Do you suffer from any of these symptoms burning, numbness, tingling in hands and or achy swollen hands and arms? This condition is known as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Let’s discuss why the weight of a brush Pros / Cons is SO important to your health as a stylist.
It seems we as stylists have been sold on the concept of using weightless brushes sound’s good BUT does this really work for your long-term health? This is a discussion sadly lacking in our Industry today PREVENTION.
I was fortunate enough to work for a stylist that had all these problems back in the 50’s 60’s. They were different then as the styling techniques were different, but the common issues were repetitive movements and poor posture. At the time rounded shoulders, back, and neck pain from roller setting before blow-drying and back combing caused a host of issues. This set me on a path of teaching preventative techniques including posture, choosing and handling the right styling tools.
Many blow-dryers create a twisting of the wrist by the weight, balance and the torque of a hair dryers motor, over time this will cause stress on the wrist which may result in Carpal tunnel syndrome.
Let’s examine the WEIGHT of styling brushes the pro’s /cons of a brush with weight or without weight. A weightless brush, which includes paddle brushes or round aerated (the most popular today).
Now what kind of other characteristics do you need from a brush not including the ability to dry fast. Let’s look at the basic bristles ability to GRIP hair. This being most important as stretching hair is what enables the hair to take a shape that’s why wet sets are stronger than dry sets as hair will stretch 50% of it’s length wet, while dry hair only stretches 20% of it’s length. This should tell how much better wet setting is in contrast to dry setting. By pre drying an area like the roots or ends you predetermine where you want softness in your set. Therefore, less effort, time and energy are required meaning less wear and tear on your hands wrists, arms and shoulders.
NOW WEIGHT, IMAGINE if you have a long thick coarse curly hair to straighten, if you use a weightless brush this means YOU do all the work by wrapping, pulling, spinning and in some instances pressing the nozzle onto the brush and hair on the barrel to get the tension, and again a repetitive movement. Essentially you do ALL the work, why not have the brush help? Now for an alternative approach using a brush with some weight. The hair has an energy which tends to pull back to it’s curl, if your brush has some weight it will help neutralize the pull back meaning less effort is required. We call this counter balancing to smooth the section making it easier to control. Allowing the brush, the brush do part of the work, less wear and tear on yourself.
The next critical issue is when wrapping hair for a roller set concept, you will want to leave the brush in the hair to cool and set the shape. A weightless brush tends to fall out much easier than a brush with weight, as hair always wants to go back to its original shape and will push the brush out. A brush with weight will hold better as the weight tends to hold the brush in place.
Next a brush should allow you to adjust the tensions along the length of the section with MINIMAL effort meaning you should NOT need to spin or wrap hair before the brush engages the section. This is repetitive and creates wear and tear on arms, hands, wrists and shoulders.
HOTHEADS® Hairbrushes address all these and more in their Design and Function.
Please view www.hotheadshairbrush.com
A HEALTHIER PREVENTATIVE APPROACH to STYLING