Growing my hair and hot air brushes

I am growing my hair. 

Most of my adult life I had a similar haircut. It would be chin length bob that would periodically grow longer and then, inevitably, end up being chopped when I got to the point of not being able to deal with the maintenance any more.  

I tried it curled and blond...

My (failed) MM attempt

Or darker and straight...

with a bit of red...

I thought I will never go longer because it gets out of hand quickly

au naturel

 

But while visiting my mother I discovered some help. My mother has naturally curly hair, not frizzy/wavy like me but fully curly.  She also owns all kinds of beauty and grooming products plus a dazzling array of cosmetics.  She is definitely not a minimalist here, I think she just likes to try different things for fun. Among them I found a hot air brush set with all kinds of attachments. I used it while visiting and I loved it so much, I was determined to find one for myself.

I have tried three hot air brushes and I thought I would pass some comments to you, in case you are considering them.  And of course, I would love if you could share your own opinions and experiences.

 Conair Hot Air Brush

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This set includes 3 attachments so it seemed like a good value.  it would be nice for travel because it is all in one. My hair is thick and it takes at least 30 minutes to dry, even with quite powerful blow dryers. I think it general, it is recommended that you partially dry before using hot air brush but not as much as with straighteners (or hot barrel curlers).  

The dryer it is not powerful enough for me so it would actualy lengthen the drying time.  The bigger brush is the right size for me but the bristles are sparse and very stiff and it did not grip hair properly. The smaller brush is much better but it is a little bit too small for my hair length. This may be better set for someone with shorter hair and definitely not ideal if you have long hair. Also, it is nice to have different attachments, but they sometimes came unlocked, which is annoying. It also gets pretty hot and you have to watch as not to burn yourself.  My hair did came out smooth and nice.  Since I don't wash my hair everyday, more like every other day or every three days, I was able to touch it up on they days I did not wash it and it was really helpful.

Overall, I realized that if I kept this set, I would only use it with the small brush and I need something a little bigger in diameter.  But the set does a good job and it was definitely and improvement from using regular round brushes and good for second day touch ups.

John Frieda Hot Air Brush

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This is just a single brush, no other attachments and it is not rotating. It is not very powerful so I don;t think it would work as a blowdryer substitute, unless you have relatively thin hair that dries quickly. You can order it in 1 inch or 1.5 inch size.  I ordered 1.5 inch. The size is perfect for my hair and there is no fussing with changing or falling off attachments. I actually liked the fact that it does not get too hot. It was easier to work with it and put my hair around it without burning my ears or fingers. It probably does less damage to your hair as well. 

It also works great for touch ups.  It is comfortable to hold and I like its simplicity. My only concern is that it may not be powerful enough.

Infiniti Pro by Conair Spin Air Rotating Styler

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This is the the top rated Hot Air Brush. The biggest difference between the other two I tried is that it rotates.  It is also huge.  I don't think this would work on short hair at all. But if your hair is at least chin length, you should be fine.  It will also give you a lot of volume, so if you are after volume this is perfect. It is not a concern for me, as I actually have my hair significantly thinned to reduce the volume. 

Now, the rotating function.  I was a little scared of it at first but it would not tangle your hair.  It does take a little bit of getting used to.  On my first try my hair immediately curled up (instead of under),  tight around the brush.  You can turn the rotating function off if you get overwhelmed but it is its main selling point.  One thing I would say, don't give up after the first try.  I was frustrated at first but it really is easy if you give it a little time. What I had to get used to is that the brush spins in both directions for curling under or up, depending on which button you press.  However, it took me couple of minutes to realize that the direction that creates the under spinning motion is different depending on how you hold your brush.  So instead of the right button you have to hold the left one or vice versa.  Once I got that, it became easy.   

It is a powerful brush and the hair came out very smooth and similar to the look you get at the hair salon.  The only drawback to me is the size, especially if you have shorter hair or want to bring it while traveling.       

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I decided to keep the Infiniti Pro but I am thinking of getting a smaller diameter brush as well. Maybe I should get John Frieda 1 inch brush?  Overall, I really like hot air brushes in general.  To me, they are so much easier to use that the regular round brush and the blowdryer and get better results. I also believe in ionic function, I think it does make a difference in smoothness of my hair.  And I have been sold this expensive leave-in conditioner by my stylist. 

Davines DEDE conditioner

At first I thought I was a total fool to pay so much for a conditioner, but I swear, my hair has never been smoother and shinier.  I currently use Nexxus Color Assure shampoo and conditioner and I find my color staying fresh for a little longer.

Another thing that has helped me with growing my hair was my bangs.  I find my hair easier to maintain with the bangs.  I know many people would say the opposite, but for me, it eliminates some of the volume in front and pushes the hair away from my face.  Plus, my bangs grow so quickly,  it is easy to push them to the sides to create more of side swept look, even if they are now cut as full blunt bangs.

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That's all folks!

Do you own a hot air brush?

What do you use to style your hair?