HOW TO BLOW DRY YOUR HAIR LIKE A PROFESSIONAL

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If you’ve ever tried recreating a salon-quality blowout from the comfort of your own home you will understand the struggle; the pulling on your locks, tangling of wires and even dead arms all become a strenuous challenge to say the least. Perfecting a bouncy blow dry on your own can be tricky, so often we find ourselves forking out a small fortune for a professional stylist.
However, if you do find yourself wanting to learn how to blow dry your hair at home, or simply want to know how to make the blow-dry process easier, we have the perfect step-by-step guide to simplify your routine and achieve a professional blowout, at home.

What is a blow dry?

A blow-dry is a way of styling the hair at the same time as drying it. A bouncy blow dry is achieved using a hand-held hairdryer and a brush to style the hair upwards for volume, universally known as the go-to look for buoyant waves and sleek shine. To recreate a blow-dry at home follow our step by step guide with all our tips and tricks below.
A blow out is a great hairstyle to inject vibrancy and lift into thin or fine hair. If your hair is on the thinner side, have a look at our other hairstyles for fine hair.

How to do a bouncy blow dry at home

Preparing to blow dry your hair

  1. The styling process begins in the shower with a focus on care. Start by cleaning your locks with the right shampoo for your hair type and massaging in from root to tip. Ideally you should aim to shampoo twice to make sure all product residue has been rinsed out, leaving your hair clean and ready to be lifted! How much you need to shampoo depends on your hair type – read our article for more information.
  2. Once you’ve shampooed apply conditioner to your lengths, avoiding too much product on your scalp so your roots are not weighed down.
  3. After washing your hair, towel dry and apply our Volume Lift Root Booster and Thickening Mousse to the damp lengths. Carefully brush through to ensure evenly distributed coverage.
  4. When your hair is semi dry – 85% is ideal, start parting your locks into different sections. This is especially important for those attempting to blow dry coarse curly hair that may need longer time to dry. Start by dividing your hair from the scalp to the ends, pinning the top section with a clip so you can focus on the bottom layers. Sectioning your hair will allow it to dry thoroughly, encouraging maximum volume.
  5. Apply a protector spray before blow drying curly or coarse hair to avoid heat damage.

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How to blow dry straight hair for volume

When it comes to blow drying super straight hair, there is a risk of your look falling flat due to there being less grip to hold the style. Follow these steps to ensure ultimate volume and avoid limp locks.

  1. After sectioning your hair, grab your hair dryer, ideally with the nozzle attached as this will help direct your movements and give you control over your final look.
  2. You’ll also need a good quality brush. We recommend using a round brush to blow dry straight hair as the bigger the brush, the more volume you’ll get. Start brushing through the roots, pulling down, and then back up. Meanwhile, hover the dryer over the brush for a few seconds to ensure you get maximum bounce.
  3. Once you’ve blow-dried the bottom sections of your hair do the same for the top, using the brush to blow dry away from your hairline and crown area for extra volume.
Tip – if you don’t have a hair dryer available, but do have a styling tool such as a curling tong or straighteners, follow the same sectioning method but instead of drying with a brush, curl sectioned strands then hold the hair in place using pins.
For more tips and products to add volume to fine hair, have a look at our definitive guides.

How to do a curly blow dry

  1. For a really curly blow dry, apply our Go Curlier Heat-Activated Spray evenly through damp hair before following the steps above. Twist your hair around the brush and let the curls cool completely before releasing them.
  2. Once cooled, remove any pins and gently run your fingers through your curls, or use a paddle brush for more of a loose wave. Polish your final look with as little or as much curly hair product as you like.
  3. Give your curls a final spritz of hairspray to ensure long-lasting shine, volume and bounce. Use a touch up crème to tidy away any flyways.
A curly blow dry is just one way to achieve wavy tresses. If you’re thinking of going curlier, have a look at our other methods to achieving perfect curls.
While it might take a bit of practice to achieve a professional-standard blowout, hopefully our breaking down of the steps has given you the confidence to recreate at home,
For more salon-worthy inspiration, have a look at our guide to styling layered hair. Or, to keep your look at its very best, visit our favourite products fine, frizzy and curly hair.

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