Do you daydream about smooth, straight, sleek strands like you’ve seen with hair makeovers on TV?
Yet when styled with a blow dryer does your hair come out full of static or frizz beyond belief? Or is the problem more how brittle and dry it feels afterwards?
Frustrating, isn’t it?
Still, you can blow dry your hair safely and with gorgeous results. It’s just takes the right mix of art, science and know-how to pull it off.
Acquiring that skill would be so worth it since we’ve all seen the transformational power a professional blowout can have.
No doubt the effect can be breath taking.
Assuming it’s done right anyone can create one amazingly gorgeous ‘do.
Problem is it’s hard to nail the perfectly straight, bouncy blowout at home, isn’t it?
That’s probably because recreating the same salon effect when you try to blow dry your own hair straight takes skill, know-how along with knowing which tools and products are needed to pull it off. Or abilities and knowledge many apparently are not born with, to be quite honest.
Still, if you are looking for the stunningly straight hair styles that are seen in so many fashion magazines, movies or at red carpet events these days, you simply must learn how to blow dry your hair straight.
Yet …
All You Really Need Is
- a good blow dryer,
- a quality round brush,
- a few strong hair clips,
- some decent thermal protectant
….plus how to use these to get the results you want. Oh yeah, right.
Now you wouldn’t think so, but the blow dryer used plays a huge role in how your hair turns out. Ideally you want one with moderate heat but with super strong air flow. Oh and a nozzle is a must have too.
Then why a round brush and not a paddle? Well a round brush makes it easier to pull just the hair at the roots taut and straight while drying. You’re then able to ease up a bit and give it more slack as you move toward the ends. This technique will keep your hair from going all poofy on you while creating oodles of volume from the roots to your ends.
Also the longer your hair the more clips you’ll need. Plus longer hair means more sections to dry.
Obviously the thermal protectant is important to protect your tresses from heat damage. So don’t you dare skip that step. In fact don’t even think about picking up your dryer until you’ve applied heat protectant.
Still don’t you just hate when someone says…all you have to do…. because you know the devil is in the details which they are cheerfully glossing over. So let’s get into some details.
If You Want A…Perfect Blowout
Well, believe it or not it all starts with clean hair. And that point is all the more important during the sizzling summer months when your hair may experience salt, chlorine or mineral buildup due in part to all the time spent poolside or at the beach. So you want to take care to make sure your scalp and hair are thoroughly cleansed and rinsed.
Let your hair air dry (some) so it’s not sopping wet when you start blow drying. It’s just crazy to even attempt to blow dry dripping wet hair. Just be aware that you’ll have to find the degree of dampness that’s best for you so you can still work with it to get it straight.
Before sectioning off your hair set your part. Then divide your hair into three or four roughly equal sections, each securely held up and away with hair clips.
Sectioning your hair is important. This will let you work with a manageable amount of hair PLUS you can thoroughly dry each section before grabbing more. And you do want to get each piece completely dry before moving on to the next since any residual dampness can instantly turn into frizz when humid air hits it. Keep working section by section until your hair is all dry.
How many or how big the sections should be depends on the length and thickness of your hair. Generally each piece should be no bigger than the width of your nozzle or the brush you are using.
You can use either flat sectioning or butterfly clips depending on which works best for you. Some warn the butterfly clips can leave a little crimp behind – just so you know.
Yet while sectioning is important so is where you start drying. As the video below points out you probably want to start doing the bottom sections first and then bring more pieces down as you work your way up. This lets you focus on drying each section thoroughly before moving on. Plus if you have a strategy in mind like this you’ll know what to do next and you’ll be more organized so that you’ll get done quicker. Obvious I know but still worth mentioning.
You’ll want to use the right hair products for your hair type and condition.
- Those with thin hair may find a volumizing mousse works wonders.
- A leave in conditioner is good to use if your hair is on the dry side.
- If frizz is more of an issue try things like argan oil or styling serums.
- While glossing creams can impart more shiny sleekness to your mane.
Yes, if I can attempt to read your mind, you will have to test different products to see how well they work for your hair.
And no, the idea here isn’t to turn you into a hair product junkie. It’s more to get you thinking about how products can help you in your quest for the perfect blowout.
Use a nozzle. If you don’t you have no protection from the potentially blazing hot metal grill that’s right next to your hair!
Don’t forget the final cool shot from the blow dryer. That is you want to blast your hair, the ends in particular, with a shot of cool air to close the cuticles, lock in the style and intensify the shine.
Finish up by misting a finishing spray to add smoothness and shine. Hold the product an arm’s length away from your hair. This will add some holding power preserving what you worked so hard to create.
By the way, using an aerosol dry shampoo and avoiding any serious sweating are two things you can do to make a great blow out last. Which might mean skipping your workout if need be. Still who wants to wash those hard earned results down the drain the next day, right?
