07.13.02
Hey! I have a question for askpixie:
What the heck is the deal with that Revo brush that curls your hair....does it really work?
Okay, I have to admit that I had no idea what the hell this thing was until I looked it up on the web. Almost coincidentally, someone was telling me the other day about it, but didn't really understand what is was, and couldn't remember what it was called -- just that it was a brush that didn't tangle your hair when it turned.
And from what I can tell, it appears to be a rechargeable round brush that rotates itself for you while you blow your hair dry. Normally, when you are doing what is known traditionally as a "blow-out," you section hair that is mostly dry, and rotating the round brush in your hand while you dry each teensy section, you mechanically pull and smooth the hair into a voluminous, yet sleek and straight, style. Quite a few women with unruly hair, in larger metropolitan areas, actually go in and get this done professionally several times a week, usually to the tune of $50+ each time.
Hypothetically, this Revo product would do some of the brushwork for you, i.e. you wouldn't have a tired wrist because of all the manual brush rotating, all while not tangling in your hair when used properly, thanks to "the patented Anti-Tangle System (ATS)."
The website where I found information on the RevoStyler with the patented ATS, explained that the stylist that came up with this item had suffered repetitive stress injuries from brushing people's hair. He had to have several shoulder surgeries, and decided that there had to be an easier way "to straighten and style hair faster without constantly turning and stroking a brush by hand." He and his team came up with a mechanical brush that ostensibly does this for you.
Personally, it seems like an awful lot of money (2 easy payments of $39.99, plus applicable taxes, and shipping/handling) for something that really doesn't do much in return.
If you're going to go to the trouble to wash, condition, and then dry your hair until it is only slightly damp, and then carefully section it into teensy sections, constantly turning and stroking the hair with a brush while drying, teensy section by teensy section, I think you're going to have wrist pain with or without the special tools. My hands and wrists get tired from holding the brush and the dryer for long periods of time, which this process entails, even if I'm not doing anything particularly complicated or hardcore.
I'm sure the magickal rotato-brush works wonders, and might shave a couple of minutes off of your 45-minute drying time, but I don't think that it is really worth all the money. If you're toov damn lazy to do it the conventional way, have a huge problem with tangling a regular brush in your hair while styling, or experience excessive pain from brushing and blowing, perhaps a blow-out isn't the style for you.
So, in summation, it probably works just fine, and might not even tangle in your hair because of fabulous patented technology, but it costs way too much.
Incidentally, if there are any women out there reading this in larger metropolitan areas, with unruly hair that regularly get blow-outs, and don't consider $100+ bucks a week to maintain a sleek style too expensive, I urge them to search out a salon that employs a technique called "Japanese Straightening."
This is a blurb from somewhere about the technique involved:
"Thermal reconditioning:
This Japanese technique uses heat to restructure the cuticle so it lies flat, giving you glossy, pin-straight hair that doesn't require blow-drying.
Who has done it: Julianne Moore at Oribe
Works best for: Untreated or minimally colored (highlights or single-process) Caucasian hair. The irons are too damaging for most African-American hair and for Caucasian hair that has been double-processed or permed.
How it works: First, hair is chemically softened with a solution that is milder than a standard relaxing solution. Then, individual 1/4-inch sections of hair are straightened with irons heated to 180 degrees. Some salons will blow-dry hair first so steam from damp hair has no chance to burn your face; others keep it damp to minimize trauma to the hair. Afterward, a neutralizing formula is smoothed onto the hair to close the cuticle.
How long it takes: The relaxer sits on the hair for only 20 to 25 minutes, but the whole process takes about four hours, including ironing each 1/4-inch section for three seconds.
How long it lasts: Six to 10 months. Thermally reconditioned hair will never be curly again; you won't hve to repeat the process until new hair grows in.
Where to get it: In N.Y.C., Paul Labrecque ($750 and up; 888-757-2566) Salon Ishi ($300 and up; 877-655-4744) and Oribe ($650 and up; 212-319-3912). In L.A., Yuko System ($175 and up; 877-985-6797) and Fred Segal Beauty ($350 and up; 310-451-5155)."
While pricey, the result is hair that is sleek and straight, without bi-weekly trips to the salon. Amortize the cost out by individual blow-outs, and you end up saving quite a bit of money, without the fear of getting sweaty or wet, and having your hair revert or frizz.
do you have a question for askpixie? mail: askpixie@pixiemartin.com
(if you want to know about some form of thermal relaxing, click here.)
If pixie can't help, you're screwed.™
| (disclaimer: as you can imagine, askpixie is not a licensed therapist, nor is she a doctor of anything. she has, however, had enough problems in her life, and enough damn therapy, that she can pretty much handle most of what you could probably throw at her. and whatever she can't directly answer herself, she will do her best to find an answer for you elsewhere. unless otherwise noted, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein, therein, and whereverin you're looking, are © pixiemartin, 2002. you gotta problem with that, punk?) |
