The stylists toolbox

You don't need a new haircut or a visit to the salon to achieve wow-factor hair. With a little know-how and the right tools you can perform mini miracles at home Girls born without curls, for example, can win the battle against nature and give themselves Julia Roberts-style corkscrews. Similarly, those who are blessed (or cursed depending on your point of view) with a surplus of kinks and curls, can make their hair stick-straight, simply by using the right styling products and drying technique Hair is the ultimate fashion accessory. The golden rule is that if it looks good, you'll feel good. Here's what the professionals have in their tool box:

The gadgets

Hairdryer
Not just for blasting wet hair dry, a hairdryer can make your hair sleek and straight, or give it more lift than a pair of Manolos. Make sure yours is at least 1,500 watts, otherwise you will spend valuable date time drying your hair and possibly even damage it in the process.

Diffuser
This big, dish-like attachment is used to dry curly hair. It disperses the flow of air so that curls, natural or otherwise, aren't straightened by its sheer force.

brushes
Styling is about shaping the hair, so don't think you can use the same brush as for everyday grooming. Styling brushes come in many shapes and sizes. Flat brushes, which have bristles on one side only, are good, all-round tools, but are not precise enough to curl or straighten the hair. Round brushes, with bristles all the way around, are for curling, straightening or adding volume. Use small diameter brushes for short hair and large-diameter ones for straightening kinks out of long hair. Broad, flat paddle brushes are great for blow-drying straight or wavy long hair, as well as for styling hair to a poker-straight finish.

Combs
You need a good, all-purpose comb for detangling hair, dividing it into sections and for backcombing.

Curling iron
These create curls for girls who don't have them. Use a small-diameter curling iron for short hair or for making tight curls, and large ones for creating looser curls in long hair. You can also get heated curling brushes, which have bristles rather than a clamp to hold the hair in place. Use curling irons on dry hair only.

Straightening iron
This is used after blow-drying to give a blunt, sleek, straight look. The two flat, heated plates are clamped over a section of hair and slowly drawn down to the ends. It should not be used too often as they are very dehydrating.

Crimping iron
As well as creating the distinctive "corrugated" wave that goes in and out of fashion faster than flared pants, these irons can also be used on the under layers of dry hair to boost volume, or at the roots to lift limp hair.

Rollers
Rollers, which can be used to add volume to hair as well as make it curly, have become very hip. And hurrah for the fact that - unlike your grandmothers generation - you don't have to go to bed wearing them. Heated hot rollers (for use on dry hair only) are a speedy way of creating strong curls. For loose curls, take out the rollers while they are still warm. Velcro rollers are non-heated but you can put them into dry or damp hair to add lift at the roots.

Hairpins and sectioning clips
Small hairpins are essential for securing updos and small sections of hair - use matte ones, which are less slippery, in a color that matches your hair. Big metal clips are useful when you need to hold larger sections of hair up and out of the way for styling.