my wavy hair is only manageable when it's straightened. Every other method has failed at taming the unruliness. Letting it air-dry results in nice curlicues, but over time it gets super frizzy and knotted. It also sheds like crazy. Using a hair dryer gives me the same results as sticking my finger in an electrical socket. This is why my hair is usually in a ponytail or bun.
If I want to look somewhat presentable, I have no choice but to break out the straightening iron after I shower. But I have to complete a lot of steps before I can even think about heating it up: washing it, detangling it, blow drying it, and brushing it. The entire process usually takes me around 40 minutes (an hour on slower days). It's exhausting. I'm constantly looking for ways to cut down my routine—which includes constantly scouring the internet for new hair tools or products.
I was ecstatic when two-in-one devices like the Revlon One-Step hair dryer started to crop up. Due to my lack of hand-eye coordination, I've always struggled to use a round brush and hair dryer simultaneously to achieve the salon-style blowout. But I couldn't grasp the mechanics of the One-Step either. I returned to my previous routine, feeling defeated.
While scrolling through Drybar's website one day, I stumbled upon the Straight Shot Blow-Drying Flat Iron. A hairdryer and straightening iron hybrid, it packs the airflow of a blow dryer into the build of a flat iron. I was thrilled to find a multipurpose hair tool that would replace the two I already use regularly. Having used it for two months now, I can report that it doesn't replace my straightener, as I hoped it would, and there's a slight learning curve. But it helps me style my hair in record time.
The Straight Shot is a lot larger than the 1-inch flat iron I'm accustomed to. It measures 4 inches on each side, while on the inside are two 1.25-inch wide titanium plates. The plates don't spring open automatically, though. Similar to a curling iron, there's a clamp you have to press down on to open the tool each time. It's different, but I like that it gives you the ability to open it as little or as wide as you need to, depending on how thick your hair is.
It works the same as a traditional flat iron. Simply section your hair, power it on, and clamp your hair in between the plates starting at the root. Then, slowly pull the hair tool down until you reach the ends, and repeat as necessary. If you're having flashbacks of witnessing your hair sizzle while using the wet-to-dry straighteners from the mid-2000s, you can rest assured the Straight Shot consists mostly of air vents placed strategically throughout. So, the heat plates are assisted by hot air.
Having gone through a lot of different flat irons over the years, all of which vary in plate size and heat settings. I assumed using the Straight Shot would feel similar to the ones I've used before—somewhat slim, lightweight, and ergonomic. And it is, for the most part. But I was slightly taken aback when I unboxed it to find a behemoth of a hair tool. It took a few tries before it started to feel intuitive.