The Reverse-Air Blow-Dryer That Won't Screw Up Your Natural Curls
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What We Tested This Week: The RevAir
Who Is This Perfect for: Anyone with curly or wavy hair who loves the versatility of hopping between straight and natural — but hate the damage.
About 9 years ago, the natural-hair movement resurgence was gaining momentum. More and more black women were ditching the chemical relaxers that we grew up on to get to know our hair in its natural state. This movement was happening online, on television, in media, and in my own neighborhood. Eventually, the movement was at my front door, and I was ready to take my seat at the natural-hair table.
Embracing my natural texture was not all afro picks and hair grease. I struggled with the realization that the hair that I’d grown up considering beautiful and ideal was not the kind of hair I was attempting to grow from my scalp. I was not going to suddenly sprout long, straight locks or acceptably bouncy curls. My hair was going to be the kinky, coily afro that I’d stayed away from most of my life, and I had to find a way to love it.
Going through my natural-hair journey, I learned much of what I know about caring for my afro through trial, error, and hours upon hours of YouTube. Through all of my experimenting, I’ve found what works for my curls and how to care for them so that my hair looks the way that I want it to. However, the struggle that I’ve always had with my glorious afro is being able to straighten it without totally ruining my curl pattern due to heat damage.
I’d seen the RevAir Reverse hair dryer circulating through social media and some of the videos of my favorite natural hair influencers for quite some time. At first, I thought it was just a gigantic blow-dryer that, well, dries your hair. But once I slowed down to really see what the RevAir was all about, I saw that it wasn’t blowing anything. I knew I had to try it out for myself and see if it was the key to my desire for hair versatility.
When I got the RevAir in the mail, it was in fact, gigantic. It reminded me of a hand vacuum, but as it turns out, that is exactly where the inspiration for the product came from. The machine was created by a dad who had actually used a vacuum hose to get his daughter’s ponytail just right. The dad, Kip Cooper, and his engineer buddy Scott Thompson, along with Cooper’s sister Debra Isaacson, noticed that the vacuum suction not only resulted in the perfect ponytail but it also gave the hair a soft feel that they’d never seen before with a traditional blow-dryer. After hundreds of trials, prototypes, and plenty of vacuum ponytails, the RevAir was born in 2018.
The way that it works is that it combines the right amount of tension (suction) and gentle heat, along with low-intensity suction airflow to cut drying time in half, and leave the hair feeling and looking softer and smoother. The reverse air eliminates the need for a brush, cutting down on both hair breakage and heat damage. The suction technology works in the direction of the hair cuticle instead of against it, to create a frizz-free finish, which is #goals for straightened natural hair. Honestly, this sounded exactly like what I was looking for.
After washing my hair and slathering on a heat-protector serum, I sectioned off a small swatch of hair in the back to get started, then I chose my settings for heat and speed. I started off with a high heat setting and a tension level of 4 out of 7. I fed the first section of hair into the RevAir tube, and found that the suction is very gentle but effective. The heat, while on high, did not burn my scalp at all. This initial section of hair was dry in seconds.
After drying my whole head, my hair was detangled and soft, and my strands were noticeably cooler than when I would use a traditional blow-dryer. Plus, the RevAir actually cut my drying time in half — my hair was completely dry and blown straight in under 30 mins!
I won’t straighten my curls out every day, weekly, or even monthly — probably. However, when I do want to give off the Diana Ross vibez, the RevAir will get the job done quickly without jeopardizing my afro that I adore so much.
Read More:
Style Your Curls to Perfection With These Products Made for Curly Hair
Kiss Frizz Goodbye for Good With a Smoothing Keratin Treatment
These Hair Powders Will Give You Celeb-Level Volume
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