Beauty Tools and Devices: What Earns Its Place

Tools last far longer than the products used with them, which makes them worth choosing carefully. They are also the part of the category where claims are hardest to check.

Brushes and applicators

• Density and shape matter more than material. Synthetic bristles now perform as well as natural for most uses, and are easier to clean.
• Check the ferrule — the metal band. If bristles shed constantly, the glue is failing and the brush is finished.
• Wash them. Brushes accumulate oil and bacteria, and dirty brushes are a common and overlooked cause of breakouts. Wash with mild soap, reshape, and dry flat with the head over an edge so water does not run into the ferrule.
• Sponges need replacing regularly and cannot be cleaned indefinitely.

Hair dryers

The specification worth understanding is that heat damages hair and airflow dries it. A dryer with strong airflow dries faster at a lower temperature, which is the whole argument for the more expensive models.

• Airflow and multiple heat settings, including a genuinely cool one.
• A concentrator nozzle for direction, and a diffuser if you have curls.
• Weight, since you hold it up with one arm.
• Cord length, which is a daily annoyance if wrong.

Ionic, ceramic and tourmaline claims are widely used and inconsistently defined. Airflow and controllable heat are the properties you can actually verify.

Heat styling

Adjustable temperature is the single most important feature, because the right temperature varies enormously with hair type and fine hair is damaged by heat that thick hair needs. Tools with one fixed high setting are the ones that cause damage.

Plate material and smoothness matter for snagging. A heat protectant used beforehand is not optional if you style regularly.

At-home devices

This is where caution is warranted. Light devices, microcurrent, radiofrequency and at-home hair removal are all sold with confident claims, and the regulatory bar for a cosmetic device is lower than for a medical one.

• Check what the device is actually cleared or certified for in your market, rather than what the advertising implies.
• Check the contraindications — skin tone limits on some light-based devices, and conditions or medications that make them unsuitable.
• Check the running cost, since some require replacement heads, gels or cartridges.
• Check the eye protection requirement on anything light-based, and follow it.

For anything targeting a skin condition rather than appearance, a dermatologist is the right first step. Devices are not a substitute for a diagnosis.

Before you order

Check whether heat tools have adjustable temperature. Check consumable costs on any device with replaceable parts. Check the contraindication list before buying a light-based device, not after. And check the warranty length on anything with a motor, since that is what fails.