Tampabay.com
SEPTEMBER 15, 2009

Deal Divas product test: Edgestick Pressing Comb

This is a post for my extra-curly, wavy, happy-to-be-nappy girls out there ... if you fall into any of these categories then you may know the sisterhood bond that is the hot comb.

Our bond is steeped in history ... Saturday evenings preparing for church we'd sit in the kitchen on a stool between grandma's legs, while she slid those hot teeth through our kinky edges. Oh the memories, or, er, the horrors.

So when this little gadget came across my desk I was intrigued and a tad frightened. Was Granny lurking somewhere behind the bushes with her can of pressing oil?

EdgeStick_Photo  

It's called the Edgestick Pressing Comb and it supposedly has the same straightening prowess as the old school hot combs, just without the scary sizzle that still causes me to grab my ear and wince when I think about it. It also looks a lot cooler too.

The traditional hot comb is a French invention, but the Edgestick is out of Taiwan -- home to some of the most fabulous bone-straight hair on the planet.

My hair is chemically relaxed these days so I called in the guru of pressed hair, my friend and stylist Patrina Miller, below, of 9Stone Natural Hair Care Studio in St. Petersburg.

Patrina 

Miller, whose hair is 100% chemical free, is known for her ability to take the curliest of curly hair bone straight in a matter of minutes. Her tools: a ceramic flat iron and a good hand technique. After testing it out for a while here's what she had to say:

1.) What Pretty Teeth you have. Most ceramic irons are simply flat plates, but the Edgestick has a comb on it which makes pulling through hair easy.

2.) Fire it up baby. While the Edgestick may work for wavy or loosely curly hair, it wasn't a good solution for people with a tight curl. It doesn't get hot enough -- even at its highest setting -- to truly straighten that hair.

3.) Rain on me. We live in Florida. And it's truly a gift if you can keep your hair straight for 24 hours with all the humidity in the air. After using the Edgestick, Miller said hair poofed back up within a day. Her pressing jobs usually last about a week.

In short, the Edgestick isn't a horrible product, but if you are of the serious curl or kink set, it's probably not the best option for your straightening needs. But if your hair is loosely curled or mostly straight it's a good touch up option.

Interested? You can find the Edgestick Pressing Comb online here.

Deal Diva Nicole

[Photos courtesy Suntek Global and Patrina Miller]

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THE AUTHORS

Stephanie Hayes came out of the womb wearing high heels. While other kids were reciting multiplication tables, she was learning to calculate an extra third off the half-price discount during buy-one-get-one week. She loves animal prints, black mascara and anything that sparkles. She objects to visible panty lines, Crocs and anything that costs more than a car payment. And she doesn't drive a nice car. She can be reached at (727) 893-8857 or shayes@tampabay.com.

Emily Nipps As a sullen teenager, Emily Nipps refused to wear anything but black, olive green or burgundy, preferably ripped. She has since added color to her life but still experiments with her dark streak. A product junkie, she has tried tons of overpriced face creams and hair products but loves drugstore brands that work the same. She's an Aries and a bassist in a punk band. She has a pet pig, seven chickens, three cats and a rabbit. And just as many lip glosses. She can be reached at (727) 893-8452 or nipps@tampabay.com.

Kameel Stanley has never encountered a thrift store she didn’t like. Her mother taught her that the true value of clothes isn’t how much they cost, but how many outfits one can create from them. Having grown up in Michigan, she was delighted to learn upon moving to Florida that she almost never needed to wear socks or boots again. There’s a lot of turnover in her closet, and she’s obsessed with dresses, necklaces and wedge heels. She can be reached at (727) 893-8643 or kstanley@tampabay.com.

A disciple of the little black dress classics school, Letitia Stein stretches her budget by looking for styles with staying power. She lives for 80 percent off shoes at DSW, floral sundresses and bohemian chic tops. She confesses to being a bit of a snob when it comes to handbags and jewelry. She can be reached at (813) 226-3400 or lstein@tampabay.com.

Coming from a long line of fashionable women, Kim Wilmath considers herself lucky to fit into their hand-me-downs. Her wardrobe staples include her grandma's vintage blouses and her mom's funky jewelry. When she's in the market for "new" items, Kim hits her favorite thrift stores -- a habit she also picked up from mom. But when circumstances require a visit to the shiny stores in the mall, you'll find Kim at the sale rack like a good little diva. She can be reached at (813) 661-2442 or kwilmath@tampabay.com.

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