Last month, I purchased the Revlon Salon One-Step Brush on a whim (which I hardly ever do) after watching Naptural85’s video tutorial featuring this tool. I was blown away with how well she quickly maneuvered this blow dryer through her long thick hair, giving her a thorough heat stretch result in way less time. I did not think stretching natural hair could get any better than this. (Well maybe it can with this whopping $400 dryer that Naptural85 reviewed in another video, but I ain’t got the funds for that!)
Therefore, we settled for the budget-friendly, under $50 Revlon Salon Brush instead. One of the best decisions ever and a much-welcomed addition to our staple hair toolbox.
The results with our Revlon Salon One-Step Brush were great the first go around but after the second time…even better! We even got a video below showing me using the brush on a portion of my daughter’s hair.
My daughter’s natural hair went from damp and shrunken (and detangled!) to dry, stretched, AND SOFT in under 40 minutes. Yes, we timed the entire heat stretching process this time…39 minutes to be exact. And not one single complaint from my vocal tender headed daughter sitting in the styling seat.
Mind-blown (again).
So if blow drying your natural hair has been cumbersome and time-consuming, read on to see if this Revlon One-Step Styler Brush could be a fit for you and your natural hair stretching regimen. It has surely upped our hair stretch game tremendously.
Disclaimer: This is a non-sponsored article and based on our personal review of a product purchased with our own funds. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and we will earn a commission if you purchase through those links at no cost to you at all. We use all of the products below and recommend them because we
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1. Reasons for Using a Blow Dryer on Natural Hair
There are many camps when it comes to using direct heat on natural hair. You have the:
- No/Little Heat Camp (Less than a few times per year)
- Moderate Heat Camp (Once every month or two)
- Frequent Heat Camp (Twice a month or more)
And guess what? Your hair can thrive in any of these camps.
Before someone gets in a frenzy, we are not saying that going on a high heat spree is going to do your hair wonders if you do not know what you are doing. What we want to emphasize is that we have to stop demonizing heat on natural hair. It can have a very useful purpose in your natural hair regimen when you know:
- the health of your hair (healthy, strong, moisturized versus broken, weak, dry, and damaged)
- how to apply the right amount of heat (low heat for finer hairs versus higher heat for courser hair)
- how much heat is needed for your styling purpose (low heat for a light stretch versus higher heat for a sleeker stretch)
- the signs indicating your hair needs a break from using heat (more dryness, breakage, loss of curl pattern)
Generally, the more heat used, the more your hair regimen needs to be on point. This means consistent weekly deep conditioning, protein treatments, trims, and etc. More heat cones with more responsibility and maintenance. If you are not for all that, then there are other options when it comes to non-heat stretching your curls. There is banding, braiding, and threading you can use for as great and safe hair stretching techniques.
Using Heat With The Proper Mindset
Most know that heat CAN be damaging and should never underestimate its power and effect on natural hair. You must be aware that you are potentially increasing your risk of breakage and irreversible heat damage whenever heat is improperly used based on the state of your natural hair.
However, do not refrain from heat out of fear just because someone uses it once and experienced damage. This does not mean that will happen to you. Perhaps that sister used too high heat on already damaged/broken hair. If your hair is healthy and you use lower heat, then it is less likely your experience will be similar to her situation.
At the end of the day, only you know the condition of your hair. If it is damaged, why risk continued damage? Your focus should be more on restoration versus heat application of your natural hair. However, if your hair is in great shape and you are interested, go for it. Do not allow heat to control your hair. You control it! With this mindset, heat can actually work really well for your regimen with the proper application and management.
How Heat Benefits Our Hair Regimen
My daughter and I have been on the no/little heat camp for many years (mainly because of that fear mindset above). However, as we deal with long and thicker natural hair, we are learning that stretching our hair with heat actually has its benefits specific to us and our busy lifestyle. For us, heat stretching:
- reduces the amount of time the hair is damp
- makes styling (cornrows, braids, flat twists) so much easier
- prevents excessive shedding and tangling
- shows off length
Therefore, heat stretching has been welcomed to our regimen to help streamline our styling process. We do, however, make sure to follow the proper steps to prepare our hair for any direct heat application as outlined in our Ultimate Heat Application on Natural Hair Guide to reduce unnecessary hair damage.
2. Quick Facts About the Revlon Salon One-Step Brush
Before we get into the nitty gritty of the Revlon Salon One-Step Brush, here are some fast facts:
- Its unique design combines the airflow of a dryer with the
smoothing benefit of a brush in one tool which dramatically cuts down on drying and stretching time - The Ionic technology produces negative ions which help maintain a neutral charge on the hair’s surface (and decrease the size of water droplets for faster drying), reduces frizz and static, and leaves hair feeling smooth and looking shiny
- Comes with three settings: Cool, Low, and High
- The design of the brush is lightweight and ergonomic (I have small hands and had no issue gripping and using the brush while drying)
- The paddle brush has a large surface area which helps dry and smooth hair more efficiently
- A flexible pad adds comfort while moving the tool through the hair
- Has a professional swivel cord (always a plus because who wants to be bothered by tangled hair AND cords?)
