Saw a salon in Portland using a really odd tool for a blowout

I was in Portland last week and popped into a salon to check out their setup. The stylist was using what looked like a small, flat metal paddle instead of a round brush on a client with thick, wavy hair. She called it a 'tension paddle' and said it gives a smoother finish on certain textures. I've never seen anything like it in my ten years behind the chair. Has anyone else tried a tool like this, or is it just a local trend?

3 comments

3 Comments

margaret_bennett33mo ago

Portland's always one step ahead with the weird tools! That tension paddle sounds like a fancy spatula for hair.

jesseb203mo ago

Actually @margaret_bennett3, it's for cutting hair, not styling it.

jamesmason1mo ago

Exactly how does it handle the ends though? I've seen those flat paddles before in some weird Instagram tutorials and they look like they'd just flatten the hair instead of giving it any real bend or lift. Like if you're doing a blowout on thick wavy hair wouldn't you NEED some kind of round shape to get that smooth curve at the ends or does it just straighten everything out completely? And what about tension, are you supposed to hold it different from a regular brush or does it just sit there while you pull the hair through?