Choosing the Right Dryer and the Right Shears

by Antonio Gonzales on Monday, August 9th, 2010

I was born in Trinidad in the height of a hurricane. I spent my childhood surrounded by the sights and sounds and smells of Carnival and the other Indian, African and Spanish festivals of the Islands. Loving the amazing costumes, I got my start dressing my sisters and doing their hair and makeup. An opportunity came up to work with Trinidad’s leading costume designers, makeup artists and hair stylists. After I left the Island, my career evolved with work in Munich, Los Angeles and now New York City. Here in New York, I am a stylist at the Orlo Salon in the Meat Packing district. Vogue magazine recently named me as one of the rising hairstylist stars in N.Y., I was awarded the best haircut of 2008 by shecky’s.com, Gotham Magazine called me a Shear Genius and Allure Magazine featured me as one of the best cuts 2009.

See Antonio’s blog here.

Skill is a big part of one’s strength in the beauty industry, and having the right tools to support skill is very important. Over the years I have purchased enough tools to open my own beauty supply shop—some were great and some were a waste of money. After my personal, painstaking experience I’m here to share with you the tools I’ve found helped improve the quality of my work, hopefully saving you some money in the process.

THE BEST HAIR DRYER

T3 Bespoke Featherweight Hair Dryer

I can safely say that this is a product that’s ahead of its time. In my own words the dryer is very light, leaves the hair shinier than any hair dryer I have ever used, and in the long term it has kept my clients’ hair healthier, avoiding over-drying. For those of us who have used those old-school black dryers that weigh a ton and sound like a boat engine, the T3 Featherweight takes a little getting used to. When you first use it you will ask yourself, “Is it powerful or hot enough?” Yes it is—the difference being that it doesn’t produce too much unnecessary “hot air.” It’s an efficient tool, taking clean sections and getting even results from the roots to the ends.

The advantages when using this dryer are that it dries the hair 70% faster, due to the Tourmaline SoftAire and T3 patented process. The dryer blows a large stream of concentrated ionic and infrared heat for super-speed drying time and offers 8 different settings that allow for precision and versatility when drying the hair.

THE BEST SHEARS

As we all know, great shears do make a big difference and can really help us define our work and give a better haircut. I’m a firm believer that good tools give better results (like in any other industry); however, I do not believe that the most expensive tools are always the best. What makes one pair of scissors different from another is the design, workmanship, and material. There are so many manufacturers of shears that it can be confusing. Here are my recommendations to purchasing the right shears and why:

Cutting Shears

Personally my first choice in shears are those by Nic, which are made in Japan and have been around for about 40 years. I have used them for the past 10 years and I like the attention to design and workmanship, and have found Nic to be very consistent in their quality of shears. I even feel that over the years the quality of their products has improved. Furthermore, they also make a variety of styles and sizes for the left-handed stylist.

Choosing the Right Shears

When buying shears, do your research as to how long the company has been around and what is their history of making and maintaining shears. This is a serious investment and all decisions around purchasing new shears (no matter the price) should be well thought-out. Have you ever had some masked man with a flashy black velvet case of gleaming shears come by the salon with brands that you have never heard of and offering them at great prices? I have seen these masked crusaders over the years offering convenience and cheap shears, and let me tell you that this is a bad idea! I purchased many of those shears early in my career and regretted it every time.

Stick with the well-known, professional brands. And remember, when in the market for shears, try several on for size by holding and getting a feel for them. (It’s like buying a new car—you wouldn’t make a deal without test-driving it at least once, right?)

The Right Size

The size of the shears you choose is really a personal experience; however, it could also depend on if your training is American or European (Europeans tend to like bigger shears). It can also depend on which academy you trained with: Some cutting schools don’t teach razor cuts, so a variety of sizes will be needed to deliver a more intricate haircut.

Antonio shows everyone how it’s done.

After some research and inquiring into which sizes are most popular, I have learned that in the past, a five-inch shear used to be the most popular choice; today, though, it’s the six-inch. But I recommend having five-, six-, and seven-inch shears to start. These three sizes can help you achieve any haircut, be it curly, straight, thick, or thin, and when you can afford more, then invest in expanding your equipment supply.