3. Basic Regimen to Prepare Natural Hair for Heat
Before using
- Wash: Cleaning the hair provides the best foundation for using heat (dirty product build-up will just smoke horribly over your hair)
- Deep condition: Restoring moisture/protein ensures strengthened and more moisturized strands to withstand the heat
- Detangle: Removing tangles and shed hairs from tip to root will promote a smoother and silkier finish (check out our ultimate detangling guide)
- Moisturize and seal: Locking in moisture will extend retention after applying heat to the hair
- Apply heat protectant: Applying a heat protectant provides an extra layer of hair protection when exposed to high heat
4. Our Simple Revlon One-Step Styler Brush Guide
Using the Revlon One-Step Styler Brush is super simple once you have done the above steps. At this point, most of your work has already been cut out for you.
Turn on the styler brush. You have three options: Cool, low, and high. Holding the section of hair taut, work the brush through the section starting at the ends. Keep the hair taut throughout the entire process for smoother results.
Once the section is stretched to your satisfaction, repeat with the other sections until you are done.
And that is all that is involved in the process. Using this Revlon Salon One-Step Brush is seriously a no-fuss process, which is one reason why it has quickly become a staple in our heat stretching regimen.
5. Video Demonstration of the Styler Brush in Action
6. Our Picture Results from the Revlon One-Step Styler
First Trial
Second Trial
Before (Post Wash) During -
After Blow Drying
7. Our Thoughts of the Revlon Styler Brush
When I removed the Revlon Salon One-Step Styler Brush from the box, my first reaction was in reference to how bulky the tool looked. Without holding the brush, it appears to be heavy and a challenge to maneuver. However, the brush turned out to be much lighter and easier to manage than originally expected upon handling on our hair.
We are accustomed to loud dryers and this one is no exception. We did not find it extraordinarily louder than our previous blow dryer.
I was surprised to discover that the heat source is not across the entire paddle of the brush but rather concentrated in an opening near the top of the brush Due to this positioning, I had to figure out the best way to move the brush across the hair to get the best stretch results. Naturally, we
The heat settings are very basic and
Although I truly believe a medium setting would have been a sweet spot, we were able to get a really great stretch using a combination both the low and high settings. The second time around, I was able to stretch my daughter’s hair on the low setting only in several sections. I will definitely work on perfecting the low heat technique especially since Whitney of Naptural85 was able to master stretching her glorious thick mane using the styler brush completely on the low setting. #hairtechniquegoals
All in all, the Revlon Salon One-Step Brush is an outstanding tool that has really streamlined our heat stretching regimen. It has given us thorough results in much less time than with the tension method and non-heat techniques.
8. Tips and Recommendations
- Allow your natural hair to dry to a certain extent. This speeds up drying time which equals to lesser time heat is applied to the hair. We found the best results when hair is slightly damp. If your hair is dry, use a water-based spritz (or simple water) and re-dampen hair slightly.
- Start at the low setting before jumping straight to the high setting. Using the low setting preps the section of hair for heat. In some cases, you may find that using the low setting provides just the right amount of stretch needed for styling. After several passes you find yourself needing more heat, then proceed to the high setting. However, use caution. This tool gets quite hot on high so try not to spend too much time on this setting.
- Use the brush vertically along the section of hair rather than horizontally. The heat blows from the top end of the brush. Therefore, moving the brush vertically allows for good coverage of the heat across the section of hair.
- Keep the brush moving. Please do not move extra slow or stop the brush along any section of the hair. Doing so can allow for a high concentration of heat in one area thus increasing the chance of irreversible heat damage. This is why detangling first is such an important step so that the brush can easily glide through the section without any knots and tangles.
- Same as with detangling, start from tip to root. Getting the ends stretched first helps moves the brush along as you work your way up the section of hair.
- Hold the hair taut for a few seconds after brushing through the section. This allows for the section to cool and set in its stretched position. You can also use the cool setting on the brush for this purpose.
Here are some pinnable tips for you as references to keep in mind for a successful blow out
9. Considerations
You definitely want to go into using the Revlon Salon One-Step Brush or any other heating tool with
Be mindful of the state of your natural hair. If it is healthy then proceed with using this tool as indicated above. If you are currently experiencing damage and breakage, it is best that you hold off on applying heat on top of weakened hair. Instead use non-heat methods of stretching such as braiding, banding, and threading and focus more on strengthening your strands and solidifying a consistent hair regimen that will promote healthy hair growth and retention.
Balance is important to consider when using heat. Relying on heat only as a mechanism to stretching your texture can put damaging stress on your hair if you do not make the necessary hair preparations. Our recommendation is to start out once a month and see how your hair handles the heat after a few months before upping the frequency.
For an in-depth look into using heat on your natural hair, check out this guide for your reference.
10. The Wrap Up
Using the heat is not the devil. We got to get over this mindframe. Bad practices when using heat is the culprit. When you understand how to properly prepare your natural hair for any type of heat application, you can greatly minimize the risk of damage.
The Revlon Salon One-Step Brush can be an excellent tool to add in your natural hair arsenal if you are looking for a more efficient and quick method of stretching your hair.
If you have any questions, definitely drop them in the comments below. Do you own the Revlon Salon One-Step Brush? What are your thoughts? Yay or nay? If you have some tips or recommended products to share, leave those down below as well.
