Even as lockdowns are slowly loosening, I’m trying to stay home as much as possible, which means it’s going to be a while before I can go for my holy grail hair treatment: A deep-conditioning session under a hooded steamer at New York’s Spiral XYZ salon.
In the colder months, the luxurious treatment, which always leaves my curls feeling incredibly defined and hydrated until my next wash, is my go-to way to ensure that my low-porosity hair is not only getting enough moisture, but retaining it as the steam opens up the hair follicle so that nutrients can enter the hair shaft.
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As the season has transitioned from scorching hot days to chillier jacket weather, I’ve already noticed a shift in my coils: They’re dry, brittle, and simply not retaining hydration as they did during the summer. To address this, I debated buying a hooded steamer for my home, but quickly realized that my tiny Brooklyn apartment simply doesn’t have the space for any sort of salon-sized contraption. Thankfully, while hunting for a solution, I landed on the Q-Redew, a handheld hair steamer for curly and textured hair that’s smaller than a hairdryer, and thus, can fit in a bathroom drawer or stay set on a vanity.
Ahead of my first at-home steam session, I did a protective pre-cleansing mask, shampooed, conditioned, and detangled my hair in the shower. Then I turned on the Q-Redew, spread a deep conditioner through my wet curls in different sections, and steamed each section, letting the specially designed prongs slide through my hair and allow the steam to penetrate my strands deeper in the process. What I loved most about using this handheld tool is that I could control the areas where the steam goes and pay special attention to dryer areas, such as my hairline and ends.
After I went through each section with the steamer, I rinsed out the conditioner with cold water to seal in the moisture, then followed it up with a styling cream and oil to further lock in the hydration. I let it air dry and was left with soft, moisturized coils for the rest of the week. What’s more: This is just the beginning as handheld hair steamers like Q-Redew boast a number of uses. Next up, I’m planning to try it out on stretched-out styles, like twist-outs, and to add volume to a shrunken wash.
By Vogue Magazine
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