The five-inch shears are, obviously, ideal for stylists with smaller hands. These are excellent when working against the neckline (bobs), fine hair (cutting wet), and detailed dry cutting on any hair type. I like small shears when fine-tuning diffused curly hair. After the hair is cut and styled, I take these smaller shears and almost cut in the wave/curl and remove bulk. It’s almost like I’m carving into the curl in a downward motion, or holding the curl out of the head and slicing out unnecessary bulk. For me, when dry cutting (after a wet cut) on straight hair, the smaller shears are perfect to establish control without changing my shape that I created wet. In other words, be careful of over-cutting and changing your haircut in unintended ways.

In my experience (having big hands), the six-inch shears are easy to hold, enabling total control when doing those detailed cuts and for bulk removal on dry or wet hair. I like these for point-cutting wet or dry hair and for slide-cutting.

I utilize my seven-inch shears on thick hair and when cutting the perimeter of the hair. I use these more often for bulk removal on thick hair, wet or dry. They are great for point- or slide-cutting bulk out of thick, straight, dried hair, in instances where I have enough control of the hair to safely remove bulk. If you have large hands, then most likely you’ll find these shears very comfortable to use.

Thinning shears

For thinning shears, Nic gets my vote too, hands down. When choosing thinning shears, remember that the more teeth in your shears, the less hair it will remove (appropriate more for blending). The less teeth, the more hair it will remove (think bulk removal). I have had so many thinning shears, but this particular brand has lasted the longest and has stood up to a lot of abuse.

Keep in mind that choosing the right shears is a very personal experience, and any one of these shears can be used at any point. What I have given you are very basic guidelines on choosing the right shears that can save you time and money. Also remember to ask other stylists in your salon their thoughts on the shears they are using. You can also get valuable information from your co-workers on making the right investment.

In Part Two of this article I will feature my favorite razor, combs, brushes, and clippers.

Check Out the Latest Irons and Dryers

by Victoria Wurdinger on Monday, August 2nd, 2010

Ceramic, ionic and tourmaline made hot tools sizzle. First, the technologies boosted sales; now fashion is driving trends. Just in case you forgot what does what:

• Ceramic: Creates even heat distribution and snag-free gliding.
• Far-Infrared Heat: When absorbed, it dries hair from the inside out to work faster and minimize cuticle damage.
• Ionic: Negative ions split or electrolyze water molecules, causing them to penetrate deeply but evaporate faster. When negative ions are attracted to positive ones, they neutralizing them, causing the cuticle to close. Results: smoother, shinier hair.
• Tourmaline: When heated, this gemstone produces more negative ions than any other substance, plus far-infrared heat. The claims: Even heat distribution, faster drying times, less damage, increased shine.

A slew of new high-tech tools accommodate today’s trends. Celebrities’ sexy waves are behind the renewed interest in curling irons of all shapes and sizes. For smooth styles, Brazilian Keratin treatments usually require a flat iron at an even 450-degrees (newer systems use irons at 430-degrees).

Smoothing and Straightening

H2Pro’s Vivace Flat Iron

Summertime finds lots of stylists pumping out the Brazilian Keratin Treatments. At Marie Bove in NYC, salon, celebrity and super-session stylist Don Francis, likes H2Pro’s Vivace Flat Iron, which combines ceramic, far-infrared heat and three different nano technologies: “It works fast and adds incredible shine.” On-set, he favors the versatility of Create Ion’s styling irons with digital ceramic technology, a real-time LCD display and cushions for optimum plate alignment. Says Francis, “The Create Ion two-way styler lets you curl or straighten hair, so there’s less to carry in my kit when I work on location.

As flat irons evolve, they always add the newest technologies. For instance, Brazilian Heat After Dark’s newest flat iron uses floating titanium plates, which allow smooth gliding. Titanium heats more efficiently and holds heat at a consistent temperature for zero recovery time, claims Denise Russell, regional sales manager for Belson Products.

For his Brazilian treatments, Mohammad Rahebi, founder of Signature Salon and now stylist and manager at Identity Salon in Encino, CA., reaches for the IZUNAMI 450. “This flat iron is hot, hot, hot,” says Rahebi. “It reaches optimum temperature in just 30 seconds and stays there, so styling takes less time.” Even when he uses it sans BKT, his clients rave about their shiny, healthy-looking hair, he adds.

One iron that accommodates almost every need is FHI Heat’s Runway Styling Iron, which features 6 layers of ceramic heat and tourmaline to produce 20 percent more negative ions. Its temperature range is one of the widest around (140º - 450º F), and “InStyle” magazine named it as one of its “2010 Best Beauty Buys.”

