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Taking the time to learn something new can be frustrating, but something is empowering about mastering a new skill like mowing the lawn for the first time. We know it’s like vacuuming, but not entirely, and some methods are good for your yard. All in all, you don’t quite know how to do it unless someone explains it to you or you jump in headfirst. Well, that is kind of how the TYME Iron works, too. It’s not a straightener. It’s not a curling iron. It’s different, and there are a couple of things to know before jumping in.
We’re so grateful for all the people who take a chance on our iron. Knowing that something is going to take time to learn can be intimidating, and we’re so grateful for all the people who have persevered and learned the TYME Iron... some people don’t.
The Bad Reviews
The Milabu Review
We love that she starts the review acknowledging that there is a learning curve, but unfortunately, she doesn’t mind the instructions after that statement. While we wish you could jump through the screen and give her a helping hand, we’ll give YOU the tips we would have given her.
Our Key Takeaways:
- Pay attention to which side of the iron you’re using when approaching your hair. There is an open side, which we call the straightening side, as its best for straightening, and a closed side with a lip. The closed side is for curling. If you want to curl, this side MUST be the side closest to your roots. A great indicator to know if you can curl or straighten is determining where your wrist is facing.
- For curling, the inside of your wrist is facing you when you approach the hair.
- For straightening, the inside of your wrist is facing away from you when you approach your hair.
- Curling on the left side can throw people through a loop. We get it. Here is the simplest way to explain it: start with the iron in your dominant hand (thumb behind the light, of course), hinge your arm up over your head. Typically, in this position, your knuckles face the mirror, and we prefer the swivel cord of the iron to be behind you.
- Use your non-dominant hand to guide and help the piece you’re curling stay on the titanium plates.
- Leave the vice grips in your toolbox. ;) We’ve engineered a precise angle in our iron, so you don’t have to apply tons of pressure while using it.
Yikes.
First, what we hear in this review is that the user is going too fast. Passing through each section of hair too quickly and with very little rotation will not result in an aesthetically pleasing curl. Our titanium plates heat the hair faster than the average straightener or curling iron, but the key to a great curl is proper cooling time. Where your hair cools is where it stays. We designed the TYME Iron with a curved barrel so that your hair can cool along that curve as you curl. While we preach that our iron is fast, it’s not a magic wand.
So our suggestion to this user would be to slow down and take advantage of our FREE HangTYME sessions. While learning a new skill on your own can be a source of pride, please don’t struggle through a new practice and then give up when it doesn’t work the way you intend. We have a stylist dedicated to teaching you how to use the TYME Iron.
How you approach your hair with the TYME Iron does matter.
We must be active participants in how we use the TYME iron. If you rotate the iron a lot, you’re going to get a bigger curl. If you barely turn the iron, you’re hardly going to get a curl at all. One of the number one things we hear is “my curls don’t last” or “It’s just a straightener.” To that, we say, take your time. Blazing through your locks when trying to curl isn’t going to create a curl. It’s going to apply just enough heat to warm up the hair and leave no time for cooling in a curled position, meaning you just lightly straightened your hair.
We do have tutorials for left-handers!
We wish our small business could engineer a left-handed TYME Iron for a quick solution, but we do have a glimmer of hope for all you left-handed stylists out there. Our gal, Savannah, is also left-handed. She has mastered the TYME Iron, and we love her words of advice.
“Your left hand is still a very active participant in the curling process. Truly all your right hand is doing is closing the iron and rotating. The left hand is grabbing the section of hair you’re curling, placing the hair in the iron, guiding it through the iron, and twisting the curl after it is out of the iron. Don’t underestimate how much that hand is doing!”
The Good Reviews
We applaud your patience!
Going in with the mindset that you CAN learn this new tool and that it is different truly makes all the difference. We’re so impressed with Kelly’s commitment to the process and that she invested into her routine further by exploring our wet line. Our wet line works hand in hand with the TYME Iron and BlowTYME. The products are hyper-hydrating and work to protect your hair from outside stressors like heat and humidity. The best part? Do you know the oils that make your hair feel greasy, sebum? Our shampoo and conditioner work to balance sebum production, so you don’t have to wash your hair as much!
YES MERRI!
We’re biased, but our brushes are top knot-ch! ;) The paddle brush gives an element of luxury to getting ready. Our nylon bristles glide through your locks with ease and give your scalp a well-deserved massage.
It is super easy!
There is no going back once you have learned how to use the iron and have your technique down. If we were unable to use TYME Irons for some depressing reason to get ready in the morning, we would literally daydream about them.
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