Anyone who's braved a blowout in the tropics knows it can feel nearly impossible to maintain smooth hair once the humidity hits. I've tried nearly every product to keep my strands smooth—frizz sprays, heat protectants that promise to protect against humidity, shampoos that advertise silky strands after one use—but nothing has worked. It turns out that I was focused on the wrong thing. Instead of spritzing, slathering, and laying on products, the solution was to start with my styling tools.
Shark's SilkiPro™ Straightener and Dryer ($250) takes hair from wet to dry quickly and without heat damage thanks to its ceramic plates, which auto-regulate to the temperature that's best for your hair. The reason this is so effective for sleek strands is that it locks in hydration and stops flyaways at the source. The 3-in-1 device also comes with three interchangeable combs, allowing it to work for all hair types, from waves to coils.
Admittedly, Shark's SilkiPro felt too good to be true—so we brought it to Miami to test it against the steamy Florida humidity. In fact, we partnered with Shark Beauty to create the Silki Pit Stop at The Miami Beach Edition hotel during race weekend. This styling suite allowed guests to test the tool's effectiveness while enjoying coffee, light bites, and signature cocktails. We also sent beauty editor Alyssa Brascia to the suite to test the tool for herself.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi! I'm Alyssa Brascia, an associate beauty editor at Who What Wear. I've been professionally testing and reviewing beauty products since 2022, but I still struggle to tame and style my hair. Any gadget that makes my hair routine easier is a dream. I live in New York City, so not only are my hair and skin constantly open to atmospheric aggressors and polluted urban air, but I'm constantly running from the gym to the office to events to drinks with friends, sometimes all in one day. This results in my hair being a frizzy mess that never looks the way it did when I first left the house.
How would you describe your hair type? How do you normally style it?
I always thought that I had thick hair growing up, but it turns out that I just have a lot of fine hair. Because of this, it tends to get fine frizzies quickly, even when I use lots of smoothing hair oils, but I don't let this stop me from trying new styles. I love letting it air-dry and adding product to define my waves (this also helps keep it healthy), but I've had to do a lot more blow-drying since getting bangs. Because of this, I've started doing more of a blow-dry-straight style—not pin straight, there's still some body and curve—with a cute curl at the end.
What were your thoughts after trying the Shark SilkiPro™ Hair Straightener and Dryer?
I was impressed with how quickly it took my hair from being damp, frizzy, and wavy to sleek and smooth. My hair looked like perfection—I'm not kidding, just look at the photos. The tool cut my drying and styling time down tremendously because it combined the two. I really loved the nifty wide-tooth comb attachment, which allowed the product to reach my roots and deliver volume (something my hair typically rejects).
How did your hairstyle last throughout the rest of the day in the Miami heat? Did the tool effectively keep frizz at bay?
Honestly, as I said, my hair loves humidity and will try to go back to its wavy bends the second I step outside. However, I was surprised at how well it held up in the weather—which was extra sticky because of a storm rolling in the next day—and how sleek it still looked hours later. I went to the beach, changed, and met friends for drinks at night with little to no touch-ups needed.
Final thoughts?
I've tried wet-to-dry straighteners in the past, so thankfully, the fear of totally frying off my wet strands isn't there. I also loved how easy it was to speak over the tool when it was in use (other hair dryers can be really loud, so I appreciate the volume control), and I really did like that wide-tooth comb attachment. It not only allows you to style textured hair much faster, but it also makes it easier to access and style both flat roots and bangs. My great stylists, Gianluca Mandelli and Gianni, had to wrangle both—and they did so flawlessly with the Shark SilkiPro™.