When it comes to straightening curly hair, Ruth Rivas, stylist and co-director of education for Salon Sessions Studio in Pasadena, CA., is a raving Runway iron fan.

“With the Runway iron, I’m able to do my job better and faster,” says Rivas. “Because the I.C.H.S. heating system provides consistent heat across the surface of the plate, there’s no downtime. It also features advanced ceramic tourmaline technology and emits gentle, far-infrared heat to prevent damage. Since it comes in a one-inch size, I’m able to create endless styles and have a guarantee that the look will last all day.”

Curling up to a New Look

HAI Elite Digistik

With everyone going gaga over curls, waving irons have also upped their techno-game. For instance, at HAI, HAI Elite irons feature nano-tourmaline technology and clampless styling, while HAI Classic Pro products are frequently re-tooled to add the latest technologies, such as lightweight, ergonomic designs with non-slip finger grips.

How irons look matter, too. The HAI Stylemate comes in four fashion colors: black, magenta, purple and teal. It features nano tourmaline-infused ceramic floating plates, heats up to 390º F in 5 seconds and allows waving, curling or straightening on the go.

In addition to cool colors, companies are offering broader size selections. Andis’ newest Elevate iron, the Marcel Tourmaline Nano-Ceramic Iron, comes in 1-inch and ¾-inch sizes. Ivan Zoot, the company’s director of education, says schools are fueling the demand for Marcel irons, but that purists prefer them, too.

“They’re great for using with a candlestick technique, in which a section of hair is pulled out from the head and loosely wrapped around the vertically held Marcel iron,” says Zoot. “With a Marcel iron, you can regulate the pressure of the clamp, which allows more creative freedom.”

For maximum versatility, Garrett Markenson, the owner of Garett Markenson Coiffure in Valencia, CA who also studied fine art in Florence, Italy, loves Hot Tools’ new Blue Ice Titanium irons because the four specialty irons create waves, spirals, ribbons or coiled curls and use state-of-the-art titanium technology. “They’re totally contemporary and help make styling fun by giving give me everything I need to create every type of curl,” says Markenson.

Celebrity stylist Tippi Shorter, who is based in New York and does hair for Alicia Keys, among others, says her favorite tool for curly hair is the Brazilian Heat Ceramic Curl Iron. “It’s a great way to enhance natural curls that may need a spruce up,” says Shorter. “I love the long barrel, which allows longer hair to wrap around the iron more easily, and the double-dipped ceramic coating means even curly hair releases effortlessly.”

Faster Drying

Blow dryers have also adapted to techno-trends. For instance, the mid-priced Mega Hot line (LINK www.belsonproducts.com), which was retooled and will be re-launched in September, is introducing the Mega Hot Professional Ionic Euro Dryer, which has ionic generators with on-off switches. Which switch position you use depends on hair type and climate—remember that ionic technology smoothes and closes the cuticle.

Says Shorter, “The great thing about having an ionic generator that can be turned on and off is that not all hair types need ions. Ions take the moisture out of the hair, seal the cuticle and dry the hair faster, so there is no frizz. If you live in a humid climate, you want to use the ionic generator. But in a dry climate, if your hair is curly and fine, hair goes limp with the ions. The Mega Hot dryer is one of the only professional dryers available that gives users the option to turn the generator on or off.”

When it comes to blow-styling curly hair, Michael Beardé, owner of Salon Beardé in Mission, KS, can’t live without his FHI Heat EPS 2100 Blow Dryer. It makes it easy to dry and style even super-curl without damage or frizz, thanks to nano-fuzeion technology, which he describes as a combination of nano-titanium, nano-titanium oxide and nano-silver particles.

“Together, they leave the hair soft and shiny, while removing chemical build-up, toxins, bacteria, static and impurities such as smoke,” says Beardé. “The dryer also features advanced ceramics and tourmaline technology; it’s low in electromagnetic field and emits gentle far-infrared heat to prevent damage to hair. With twenty-five percent more air velocity and high heat, it dries the hair in about half the time of other dryers.”

Beardé adds that it comes with a free diffuser and a concentrator, which is especially important for taming frizz.

Proving that blowers can get in on hot designs, too, IGP Beauty, Inc. recently announced the launch of the Ed Hardy Vintage Collage Hair Tool Line with a professional styling iron and blow dryer that feature the bold designs of Ed Hardy’s artwork. Clearly, when it comes to cool new tools, not only do new technologies support artistic efforts, but unexpected colors and high-fashion designs add flash to your presentation and sizzle to your style.