How to use a thermal round brush? Thermal round brushes are excellent tools to use to achieve that classic smooth blow-dry finish you get from the salon. This hot styling tool is a round brush and blow dryer combined that lets you add volume, smooth strands, and create beautiful waves in minutes.
What Is a Thermal Round Brush?
A thermal round brush is a round brush with a heated barrel that heats up as you style. The heat helps set your hair in place as the bristles hold and direct each strand. This two-pronged tool acts faster and is easier to maneuver than a separate brush and blow dryer.
Preparing Your Hair
Work on dry hair that is just 70 to 80 percent dry after washing. Pat hair dry with a towel; spray a heat-protecting spray over hair. It’s an important step to prevent heat damage and keep your hair healthy.
For the roots, a volumizing mousse for extra lift, and for the mid-lengths and ends, a smoothing cream for a sleek look. Completely comb out your hair with a wide-toothed comb before you start styling.
Make Volume at The Roots
- Part your hair into sections with clips. Begin with the bottom layers and move upward.
- Take a 2-inch-wide section of hair and place the thermal brush under it, near your roots. Raise the brush upward and hold it for 5-8 seconds as it gets heated. This pumping action is essential for productive volume.
- Roll the brush slightly away from the scalp, maintaining the tension as you go down the hair shaft. The warmth “sets” the lifted position, providing bouncy, voluminous roots that last all day.
- Work with smaller sections and hold your brush at a 90-degree angle to your head for the best volume at the crown.
Adding Waves and Curls
- For waves, wind a portion of hair around the warm barrel, beginning from mid-length. Place the brush on the hair for 10-15 seconds so that the hair fully heats through.
- Slowly roll the hair off the brush as opposed to tugging it straight down. This preserves the wave pattern you just created. For more defined waves, take smaller sections and hold the heat for longer. For loose beach waves, take big sections.
- Alternate the direction you wrap each section, some wrapping toward your face and others away from you, to achieve a more natural, 3-dimensional effect.
Smoothing and Finishing the Ends of Hair
To smooth and finish the ends of your hair, you can use a hair dryer and round brush, an electric hot brush, or an electric hot roller. For the ends of your hair, you have two choices. For a smooth finish, just run the brush through as you apply light tension. For flipped-out ends, roll the brush under and hold for a few seconds before releasing.
If you’d like tucked-under ends, roll the brush inward toward your neck rather than outward. This classic method results in a smooth, polished look.
Tips for Best Results
Select the appropriate temperature setting for your hair type. Lower temperatures are needed for fine or damaged hair, and higher temperatures can be used for thick or coarse hair.
Don’t work each section too hard. One or two passes with the thermal brush are all it should take. Heat can dry out your hair and strip any oils, which can make your style not last as long.
Let each section cool off before you touch it. As the hair cools, it locks in the set, and combing your hands through the hair right away can undo it.
Spray with a light-hold hairspray to set your style. Hold the bottle 10 to 12 inches from your hair and mist lightly instead of soaking your hair.
Maintenance of Your Thermal Brush
Clean your thermal brush frequently by pulling out smothered hair and wiping the barrel with a moist cloth when it is cool. This stops the accumulation of sheen and allows for the uniform application of heat.
Let your brush cool completely when storing it, and keep the cord loosely coiled to avoid damage.
Once you get the hang of it, a thermal round brush is an amazing styling steamer, producing salon-worthy results in half the time as conventional blow-drying techniques.