Whether you’re styling your hair to get a fabulous look, or removing hair you could do without, the best tools can make a world of difference. Here, we’ll take a tech-focused look at both sides of the hair care market. Featuring the best hair stylers and latest hair styling tools to help you achieve salon-worthy looks, as well as hair removal tools that promise to deliver super smooth results with minimal fuss.

Types of hair stylers

Achieving a slick, professional hairdo at home can feel like an impossible challenge, especially if you’re in a hurry. But don’t despair, the best hair stylers can deliver styling salvation and help you to realise the looks you love in a matter of minutes.

Flat irons

Looking to tame unruly hair into a smooth and sleek mane? Then flat irons are probably your best bet. The two heated plates can iron your hair straight, leaving a flawless finish. However, the terms hair straighteners and flat irons are often used interchangeably.

The difference between a flat iron and a straightener is simple. Straighteners include any heat powered device that can straighten hair – this includes flat irons. There are three main types of hair straighteners: ceramic, tourmaline, and titanium plates. A good straightener is a staple in most hairstyling tool kits but do your research on what plates are best for your hair type and the style. There’s a lot of choice out there, from budget-friendly flat irons that offer dependable no-fuss straightening, to pro-quality Dyson Corrale straighteners.

Ceramic plates float across hair seamlessly and deliver more even heat distribution. But they’re not necessarily the best choice for everyone. Titanium plated straighteners might be a better option if you have thick, curly, and coarse hair that requires a bit more heat.

Straighteners that get the job done quickly can be invaluable if you struggle to find time to style your hair in the morning. Our choice of handy hairbrush straighteners allows you to straighten your hair without the hassle of using a separate brush. Mini and cordless straighteners are great for on-the-go styling.

Curling wands

Whether you call them curling wands, tongs, or curling irons, they’re exactly what you need if you want bountiful curls and elegant waves. Your perfect curling wand will depend on the length and texture of your hair, as well as the type of curl you’re after. Smaller barrel sizes are best for creating tight ringlets on shorter styles while larger barrels are better suited to longer hair and looser curls.

Aiming for flowing beach-style waves? Hair wands come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including triple barrel designs that will coax stubbornly straight hair into seductive mermaid waves in no time. They may look a bit intimidating but triple barrel tools, like the Revamp Pro Gloss Deep Beach Waver, are a cinch to use. Starting close to the root and moving down, simply clamp sections of hair for a few seconds at a time for fabulously flowing, kink-free waves.

Hot rollers

You can also achieve great hair volume and bouncy, voluminous curls with heated rollers – which are experiencing a comeback. And that’s no surprise. Heated hair rollers are the quick way to deliver body and bounce that lasts.

Here’s how to get rolling:

• Choose the right size: small rollers will form tighter curls, which are likely to stay in place for longer. While larger rollers will produce bigger more defined curls. The size of curler you choose will also be dependent on the length of your hair.

• Roll from the top down: start curling your hair from the top to the sides of your head. Using larger rollers, start from the highest sections of your hair, nearest to your forehead. Then work your way around your crown, down the back, then the sides. Just remember, the lowest part of your hair should be done last.

• Rolling technique: firstly, section and portion up your hair. Grab a roller, position it at the end of a section of your hair and then start rolling upwards until you reach your scalp. Then clip it in place. Voila!

• Tousle and tease: using your fingers, work through your hair, gently breaking up those perfect set curls to create a softer style without losing bounce or shape. Just wait till your heater rollers (and hair) has cooled down (usually takes about 30 mins).

Tip: Remember not to apply hot rollers to wet hair, which is more fragile and prone to damage. We recommend washing and detangling your hair then making sure it’s dry, or nearly dry, before busting out the hot rollers.

Top features to look for in your hairstyling tech

Size, heat, technology, cord (or cordless); there’s so much to consider when shopping for the right hairstyling tool. Whether you’re looking for a smooth and slick style, attention grabbing curls, or something in between, it can be tricky to track down the right tool for the job. Add to that hair type, needs, and budget, and it’s easy to get yourself into a tangle. But don’t worry, we’re here to help!

