When it comes to looking good, a perfectly blow-dried head of hair can make or break your image – but while your favourite stylist seems to be able to effortlessly send you on your way with the kind of movie star hair locks that wouldn’t look out of place on the red carpet, achieving the same results at home can be far more challenging.
While it might seem like you need more arms and hands than you’ve got to pull it off, with the right technique it can be quicker, easier, and hassle free. All you’ll need is a hairdryer and a round brush, and you can recreate that perfectly polished look at home.
Here, we take a look at all you need to pull off a professional blow-dry so that you can feel like a million dollars any day of the week.
Take care of your hair
There is only one place to begin when it comes to achieving a salon-fresh look, and that is taking care of your hair. Even the most refined of blow-dry techniques can’t cover up poor hair health, so it’s important to have regular trims at the hairdresser to snip away any unsightly split ends and have a regular hair care routine to maintain optimal condition.
Investing in a good shampoo, like Milkshake shampoo, is a great place to start and will keep hair clean, fresh and at its best. Wash regularly – around three to four times a week is optimal – and follow up with a moisturising conditioner and weekly intensive hair mask. Implementing a good hair care routine will make the world of difference when it comes to achieving that A-lister blow-dry, smoothing the cuticle and taming away frizz to give you the best possible base to work with.
Dry it in sections
When drying your hair, it’s important to do so in sections, as this will help to make sure that your hair lies smooth and straight and retains its shine. Starting from the bottom of the head, divide your hair into small sections of around an inch in width and work your way around the head, then move up to the top layer and do the same, concentrating the heat down the hair shaft to ensure that you get that smooth finish.
Use the cold blast feature
Many people wonder why there is a cold blast feature on their hairdryer – something which very few people actually make use of. However, this feature has been added for a reason, because cold blasts of air are an effective way to set your style in place.
When your hair is almost dry, switch to the cold blast setting and give your locks a final once over to lock in smoothness and shine.
Make the most of hair dryer attachments
Most hair dryers come with a variety of attachments, also known as nozzles, which can be attached to your dryer to help you achieve the desired look, and can make or break the perfect blow-dry.
Although not the same as hot airbrushes, the brush attachment that comes with your professional hair dryer can come in handy when it comes to creating the perfect blow-dry because it allows you to multi-task with just one hand, brushing through the hair and drying it all at once.
A diffuser is an attachment that helps to lower your hair dryer’s air flow intensity, and makes for the ideal add-on for curly hair or wavy hair, taming frizz and encouraging bounce for shiny, healthy-looking curls.
A concentrator, meanwhile, is an attachment that will enable you to concentrate the airflow onto a specific area on your head – giving you a greater amount of control while styling your hair. You should direct the flow of the nozzle from your roots to the ends of your hair if you want to achieve shiny locks, as this will effectively smooth the cuticle.
Don’t forget to make use of your hair dryer holder, too – which will hold your dryer when not in use. For example, if you need to remove a clip from your hair because you are drying it in sections, you can place your hairdryer in the holder until you are ready to pick it up again. Not only is this convenient, but it prevents heat damage in your home, too.
