the moisture you want to rinse the conditioner in cool temperature water. This will lock in moisture and hydration and help with the luster of the hair. You don’t need the water ice cold just not warm enough to open the cuticle. Remember, we are trying to lock in the moisture at this point. 

Tip: If the hair feels like wet noodles you likely still have product left in your hair. Yes, the conditioner will soften the hair but not to the point of feeling like silk. Please be mindful of this when rinsing out your products. 

Moisturising Ingredients To Look For:

• Water
• Aqua
• Cetearyl alcohol 
• Cetyl Alcohol 
• Stearyl alcohol 
• Stearic acid 
• Glycerin(e)
• Glycerol
• Glyceryl triacetate
• Urea
• Palmitic acid 
• Oleic acid 
• Polyquaternium
• Propylene glycol
• Sorbitol
• Alpha hydroxy acids
• Pyrrolidine carboxylic acid 
• Lactate 

Conditioning Mask Ingredients To Look For:

• Wheat protein 
• Amino acids
• Collagen 
• Cholesterol 
• Keratin 
• Panthenol
• Soy protein 
• Milk protein
• Animal protein 

The best deep conditioners work in conjunction with great shampoos and a consistant wash routine.

Next: Best Shampoos For Natural Hair