Smooth, tamed locks are the key to looking glam and chic, and if you want perfect results you can't skip blow-drying!
2 out of 3 women blow-dry their hair, but not all do it properly.
Here’s our easy guide to getting a perfect result with not a hair out of place.
What you need
- A decent hairdryer
Your hairdryer should be powerful, with a high heat and gentle airflow. Most dryers on the market these days are professional salon-style dryers.
- Brushes
Boar hair brushes are the best (many celebs swear by them). Large brushes are best for untangling thick hair, while medium-sized ones can be used on all hair types and are particularly good at untangling hair at the roots for a softer finish.
Small brushes are excellent on curls, and flat brushes are used for smoothing hair straight without blow-drying.
You can also get hold of heat-conducting brushes with a metallic part that heats up with your hairdryer and lets you shape your style more effectively.
Preparing your hair for blow-drying
To make your style last for longer, use special products on your hair: smoothing shampoo, taming spray and anti-frizz products will all help you achieve smoother locks.
Tip: Healthy hair is far easier to style because the individual hairs are easier to shape. If your hair isn’t getting enough TLC it can lack sebum, which is what causes hair cuticles to open up and makes hair dry, fragile and difficult to style.
Tips
To avoid frizz, apply products to your hair before blow-drying.
- If you have frizzy hair, your hair is naturally finer and more fragile than other hair types, so use a nourishing treatment containing shea butter, jojoba oil or olive oil once a week. The better nourished your hair is, the easier it is to style and smooth out.
- Don’t blow-dry dry hair: it makes hair fragile. Always blow-dry after washing, when your hair is still damp, and do a final rinse with cold water to close up your cuticles.
- To keep your style in place, use plenty of taming products designed to make rebellious strands stay put.
How to blow-dry
- Pre-drying
Wrap your hair in a thick towel that absorbs water well. If your hair is still dripping wet, dry it roughly, holding the dryer a good distance away from your head. When you go on to blow-dry your hair properly, it should be just about damp.
Tip: The less you expose your hair to direct heat from your dryer, the less dry your hair will be. Always let your hair dry naturally for a bit first.
-Styling product
Apply a styling product (mousse, spray, gel or balm) to help you achieve a better blow-dry, applying over the length of your hair and combing through. Take care not to put products on your roots: smoothing products can leave you greasy on top.
-Drying
Blow-dry section by section, using clips to keep the section you're working on separate from the rest. Start by clipping most of your hair on top of your head, leaving only a few bits around the sides and nape of your neck free to start drying.
-Technique
Use a large round brush and wind your hair around the brush starting at the root and working right to the tip, directing the airflow in the same direction as your brush. Use a dryer with a nozzle, hold it perpendicular to the brush and direct it onto your hair so that it all gets dried.
Then brush through downwards, keeping your dryer at a distance of 5cm from your hair (your dryer should never come into contact with your hair to avoid any risk of burning it). Let your hair fall into place as you brush through, and repeat each section two or three times for a perfect finish. Finally, turn your dryer onto cold setting to set your style.
-The finishing touch
Apply smoothing serum to the ends of your hair to set your style, and you’re ready to go!
Photo: City Looks
