Being able to perfectly style your hair right before a party or an important event is a great feeling. However, to blow-dry and style correctly is not as easy as it sounds. Salon level professional blow-drying techniques require knowledge and training.
With these simple rules you won’t have to visit a salon over and over again and again. Follow these tips below and save yourself a fortune.
Choosing the right product
To be able to style correctly always comes down to the right product. There are a variety of products on the market, but choosing the right one can save you from a lot of trouble. Here are some features that you might want to keep in mind before going to purchase any items.
Power: How much electric energy a blow-dryer consumes is measured in units of Watts. The number of watts is usually mentioned on the box. You can get an idea of the heat power it can generate through reading the wattage. Usually, a typical blow dryer is between 800-2000 watts.
To avoid dryness and frizz, you might want to try the one which has lesser wattage. For thicker hair, people prefer higher wattage.
Heat control: There are variable heat control buttons present on high end, good quality hair-dryers. These heat control options allow you to be in control of the tool. To avoid hair-burn and overheating you may want to go for the product which has more convenient heat controls.
Accessories: Keep in mind that most blow dryers come with additional accessories. For example, if you are up for straightening your hair then go for the one which comes with an extra attachable nozzle. If you have curly hair be sure to find a blow dryer with a diffuser attachment.
Weight: Styling will become tiresome if you have a heavy blow-dryer. Purchase the one which has a good grip, user-friendly shape and weighs less than 0.5 Kg.
Extendable wire: To freely move your hands as you like while styling look for the dryer which has a long, extendable wire.
Choosing the right brush
Having the correct hair brush is crucial, as the brush defines what type of style you’re going to have. If you are wanting a voluminous look, you should choose a round barrel brush. This style of brush will help you build volume and make perfect curls. However, for straight looking hair pick up a paddle brush.
Using a suitable heat protectant
As the name implies, the purpose of a heat protectant is to protect your hair from overheating. It will generate a protective layer on your strands to keep them safe from getting burned. They usually add extra moisture to your hair, and when exposed to heat, they are able to retain the already existing moisture.
Spray a heat protectant before heat styling to avoid hair damage and dryness.
Straight Hair Blow Drying Technique
Step 1: Let your hair dry a bit or squeeze extra moisture out of your hair gently. Don’t start using a blow dryer on dripping wet hair. Select the moderate heat option and begin drying the lower sections of hair. Contain the hair around the crown with a clip positioned on top of your head. Be sure the direction of the nozzle on the blow dryer is pointed downward. From the top of your hair length work your way downward.
Step 2: Now work on the top layers as you did the lower layers. Try to contain the dried lower layers loosely with a clip to keep them out of your way when working with the top layers.. Use a fine-toothed brush to straighten your hair.
Step 3: After removing the clips, use a round brush to dry the rest of your strands, especially around the forehead. For straightening use a brush to pull the hair straight while you dry them. You will have your final fresh look.
Use a styling cream to deal with any flyaway hairs at the end.
Curly Hair Blow Drying Technique
To build ideal curls choosing the right product is crucial. With a casual dryer, it will be harder to curl. Choose one which has a concave shape, unlike a regular flat one. This will help to achieve a naturally curly look.
Curls are very sensitive to heat. Using extreme high temperature heat will only damage your hair. For curls, a dryer with 1400 watts is sufficient enough. Set the heat option to low or medium.
Step 1: After air drying for ten minutes and removing the extra moisture with a towel (not fully dry but to the extent that hairs are not dripping wet anymore), apply a leave-in conditioner. To entirely coat your hair with conditioner, move your fingers throughout from roots to the ends.
Now use your fingers to twist the hair strands. Do it gently and slowly to give your hair time to adapt to the change. You can use a round barrel brush at this stage.
Step 2: Don’t blow hot air directly on the tips of your strands. This will make your ends frizzy and unattractive. The trick here to move the tips away from the blow-drier. Set the heat option to low or medium. Start drying the roots. By doing this you are able to allow your tips more time to air dry which causes less damage to them in the long run.
Step 3: In the final stage, use a little pomade gel. Rub it over your hair gently while keeping your hair in a ponytail. Work your way from roots to tips.
Applying a shine enhancing product to finish
After being exposed to so much heat, your hair will surely lose some shine. To revive the original shine, take a drop of shining serum in your hand and rub gently over your hair. This will bring back the lost gloss and a healthy shine.
Tips to remember during styling
- Blow-drying can be dangerous if you are not doing it the right way here are some things you might want to keep in mind.
- Keep a fair distance while blow drying with maximum heat.
- Be sure the heat protectant has reached all of your strands.
- For damaged hair, heat styling can make the condition worse. Treat the damage first.
- Make sure to take breaks during drying to let your hair rest a bit.
- Blow-dry in sections, take a group of hair and dry it first, then move to another.
- Overuse of shiners and moisturizers can give your hair a greasy look. Just a few drops is perfect!
- Don’t overdo it. Regular exposure to heat will damage your strands.
