The minute you decide to take a shot at styling your hair, even if it’s only to get it to look halfway decent after a shower, you’re going to realize the need for some styling tools. Most of us have something laying around the house - a hairdryer, a pair of seldom-used curling tongs, a flat iron, what have you. But if you’re serious about styling your own hair, it’s important to know what the essential hairstyling tools are, how they work, the different ways in which they can be used and what you can do to get the best results, every time.

We’ve already talked about the different hairstyling products you can use to create a variety of textures, looks and finishes. Now let’s take a look at the different hairstyling tools you need.

The best part about starting your hairstyling toolkit is that you probably have a lot of the essentials – which means you can save a lot of money.

And once you get comfy with using these tools you’ll find that many of them can be used to create more than one kind of texture and look. And we sure love multipurpose, money-saving styling secrets around here.

Brushes
I can’t stress the importance of good hairbrushes enough: they’re the first step towards getting your hair to look and behave the way you want it to. You can’t jump into extreme styling without mastering the basics of hair health first. A quality hairbrush will help detangle and smoothen your hair and fight frizz, to get it ready for styling. There are certain brushes everyone should have on-hand: a basic brush for everyday grooming (whatever works best for your hair type), a wide-toothed comb for detangling post washing and to ease out backcombed hair and a round-barreled brush or a paddle brush for blow-drying.

Apart from your basic brushes you also have more specialized combs, which serve very specific purposes while styling. Rattail combs and pintail combs are excellent for creating parts and carving out details as well as for backcombing. Fork combs come in handy when you want to lift and move curls and waves or want to add a slightly grittier texture to a look.

Dressing combs are great for finishing a look and smoothing away flyaways.

You’ll find that there is an endless array of brushes and combs to choose from, ranging in size and material and type. Some will work for your hair while others won’t- it’s all a matter of understanding your hair type and listening to your locks. As a thumb rule, however, I do recommended using brushes and combs that sport rounded tips as these prevent snagging, tearing and stress. You'll also want to choose between materials: the debate on boar bristle vs. synthetic brushes continues to rage on in styling circles.

Crimpers and Wave-makers
Crimpers and wave-makers help achieve a very specific kind of hair texture, which is why they’re still a step behind other more popular styling tools like straightening irons and curlers. That said, specialized tools can be a great buy if you style your hair often and you want to be able to create detailed hairstyles at home.

Most newbie stylists prefer using small-barreled curling tongs or overnight braiding in wet hair to create the crimped effect. To recreate waves, the easiest method is to run a comb through curled hair to break it up a little. However, if you have an eye for detail or are advancing through the styling rungs, it might be time to look for more nuanced results. Try your hand at the alternatives, see if you like the general result and only invest in a specialized tool if you can see yourself using it frequently enough to justify the cost. It might make more sense to have your hair done professionally if you’re going to use the crimper once and then forget about it.

Curling Irons
Curling irons, rods and tongs are some of the most popular hairstyling tools. Most folks start out with hair straighteners and graduate to curling irons once they start enjoying experimenting with texture. Curling irons help get fast, defined results and are usually lightweight, which makes it a breeze to carry them around and recreate different looks as you travel. Curls never go out of style, and with the return of messy, tousled texture the curly hair trend shows no signs of quitting.

If you’ve never bought a curling iron before, start with a 1-inch barrel. This offers you the most basic curl size to work with. You can go half an inch higher and lower for tighter and looser curls. You might also want to look for a many-in-one curling wand that lets you screw on and remove differently sized curling rods.

Fasteners and Aids
Hair fasteners and styling accessories don’t necessarily qualify as tools, but they’re integral to getting hair texture right. They help you work faster and with more precision, minimizing errors and effort. From keeping sections of hair out of the way to securely fixing a style in place, these aids are the unsung heroes of the styling experience. Off the top of my head, you must invest in: hair ties, clamp clips, bobby pins, hair elastics that match your hair as well as transparent ones, sectioning clips and of course, decorative pins and clips for that extra touch of glam.  
      
