Got Fine, Flat Hair? This $100 Hot Air Brush Was Made for You
Jo is a former Adore Beauty staffer and qualified dermal therapist with over decade of experience in the beauty industry.
She co-hosted our award-winning podcast Beauty IQ Uncensored for 4 years, interviewing names like Caroline Hirons, Katie Jane Hughes and Chris Appleton to name a few.
If you don’t have fine, flat, dead straight hair, move along because this article isn’t for you. Kidding, but not really.
Hair type and texture are really important considerations when it comes to choosing hair tools and products; what works for me, may not work for you.
For context, my hair has zero volume. It’s naturally straight, very long (I need a haircut), and it’s fine, but I have a lot of it. At least, that’s what hairdressers always tell me.
I’ve always preferred my hair waved, but I long for that Rachel from Friends straight hair look. You know, straight but flicky.
Getting any sort of body or shape when I wear my hair straight seemed like an impossible task... until I discovered the world of hot brushes for your hair (thanks, TikTok).
Not long ago, I wrote an article about how hot brushes are the key to getting a salon blow dry finish at home. But as you may have heard on the Beauty IQ Uncensored podcast - that’s your cue to listen here if you haven’t already - I've recently discovered an excellent new (to me) hot air brush I thought you should know about.
Keep scrolling for my hot air brush review, and exactly how to use one to give flat hair body and movement.
Meet the Silver Bullet Genesis Hot Air Brush.
Silver Bullet Genesis Hot Air Brush - 38mm is the new hot air brush in my life and it's essentially a two-in-one hair dryer and styling wand.
Think of it as the modern version of blow drying your hair using a round bristle brush, but for those of us who don't have the skill and upper body strength of talented hairdressers.
If you're wondering how this hot air brush is different to other ones on the market, it's the size. In the case of hot brushes, size really does matter because you'll be holding that thing above your head and pulling on it... Moving on...
What I'm trying to say is with hot brushes, lighter is better. The Silver Bullet Genesis Hot Air Brush has the advantage of being much lighter and easier to manoeuvre than bigger hot brushes.
The downside of the smaller, rounder 38mm barrel size is that it'll take a bit longer to dry your hair. The tool is also very loud, but it'll give you that flicky Rachel Green look, especially if you have layers.
Now, let’s address who this hot brush is for. I can confidently say the Silver Bullet hot air brush is great for anyone with the same hair type as mine. If you have short hair, the smaller Silver Bullet Genesis Hot Air Brush 32mm would be a good fit for you, too.
But that’s where my guarantees end. Those with thicker or coarser hair might find this brush more trouble than it's worth. Case in point: I tried the Genesis Hot Brush on my mum's thicker hair as a comparison, but even after prepping her hair with the right products, it ended up looking like a ball of frizz. Do with that information what you will.
How to Give Flat Hair Volume With a Hot Brush.
There is a bit of a trick to getting the best result out of the Genesis Hot Air Brush, and that comes down to prep, technique and finish.
Here's my step-by-step tutorial on how to use the Silver Bullet hot brush.
1. Prep Hair With the Best Styling Products for Thin Hair.
I prep my hair for heat styling using the following steps and products:
- Pureology Color Fanatic Multi-Tasking Leave-In Spray 200ml is my heat protectant product.
- I follow that by combing Nioxin 3D Density Defend Lightweight Strengthening Foam - 200ML through damp hair.
- Sometimes, I’ll add Redken Rootful 06 Root Lifting Spray as well for extra volume.
- I then use my Dyson Supersonic Black Nickel HD07 to dry my hair about 60 per cent (focussing on the roots because they’re hard to get with the brush).
2. How to Use the Silver Bullet Hot Air Brush.
Once my hair is about 60 per cent dry, I section my hair into four segments and rev up the hot brush.
Starting with the underneath layers of hair, I wrap each section around the barrel (barrel on top, hair wrapped backwards) facing away from my face, and gently pull down. I usually repeat this two to three times.
This technique gives you a ‘tucked under’ result. For the front sections of my hair, I also rotate away from my face, but lift upwards instead of outwards. Is this making any sense? Here's a little video showing how I use the tool.
3. Styling Products for a Smooth Finish.
Once I’ve styled my whole head, I brush through my hair to remove any tangles, and use a teeny tiny squirt of Wella Professionals SP Luxe Oil Reconstructive Elixir 100ml in the palm of my hand and work it through the mid-lengths and ends. That’s it!
This whole process takes me about 30 minutes - it’s time-consuming, but my hair stays like this for at least three days.
To conclude, the Silver Bullet Genesis Hot Air Brush - 38mm is light (and loud), easy to use and gives thin, straight, fine hair a blow wave effect.
P.S. You can learn more about hair curling irons and wands in our YouTube video right here.
Want more tried and tested haircare recommendations? Check out these stories below!
