Hairdressing tools and accessories: what to need and how to choose?

Every professional or novice hairdresser must have in his arsenal of tools and devices for the formation of complex haircuts and styling curls. Consider in the article what hairdressing tools and accessories a novice master needs, and what points you need to pay attention to when choosing them.

Below is a minimal list of essential supplies for any hairdresser's job.

Depending on the purpose, combs are round, square, wide, with sparse or frequent teeth. With respect to the material of manufacture, they can be wooden, metal, polymer or combined.

Experts identify only 3 types of combs, where each is necessary to perform certain manipulations with the hairstyle.

• A comb with a thin handle and frequent teeth (also called a "ponytail"). It is this variety that is usually considered working. Such a device ideally separates curls and can be used for bouffant. These models are usually created from metal or polymers, and if the latter can be wielded in any haircut, then metal should be abandoned during the perm procedure.
• Shading options. It is a combined tool, where sparse teeth are located at one end, and frequent teeth at the other. Usually this is a fairly long comb (up to 26 cm) with a narrow back and blade. These tools are actively used when combing, blunting and combing curls.
• Combs with elongated but sparse teeth. They are used in the formation of lush hairstyles, when processing long strands and problem hair. They can also be used when combing curls after a perm procedure.

These devices are needed by a hairdresser for combing, styling curls, as well as for massaging the epidermis of the head, but they are rarely used in the haircut itself. Regardless of the tasks performed, made of wood or polymers. The teeth here can be made of metal or plastic with a length of 1 to 2 cm. In terms of shape, the working surface of all brushes can be straight or oval. A straight line is used to lift the hair roots, but an oval one is needed to curl the ends of the curls.

It is customary to divide all brushes into 3 separate types.

• Brashing It is precisely a round brush that is usually used when styling curls, to give them natural volume and to easily curl the ends of the hair. It is most effective to use brushing in conjunction with a powerful hairdryer.
• Skeleton brush - a flat and slightly curved instrument with characteristic semicircular slots. It is also used when styling strands using a hair dryer and gives a noticeable volume effect to the hair roots. The efficiency of the brush is ensured precisely due to the slots - they do not interfere with the free exit of air flows from the hair dryer. The teeth in these combs are predominantly plastic with characteristic round sheaths at the tips.
• Massage brushes are semicircular models, the main function of which is to give the curls a natural volume and splendor. Experts advise buying massage options with metal teeth (easy to disinfect) or natural bristle teeth.

Perhaps it is scissors that can be called the main tool in the mandatory list of hairdresser's accessories. All scissors are divided into straight or thinning, however, regardless of the type, the scissors should be sharp and well sharpened, but without sharp ends.

• Straight scissors do the bulk of the work during any haircut - they remove hair and adjust the length. Such devices are necessarily created from high-quality, durable steel and are used in the treatment of hair both on the head and on the man's face.
• Thinning (also called scalloped) scissors are necessary for thinning or thinning hair. This procedure is usually carried out on thick curls and is needed to form a natural volume through the creation of strands of various lengths.

In any cutting technique, a hairdryer is essential to dry the hair and create natural volume at the roots. Typically, hairdressers use hand-held gun-style hairdryers. High quality modern hair dryers are usually equipped with several speeds and modes of operation, have a body that is durable to damage and a cool air flow mode to secure the hairstyle.

Curling irons are an indispensable tool for creating voluminous and lush curly curls. All professional models of such devices are divided into 3 key groups:

1. curling irons for curling curls;
2. curling irons with nozzles;
3. curling irons (or tongs).

The most popular today are curling iron. These structures are made in the form of a hollow metal rod, inside which a heating element is located. To fix the curls, a special clip is installed outside.

Unfortunately, the frequent use of even modern pans can cause irreversible damage to your hair. To reduce the negative impact of these tools on the structure of curls, experts advise treat the strands in advance with special lotions or mousses.

These devices are traditional for creating curls in the home arsenal of any fashionista. Unlike modern flatware curlers allow you to style your hairstyle with minimal damage to the hair itself.

All curlers can be classified according to length, diameter and material of manufacture.

Depending on the design, such devices can be divided into only 3 types.

• Curler type 1 made as a hollow cylinder with multiple cuts, which must allow air to pass through while drying the curls. This type also contains special clamping strips and rubber bands. The strap is attached with an elastic band along the axis of the rod. In this case, the strap is used to fix the ends of the hair, and the elastic band keeps the curls in a twisted position. This type of attachment also has its drawbacks - immediately after drying, stripes from the strap and elastic are clearly visible on the hair.
• Type 2 tools similarly made in the form of a hollow cylinder with cuts, but here the role of fixation is performed by a special hairpin (up to 8 cm long) with smooth tips.
• Curler 3 types differ in that a large number of thorns with a height of up to 0.5 cm are located on their fixing surface. These thorns have two functions: they allow you to evenly distribute the curls and at the same time fix them in a given position. In the case of long hair, there is no additional fixation in such tools, however, when curling short hair (up to 15 cm), the masters fix the curls with a hairpin. Curlers with bristle brushes are especially popular today.