Flat Irons
Flat irons are easily the most commonly used hairstyling tools the world over. Straight hair continues to be loved universally - it’s a classic that never goes out of style and suits just about everybody. What’s more is, not only does it wear well on its own it also helps accentuate a host of other hairstyles. Which is why buying a quality flat iron is always a great idea: they come in handy often and think of how much you’d be saving in terms of salon trips. If you don’t have a straightener or want to buy a new one, I recommend opting for models with 3-inch wide plates: these are the optimal width and are effective across the board. I also recommend buying flat irons outfitted with ceramic and tourmaline technology: a lot of the negatives associated with heat styling can be countered if you just use the right tools.

Foam Rollers
While curling irons are great for fast, easy curls not everybody is comfortable with heat styling. For long lasting, heat-free curls there is nothing like foam rollers. They’re an especially good idea if you like curling your hair regularly and are genuinely concerned about the amount of heat you’re subjecting your hair to. The results also hold up really well over the hours, which means you can wear your curls or curl-based hairstyles for a long time with no worry and minimal effort on your part. Then there’s also the matter of just how comfortable foam rollers are to use: simply pop them in, twist them around a bit until they’re fixed into place and wrap your head in a scarf and you’re good to sleep. It might take you a couple of tries initially to know just how to position them to your comfort, but it’s basically an effortless, painless way of waking up to a riot of curls the next day. They're also really great for adding texture, body and volume when styling fine hair.

The only hitch to using foam rollers, if you can really call it that, is that they work best when they’re left in overnight - so if you’re running late and you need to style your hair urgently, a curling iron may be more convenient.

Hairdryers
I almost hesitate to label hairdryers ‘styling tools’ because they’re an essential to hair care, and not just styling. Hair is at its weakest when it is wet, and hairdryers can help prevent knots and tangles, smoothen out frizz and flyaways and keep you warm and healthy on chilly days.

Moving beyond the basics, a hairdryer will help you prep your base for any hairstyle. Most stylists recommend working on freshly washed hair, which means you’ll need a hairdryer to tackle all the excess moisture. And whether you’re blow-drying straight or adding some waves and movement, a hairdryer is essentially ‘Step One’ towards any look. While the drugstore kinds work great for your run-of-the-mill drying needs, I recommend purchasing something a little more advanced for styling: a diffuser attachment is great for boosting curly textures while a thin, flat nozzle will give you concentrated airflow and heat for sleeker, straighter styling. There are so many great hairdryers available in the market, it's easy to get confused. Break your search down into categories: your hair type, styling needs, frequency of use, special attachments and features you want and of course, your budget.

Hooded Dryers
Hooded dryers are something of a niche styling tool. Remember those retro bonnet dryers from old films and posters? Hooded dryers are the smaller, more personal-use version of the same thing. They work wonderfully at emphasizing hair texture, strength and health in relaxed and natural African American hair. They’re by no means a must-have in your styling arsenal, but can be a handy addition if you’re looking to expand your kit or just love the idea of salon-style pampering at home.

Hot Rollers       
For those of you with a love for all things vintage, hot rollers are the ultimate lifestyle-accessory-cum-styling-tool. For curls that last forever, hot rollers can’t be beat. Don’t buy the first set you see though: there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to purchasing hot rollers. If you’re partial to ringlets and small, springy curls, you want velveteen hot rollers. If larger curls and Old Hollywood glam is more your thing, you want the traditional Velcro rollers. Apart from the type, you also need to take size into consideration: hot rollers also offer a number of barrel sizes, which ultimately affects the end result. If you’re comfortable splurging a bit, I think it’s a great idea to purchase a variety set that comes equipped with hot rollers of various sizes as well as holding pins to compliment them. You can play around with all shapes and sizes of curls, add volume and height to different hairstyles and travel in time to recreate all kinds of looks and moods.

If you already have some of these tools on hand, don’t set about replacing them just yet. Use my tips on decluttering your beauty stash and take stock of what you need and what you can do without. If you do decide to spend on new tools, make sure it is an actual upgrade and you’re getting something new and improved for the money you spend. Also remember, you don’t have to start out by adding everything to your kit: make the most of multipurpose hairstyling tools that can double up for a variety of purposes. Work on your skills and then invest in highly specialized gear that you can make the most of.
 
This article first appeared on About Style