If you’ve spent any time browsing hair dryers recently you’ve probably noticed that there’s a lot of techy terminology to get your head around. Let’s break down the most important takeaways:

• Titanium hair dryers are great for drying and styling thick hair but can damage fragile hair more easily than other types of dryers

• Ceramic hair dryers, which tend to regulate heat more evenly, are a good choice for fragile hair

• Here comes the science bit... Ionic hair dryers produce invisible particles called negative ions, which attract and then neutralise positive ions. Why? Because positively charged ions create static electricity – think frizz and flyaway hair - and are bad news for hair

• Tourmaline is a semiprecious gemstone that can be powdered and built into a hair dryer’s internal mechanism. When heated it generates a negative ionic charge which, as we just learned, helps to achieve shiny, frizz-free hair

• Infrared hair dryers generate radiated heat that warms hair follicles from the inside out. A gentle but efficient way to dry hair quickly and a good choice if your hair is dry or damaged

Our top picks

Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer

If you ever find yourself getting frustrated by unruly flyaway hair, then the Dyson Supersonic could be the dryer for you. As you’d expect from Dyson, this hair dryer is packed with innovative tech. But one particularly clever bit is the Flyaway attachment, which harnesses the Coanda effect to lift longer hairs and hide flyaway hairs in a single pass. You don’t have to wrap your head around the science to appreciate the smooth, shiny results.

“This hairdryer dries my curls so quickly! As I don’t use high heat on my hair the power of this dryer reduced my drying time from 30 minutes to 12!”

Sionice Phillips

“I LOVED the ‘cold shot’ button on the Dyson. As a hairdresser, I often use cold air to seal the cuticle at the end of blow drying to create maximum shine, and this feature worked really well for my hair. Total quality and performance - I’m sold!”

Siobhan

Shark FlexStyle HD440UK 5-in-1 Air Styler & Hair Dryer

Like Dyson, Shark is a vacuum cleaning brand that’s turned its hand to hair drying tech. The Shark FlexStyle HD440UK 5-in-1 Air Styler & Hair Dryer allows you to smooth, curl, volumise, straighten and define. It also avoids heat damage by measuring its temperature 1,000 times per second. That’s a smart styler!

“My new favourite tool for maximum impact hair with very minimal effort. The perfect all rounder with something for everyone. It’s lightweight & looks really cool on my section in the salon! I have used many hairdryers over the years but this little beauty has truly blown me away. Even the diffuser is perfect. I absolutely love it.”

Chaice

Types of hair removal

Shaving

Shaving is a quick and easy method of hair removal that can be done at home using a cheap electric razor that’s designed for body hair removal. For classic hair removal, something like the Braun Lady Shave is what you’re after, offering a close shave and exfoliation. It’s also really versatile – you can shave pretty much any body part! Obviously, the downside of shaving is that you have to do it regularly.

Waxing

Waxing is a longer-lasting method of hair removal that can last up to six weeks. It can be done at home or by a professional, using wax strips or hard wax. While it’s often used on larger areas such as legs and arms, face wax strips can tackle peach fuzz and facial hairs. Waxing can be painful and may cause irritation or redness depending on skin sensitivity. Ouch.

Plucking

Plucking or tweezing is a good option for small, precise areas such as the eyebrows or upper lip. It can be done at home and is relatively inexpensive - all you need are some tweezers. The downsides? It’s somewhat painful, time-consuming and may cause redness or irritation.

Laser hair removal

Laser hair removal is a permanent or long-term hair reduction option that uses laser light to target and destroy the hair follicles. It’s most effective on people with light skin and dark hair and may require several expensive treatment sessions if you’re visiting a salon.

Recent years have witnessed something of a self-treatment revolution and laser hair removal at home is now more accessible than ever thanks to the IPL hair removal device. IPL, which stands for Intense Pulsed Light, isn’t really a laser treatment but it does a similar job - causing hair to naturally shed and discouraging it from growing back. It takes a little longer to work than laser hair removal, but IPL treatment can gradually banish hair on your legs, bikini area, and underarms.

Crucially, IPL treatment can be carried out in the comfort of your own home. Check out our collection of IPL hair removal systems - for smooth, hair-free skin the BRAUN Silk-expert Pro 5 PL5347 IPL Hair Removal System is hard to beat.

“From the packaging and design to the carry case (which I will definitely be using for my vanity!) the entire product feels luxurious. I also enjoyed the additional add-on of the Gillette razor, which felt like a thoughtful and useful gift to help you prepare for using the tool.”

Katie

Top features to look for in your hair removal tools

Cut through the jargon when you’re shopping for your next hair removal tool and keep an eye out for these straightforward but useful features:

Cordless hair removal

Once you’ve gone cordless it’s hard to go back. So why not enhance your hair removal routine with one of our cordless options.

Waterproof hair removal

This specifically relates to our hair removal tools – particularly epilators – which are great to use in the shower. Get smooth, hydrated skin anywhere with our waterproof hair removal options.

Need more help?

We’re here to help if you want to find out more about any of the great hair tech products we’ve mentioned. Can’t make it in to one of our stores? No problem - you can always chat to an expert via a video call on ShopLive.