Still nothing like seeing someone do it to make anything easier to master. So let’s cue up the video and …
Let’s See Someone Blow Dry Hair Straight
The most important point made in this video is that the quality of the tools used are what determine the results. Which is why I’ve hinted at that several times already.
The blow dryer used is one from Elchim. It’s what you might call a high output device. And note the nozzle and how she made use of it. In essence, it allows you to concentrate the air on your hair where you want it. A quality blow dryer is essential for those looking to blow dry their hair straight.
You’ll also need a big barreled ceramic ionic brush. The one used has a thermal ceramic coated barrel that works to evenly distribute the heat. That will help you avoid over drying and damage to your mane. Plus it makes it easier to put in the volume. This one is from BrushLab if you’re interested.
Tip: The unmentioned secret here is to brush through the top of each section of hair first. This will smooth it out. Then brush from the underside to add bounce.
Then notice the hydrating power unleashed on her locks – before she unleashes the dryer. The products used include Macadamia healing oil to add moisture to her ends. (Keep in mind a tiny bit of this stuff makes a huge impact.) This is available at Target or online. She also uses Herbal Essence Long Term Relationship leave in conditioner. Plus Tresemme Heat Tamer spray. All done to avoid heat damage especially on the most vulnerable parts of your hair, the ends.
Tip: It depends on how much hair you have naturally, but I’d say maybe a nickel sized blob of the Macadamia oil spread between your palms and then applied to your locks starting from the back and working forward, ought to do it.
It’s pointed out why smaller sections matter. That is what to do if you want straight hair with volume. And how each is treated is very clearly explained. Including how to get more volume right at the roots.
Basically each section is wrapped around the brush which is initially positioned next to the roots. The bristles allow you to get a good grip on the hair. She aims the nozzle of the dryer slightly away from her hair yet right on the brush while turning it to work down the shaft from the roots to the ends. This way the air blows directly across the brush laying the cuticle flat. It’s a process repeated with each section so you can see why the “gripiness” (is that even a word?) of the bristles is important.
How your hair turns out will depend on the length, texture, cut obviously. And it will take a while to get the hang of using such a ginormous brush. But it’s worth learning since an outrageously sexy blowout can hide many of your hair’s sins and shortcomings. Not to mention that more volume at the crown is always a good thing to have.
Before we go let’s quickly address three common questions.
Question: Can blow drying daily damage my tresses?
Clearly any time you heat style or blow dry your tresses are taking a beating. Doing so daily is only that much worse. Luckily there are several things you can do to prevent dryer damage to your hair.
First and foremost you should not even think about plugging in your blow dryer without first spraying your hair with thermal protection of some kind. Many of these products not only protect but they soften, add shine and prevent frizz too.
Two, don’t wash your hair any more often than you need too. See if second day hair can be made better than just tolerable with dry shampoo of some kind.
Next you can apply a protein mask to strengthen your locks. And if you can’t afford to shell out for some pricy product like say the Kerastase Nutritive Masquintense Nourishing Treatment then try a dark beer rinse. You may be surprised how well this revives damaged hair.
You might condition longer in the shower as well to better hydrate your locks.
Finally, if this is really a huge worry you can hold the dryer 3- 6 inches from your hair on a warm not hot setting.
Oh and here’s one last tip. Aim the dryer on your arm first. If it’s blazing hot to your skin, it will definitely scald your hair.
Question: How can you blow dry without getting frizzies?
Okay in this case if frizz is a concern, use a cool setting on the dryer and keep the brush working.
Apply a serum like Frizz Ease to get a sleek, frizz free look. Just go easy and don’t use too much. Using too much risks a greasy outcome. You really want to focus products like this on the ends which are likely dry and damaged anyway. On the plus side, you may also find such products help to straighten your hair as well.
Be sure you are directing the air down the hair shaft to smooth the cuticles.
Blast the last piece you dried with a cold shot before moving on to the next.
Most important is the nozzle. It can function as a smoothing device and helps keep the cuticles flat.
Finally complete the look by insuring smoothness and shine. You get that by spritzing anti humidity hairspray or shine spray that lists silicone on the label. This will seal the cuticle and lock out frizz creating moisture. You could even spray this onto a brush which you then run through your mane.
Question: How do you blow dry longer locks to give them body?
You could try blow drying your hair upside down. Then after it is somewhat dry add in some volumizing mousse and complete the job. This trick should give you a lot of volume. And a little gloss spray can be used to add some shine when finished.
So those looking to garner some compliments about their from envious co workers, should now have a better idea of how to blow dry their hair straight. Hopefully some of these techniques will work for you! Happy drying.
Leave a Reply