How to Achieve a Salon-Worthy Blow-Dry at Home
Most of what your stylist does is technique, and technique can be learnt. Here's how to get a salon-worthy blow-dry at home, from prep and heat protection to round brush work.
You leave the salon with hair that swings. Two washes later, it's back to flat roots and fluffy ends. Sound familiar?
Most of what your stylist does is technique, and technique can be learnt. The rest comes down to using the right products at the right point. Your first salon-worthy blow-dry at home might take 40 minutes and leave your arms aching. By the fourth or fifth, it gets much quicker.
Start with the right prep
A good blow-dry starts in the shower. If you're after lift, keep conditioner to your mid-lengths and ends so the roots aren't weighed down from the outset.
Towel-dry by squeezing rather than rubbing. Rubbing roughs up the cuticle, the outer layer of each strand, and that's where most frizz begins.
Next comes a styling product chosen for your hair. For fine or flat hair, Color Wow Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer 200ml is a volumising foam that thickens each strand without the alcohol that can leave hair dry. If your hair is thick and drying it feels like a second job, Color Wow Speed Dry Blow Dry Spray 150ml is designed to cut down drying time.
Heat protection is the step you shouldn't skip. Hot air on wet hair a few times a week adds up, and it shows on your ends first. O&M PS Heat Protection Spray 150ml is a light, colour-safe mist, so it's an easy everyday choice if you're looking after a fresh colour. If your hair is long and prone to snapping, Davines MELU Anti Breakage Spray 250ml protects against heat and helps your lengths cope with all that brushing. Our guide to protecting your hair from heat damage goes into more detail.
Your tools matter more than you think
Airflow does more of the work than heat. A hotter setting feels faster, but it mostly dries the surface while the hair underneath stays damp. If you blow-dry most days, a professional dryer with strong airflow earns its place. If you only style once or twice a week, a decent dryer with a nozzle will get you most of the way.
Always use the nozzle. It points the air down the hair shaft, which smooths the cuticle. Without it, you're blowing hair in every direction at once.
For bounce, you'll need a round brush. A smaller barrel suits shorter hair and a larger one suits longer hair. R+Co Round Brush 4 works on anything from a bob to very long hair. It isn't cheap, but the natural boar bristles grip each section well, which makes the tension in step three much easier to hold.
How to blow-dry your hair, step by step
- Rough dry to around 80%. Use your fingers, lift at the roots and keep the nozzle pointing down. Skipping this is why so many home blow-dries take an hour.
- Section your hair. Clip the top and sides up and start at the nape. Keep each section roughly the width of your brush. Smaller sections take longer, but they hold far better.
- Work with tension. Place the brush under a section at the root, pull it gently taut and follow the brush down with the dryer. Two or three passes per section is usually enough.
- Use the cool shot. Before releasing each section, give it a few seconds of cool air while it's still wrapped round the brush. Hair sets in the shape it cools in, so this is where lasting bounce comes from.
- Lift the crown. For volume on top, hold each section straight up from the scalp as you dry the root.
Finish and make it last
Let your hair cool completely before you touch it. Then smooth the ends with a small amount of product. Kérastase Elixir Ultime L'Huile Originale Refillable 30ml is a light oil that suits frizz-prone hair, while Olaplex No.6 Bond Smoother 100ml is better if your lengths are dry or damaged. Use less than you think. A drop or two of oil, or a pea-sized amount of cream, covers shoulder-length hair.
If you want hold, a light mist of KMS Hairstay Firm Finishing Hairspray 300ml keeps the shape and stands up to humidity, without feeling sticky.
Overnight, a loose bun on top of your head protects the volume. A silk pillowcase helps with frizz too.
Blow-dry FAQs
How long should a blow-dry at home take?
Usually 20 to 30 minutes for medium-length hair once you've had some practice. Thick or long hair can take longer.
Should I blow-dry from soaking wet?
No. Let your hair air-dry for ten minutes first, or rough dry it. Brushing very wet hair puts more strain on it.
Can I blow-dry every day?
You can, as long as you use heat protection every time and keep the dryer moving. If your ends start to feel dry, try a day or two off.
