Get fresh-from-the-salon-looking hair styles right at home.
How to: Give your hair a blowout as well as your stylist does
First off, you need a good blow dryer. “Something with sufficient heat,” says Greg May of Greg May Hair Architects in Toronto. “Talk to your stylist or head to a professional beauty outlet store,” says Greg. If you decide to get a tourmaline/ionic blow dryer, know that it doesn’t provide as much force, however it will dry your hair faster. In terms of wattage, look for a blow dryer with 1,800 watts or more.
Next, keep that concentration nozzle on—always. “It helps smooth out the cuticle. Without it, you’re just blowing your hair all over the place,” says Greg. The concentration nozzle is especially important if you’re using your blow dryer to go from curly to straight.
Another tool you need? A good ceramic-based brush with nylon bristles. This retains heat so you can use it to smooth your hair but can also use it like a hot roller. Having a boar-bristle brush is handy as well for encouraging your hair’s natural oils down the hair shaft.
Finally, stock up on the right hair products. The current it product? “Argan oil,” says Greg. “It helps get rid of frizz, speeds up dry time by up to 60 percent. And you only need to use a little bit, as it can weigh hair down.” Argan oil is particularly great on frizzy, woolly hair, but if you’ve got fine hair, Greg recommends a volumizer in a spray format. “A spray can often work better on fine hair because the fine mist more evenly distributes the product,” he says. Now, time to blow dry. Greg recommends starting with flipping your head over and blow drying it 70 to 80 percent dry. Then flip it back up and section the hair. “I like to use chopsticks,” says Greg, “but you can use those sectioning clips. Do small sections of one to two inches if possible. At a minimum, do three sections on the sides and three on the back,” he says. Then go through each section with your dryer, working your round brush through each section, possibly two to three times for each section. “Point the dryer down the hair shaft, this is to smooth out the cuticle,” he says. Lastly, finish with cold air. “This closes the cuticle and promotes shine,” says Greg. And if you prefer a straighter look, use a flat iron to smooth out just the ends of your hair. Voila, pro-quality blowout, right at home.
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