Naturalistas, the time has come to put the trusty spray bottle to the back of your closet. Hair steamers have become popular over the past two years, especially for women with natural hair, and now we know why. The perfect solution for deep condition treatments, hair steamers produce a moist heat that lifts cuticles and allows conditioner ingredients to absorb faster.

Adding moisture allows your curly strands to fight off breakage, dryness, and even brittleness. Using a hair steamer before shampooing is the preferred method, and leaves hair feeling soft with great definition. They also improve your curl pattern, and we all know that’s a plus! There are three types of hair steamers that are more commonly used. As with any other hair tool, they all have their pros and cons, but the benefits of hair steaming are limitless, and they’re definitely worth a try.

Tabletop Steamers

**Huetiful Hair Steamer:** Steam your way to beautiful coils with the natural hair favorite Huetiful Hair Steamer.

Tabletop steamers usually include the base, where the steamer is located, and the hair hood. The hair hood is attached to the steamer; you sit under it, just like you would a salon hairdryer. The most popular tabletop steamer is the Huetiful Hair Steamer. There are raving reviews giving details as to how Huetiful leaves hair feeling soft and light, similar to that of a nice fluffy pillow. Naturalistas everywhere are raving about Huetiful being the best hair steamer! ($116.95; huetiful.myshopify.com)

Handheld Steamers

**Q-Redew:** Revive your Day 2 style with the Q-Redew Hand Held Steamer.

Handheld steamers are, of course, a lot smaller, and great if you don’t have enough room for a tabletop. They both replenish moisture throughout the hair and make styling a lot easier. One of the best advantages of a handheld steamer is reviving your Day 2 hair. You can definitely get another day or so out of your beautiful twist-out by simply using a handheld steamer before fluffing and styling. The most recommended handheld steamer is the Q-Redew Hand Held Steamer. In just minutes you can go from flat to fabulous! ($69.95; qredew.com)

Steamer Caps

**Gold ’N Hot:** Perfect for the hair and easy on the pockets. This Gold ’N Hot Hair Conditioning Heat Cap is affordable and gets the job done!

Portable and easier to adjust than the other steamers, the steamer cap has lots of popularity. Though steamer caps may not produce as much moisture as a tabletop or hand handheld, they still leave you with a beautiful moisture finish. If you’re on a budget, the Gold ’N Hot Conditioning Heat Cap is a perfect go-to that’s lighter on your pockets. ($36.99; sallybeauty.com)

The biggest misconception is the expectation for steamers to dry your hair. These are not hair dryers, but efficient ways to add moisture throughout your cuticles for treatments and beautiful styling. Upload your steaming results to us on Instagram!

—LaParis Hawkins