Essential Tools for an Effective Mane Captain

Apart from the type of shampoos, conditioners and styling creams that are needed for healthy hair, what's also important are the tools we use for our hair. The type of tool and the way its used will determine the health of our mane. I have compile a list of important tools that are needed for hair styling and care as well as the best way to use them.

1. Shower/Wide Tooth Comb

A shower comb is used to distribute conditioner into the hair, and to detangle hair soaked with conditioner. Shower combs wont give you a completely detangled hair after use.




2. Rat Tail Comb


Used for parting the hair for a neater hairstyle. I only use a rat tail comb after parting my hair with my fingers. I'll advice against using the teeth to comb the hair. If you must comb your hair with a smaller teeth comb, you should start combing from the ends, gradually working the comb up the hair shaft. Rat tail or smaller teeth combs should only be used after using a detangling the hair with a bigger tooth comb or your fingers.

3. Spray Bottle

This is good for mixing water and oil which is used to spritz the hair prior to manipulating it. I also use a spray bottle for easy applications of shampoos and conditioners. I usually mix my shampoos and conditioners with a number of items in the bottle,I shake the mixture together and spray it on my hair, and then let my hand do the rest of the work.



4. Jars/Empty containers with a lid 



Many women prefer to make their own home-made concoction. These containers are an economical way of storing your home made goodies. I always keep empty product containers after finishing the original product. I take off all labels on the container in order to prevent any confusion of the content in the container.




5. Application Bottle

 For easy application of shampoos and/or oil onto the scalp








6. Hairpins and Clips: great for gathering and holding hair in sections. Also great for holding a style in place.

 Butterfly Clips

Bobby Pins

                                                                         


Hair Clips






7. Scrunches and Hair Ties:  For gathering hair into pony tails and buns

  

8. Scissors/Shears

If you like to trim your hair on a quarterly basis, you will need this tool, just make sure it's strictly for your mane. I also use them to snip off single stranded knots in my hair as I discover them, which is very often. Though I have to confess sometimes I just yank them out, which creates a splitting end  on the hair strand, making it vulnerable to future knots and tangles.



9. Hair Towel (microfiber or cotton t-shirt):


I'll suggest having a separate hair towel for your hair, preferably a microfiber towel which won't leave any particle in your hair. Another commonly used hair drying material is an old cotton t-shirt, though i'll recommend a plain white t-shirt with no ink/prints on it. Colored t-shirts can bleed into your hair while the ink can come off and get into your hair.





10. Silk Scarf, Satin Hair bonnet:

Silk scarves are great for holding the hair in place at night while a bonnet is used to keep the scarf from coming off at night. I only use both of these when I care about preserving the style of my hair. But I mostly just wear just the bonnet when I don't really care about hair friction. I also use a silk scarf to create smooth hairstyles, rather than using a boar bristle brush.


11. Shower Cap:



For hair steams and treatments, also to keep your hair dry during daily showers.

*There are many other hair tools which I didn't include in this list because I don't consider them to be important. Infact, I barely use a comb of any type because I don't consider them essential. I do however use the other 9 tools almost every day or every week.

Which tools are missing on this list which you consider to be essential which  isn't on this list?