Clips, hairpins or ducks are used to divide and fasten curls when creating multi-layered haircuts and styling. Most of the studs are in neutral shades. These tools can be combined or made from metals and polymers.

Such instruments can also be categorized into 3 separate groups.

• Rigid studs and clamps are predominantly metallic and can be either straight or wavy. Usually they are used to fix curls and create natural volume.
• Thin hairpins ideal for fixing curls and strand ends in complex styling. The miniature shape and neutral colors make these clips completely invisible in the hair.
• Sectional clamps are long devices that are needed to fix the hair during the hair styling procedure itself.

The main function of such products is to sterilize hairdressing supplies. They allow you to remove germs and harmful substances from the surface of the instruments.

• Chloramine (0.5% solution) is a crystalline substance of a light shade with a slight smell of chlorine, which is highly soluble in water. Synthetic-based instruments are usually sterilized with this substance. The solution itself is stored in a tightly closed jar.
• Formalin it is used in the processing of only new instruments, since it has a characteristic pungent odor. In the sterilization of instruments, a formalin solution of 4% is used.
• Ethanol Is a popular but not particularly practical disinfectant. It has an excellent sterilizing effect, but it quickly wears out and loses its strength, which directly affects the effectiveness of disinfection.And also ethyl alcohol must be filtered every day and replaced at least 1 time in 3 days.
• Carbolic acid (phenol) used in hairdressing salons quite rarely, as it leads to gradual corrosion of metal elements. It is a 5% phenol solution that is used to disinfect metal razors and scissors.

In addition to the specified professional hair treatment accessories, every all-rounder should be able to use the following devices:

• accessories for coloring - gloves, foil, peignoir, brushes, paints, dilution bowls, measuring cups, oxygenates;
• short hair cutting tools (usually used in men's haircuts) - electronic machines and razors;
• handy tools to facilitate the cutting process: holster or belt for quick access devices; organizer for the orderly storage of the key elements of the haircut; stand for scissors and combs; water sprays to moisturize hair.

Among the manufacturers of the best work accessories for both novice hairdressers and amateurs, there are brands Mustang, Galsar and Hitek Group. But among the best manufacturers of professional hair dryers, pans and tongs, brands stand out BaByliss, TEK, Valera, Wik, Tecnoelettra, Parlux, and Sibel.

Below we will discuss the main factors in choosing the key tools for cutting and styling your hair.

• Scissors... When choosing these tools, you need to pay attention to 3 points: the hardness and grade of steel, the length of the blade, as well as the tightness of the blades to each other. The harder and better quality the steel in the scissors, the slower they will dull. The smaller the gap between the canvases, the more effective they will be. Regarding the length of the canvases, it is better to dwell on models with sizes from 5.5 to 6 inches - they are universal.

• Hair clippers. When choosing this tool, pay attention to the type and power of the motor, as well as the possibility of replacing the knives and the presence of a mechanism for adjusting the cutting level. Experts recommend buying exactly rotary or rechargeable machines with a power of 10 to 15 watts. Vibration models should be discarded.

• Hair dryers. Power (must be at least 1800 W), cord length (at least 2.5 m), the presence of several speed modes, temperature levels and cold air supply mode are important here.

• Comb. Regardless of the type of comb, these tools must be well sanded, resistant to high temperatures, and made from materials that are resistant to chemical attack from elements and preparations used in styling and cutting hair.

Unfortunately, when styling your hair, shaping your haircut or routinely brushing your curls, hairdressing tools gradually become dirty with particles of grease, dust or hair. To prevent these elements from causing irritation on the scalp, all hairdresser's working accessories need to be sterilized regularly. Sterilization methods can be mechanical, thermal (boiling or firing) and chemical.

• Combs and brushes are cleaned by hand, after which they are thoroughly washed with a soap solution, rinsed and kept in a disinfectant solution.
• To sterilize scissors, it is enough to treat the canvases with a regular napkin, after which they are also placed in a sterilizing solution (usually for no more than 15 minutes). At least once a month, the fastening elements of the scissors must be treated with special oil solutions.
• Razors they are most efficiently cleaned under a stream of warm water or simply with a napkin, after which they are also placed in a disinfectant solution or replaced.
• Working surfaces of machines, like all metal accessories, it can be disinfected using a glass or metal burner with alcohol. The plastic part of the machine is also processed with chloramine 0.5%.
• Tools in the form clips, pins and curlers cleaned by hand and washed with soapy water.

You can find out how to choose the right scissors for your hairdresser below.