HOW TO GET THE PERFECT BLOW DRY AT HOME

If you’ve ever tried recreating a salon-quality bouncy blowout from the comfort of your own home, you’ll know the struggle. The hair pulling, tangled wires and dead arms can all become too much - how does your hairdresser do it so easily?

Perfecting a bouncy or straight blow dry on your own can be tricky - however, if you want to learn how to professionally blow dry your hair at home, or just how to make the blow dry process easier, we’ve got the perfect step-by-step guide to simplify your routine and achieve a professional blowout at home.

What’s a bouncy blow dry?

A bouncy blow dry is similar to a simple blow dry, but it’s a way of giving your mid-lengths and ends lustre, volume and, well, bounce. You get the look by using a hairdryer and a rounded brush to style your hair upwards as it dries for volume, buoyant waves and sleek shine.

A bouncy blow out is a great hairstyle to inject vibrancy and lift into finer or thin hair, and it’s perfect for black-tie events, weddings - and even prom.

What’s a straight blow dry?

By contrast, a straight blow dry is a way of styling longer hair to leave it sleek, frizz-free and with a hint of volume. The method’s similar to the bouncy blow dry technique - using a hairdryer and a rounded brush, you gently roll the brush through your lengths for a smooth, glossy finish.

How to do a bouncy blow dry at home

• Wash your hair with our Volume Lift Lightweight Shampoo and finish with our Volume Lift Lightweight Conditioner - being careful not to over-condition your roots. Rinse thoroughly.
• Wrap your hair in a microfibre towel wrap to absorb most of the moisture.
• When your hair’s around 50% dry, apply a palmful of our Volume Lift Thickening Mousse to your damp lengths, and carefully brush through to ensure evenly distributed coverage.
• Add a few pumps of our Volume Lift Root Booster to your roots only.
• Split your hair into small, easy-to-manage sections and secure them with non-snag hairbands, pinning the top sections up with a clip so you can focus on the bottom layers first.
• Apply a heat protectant spray before blow drying to avoid heat damage.
• After sectioning your hair, attach your hairdryer’s diffuser and get ready to start on the first ‘underneath’ section near the back of your head.
• Using a good-quality round brush, start brushing through your roots, making sure your hairdryer’s close enough to each section to heat and dry the hair.
• Turn the brush anticlockwise - curling your hair away from the root - and gently rotate it while pulling down through the section. Be careful not to scorch your hair by putting the nozzle too close to your roots.
• 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.
• Finish with a light mist of hairspray to hold your style in place.

How to get a perfect straight blow dry at home

• Use our Frizz Ease Miraculous Recovery Shampoo and Miraculous Recovery Conditioner to gently cleanse and smooth your hair, and repair any signs of damage.
• Dry your hair by wrapping it in a microfiber hair wrap, and wait until your hair’s 50% dry before you start styling it. 
• Spritz our Frizz Ease 3 Day Straight Straightening Spray through your lengths and ends to prepare your hair for styling.
• Start to blow dry your hair, using your hairdryer on full power but a medium heat. Comb against the roots, so you’re ‘flipping’ one side of your hair over to the other side of your scalp as you blow dry, and repeat for the other side.
• When your hair’s semi-dry, split your hair into manageable sections - the thickness of each section should be the same thickness as your large brush.
• If you have a fringe, use a small bristle brush to curl your fringe under and away from the roots.
• Using the large bristle brush to create root lift and movement, take segments of front sections of hair and place the brush at the root, turning it away from the root, and gently pulling through your lengths. Make sure your hairdryer is moving throughout your lengths, and not just focused on your roots.
• Work from roots to ends, smoothing and rolling as you go.
• Finish with a small pump of our Frizz Ease All-in-1 Lightweight Serum to add shine and gloss, and minimise frizz.

Are blowouts bad for hair?

If you get a professional blow-dry every now and then, your hair should be fine - especially if you’re using your hairdryer’s medium heat setting, heat protectant, and good-quality round boar-bristle brushes. Getting a professional or at-home bouncy blow dry for events a few times a year isn’t going to damage your hair long-term.

However, you may find that your hair starts to show signs of dryness and damage if you give yourself a bouncy or straight blow dry more often. If you start to spot split ends, unmanageable frizz or broken strands, it may be time to cut down on your blow dry habit, and let your hair air dry for a while.

We’ve got an extensive range of products for damaged or distressed hair - our Detox & Repair range is specially-formulated to intensively-moisturise, nourish and care for damaged hair. For dry, brittle hair that needs strengthening, we recommend our Rehab + Revive range to transform damaged hair into lustrous strands with shine and strength.

How long does a blowout last?

It depends on the state of your hair when you had it styled, who styled it, and what you’re doing afterwards.

If you have naturally curly hair and you’ve gone for a bouncy blow dry, you may find your blow-dry lasts 2-3 days - and maybe up to 1 day (or night) if you have naturally fine or straight hair. The opposite is true for straight blowouts - if your hair’s naturally curly, you’ll find a straight blow dry may not last as long for you as it would for someone with naturally-straight hair.

However, there are several ways to make your blowdry last longer:

• Go easy when you’re using conditioner, and don’t apply it to your roots before you start styling.
• Avoid touching your hair too often - the oils from your hands will transfer to your hair, which may cause it to look greasy.
• Turn your hairdryer to cool when you’re done styling to ‘set’ your hair’s volume.
• Use a dry shampoo instead of washing with your normal haircare products - or lightly-mist sections with water, and restyle at home when you can.
• Wrap your hair in a silk sleep turban to allow your hair to move freely while you sleep without static ruining your style.