I’m always looking for hair accessories that help long hair wearers style it in different ways. The Hair Zing caught my attention and my imagination. It is an interesting new tool that helps to create a variety of hairstyles such as updos, half updos and ponytails. It consists of two curved metal combs attached to each other by beaded resin bands. The bands are very strong and stretchy and by anchoring one of the combs on one side, stretching the bands over the hair and then anchoring the other comb, you create different styles.

	I used it to create this half up – half down hairstyle. I used the first comb to smooth one side back before I inserted it into the hair at almost the center back. Then, holding onto it, I stretched the bands all the way over to the other side and combed the other side back to meet the first, inserting the comb with the teeth facing the center. The combs stayed firmly in place and the beaded bands formed an attractive accessory. As I read the directions on the web site, I see that I could have created the half up – half down style by putting a ponytail in the top section. ( I often tend to play with an item before reading the directions. Not the best policy!)
I used a similar technique to hold a twist in my hair. I brushed all of my hair back and gathered it into a ponytail. I turned it over to form a twist in my hair with the ends extending up. I inserted a comb on one side, stretched the bands across and inserted the other comb into the other side. The twist stayed in place and looked nicer than the clips that I have used in the past.
Creating a ponytail with Hair Zing was fun but took a bit more dexterity. I gathered all my hair into a high ponytail, holding it with one hand. I inserted a comb so that the curve hugged my head. Then I used the fingers of the other hand to stretch a ‘hole’ in the center of the bands and pulled the ponytail up through the hole. I flipped the second comb over so that the curved shape hugged my head and inserted it with the teeth facing the first comb.

Difficulties: At first use, handling the combs was tricky. You must remember that the combs are curved to the shape of your head so they must be inserted that way. If you get them upside down, they won’t stay in and the mistake will be obvious. I also had a little trouble with getting the resin bands caught in the teeth of the combs, but it didn’t take long free them. The bands are strong and didn’t break even with tugging.

Conclusion: Even with those difficulties, I found this tool very easy to use on myself. I was successful in using it the first time and produced a passable hairstyle. My hair was straight, but I can see that with some preparation, such as curling with a curling iron or hot rollers, a very nice style can be achieved with a minimum of work. The Hair Zing was very comfortable, while other clips and ponytail holders tend to pull the hair and become painful after a few hours.

I rate this item with an "A plus". I will be using it often, both at home and at work. Read more on the Hair Zing website.

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