Blow-Dry Hacks
8 Blow-Drying Hacks For a Perfect Blowout Every Time
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There's a warm and fuzzy feeling you get after walking out of the salon sporting a runway-worthy blowout. With hair as smooth and voluminous as any hair commercial model's, your confidence skyrockets and your mood instantly perks up. But behind the euphoria that comes with a professional, blowout-induced good hair day, you can't help but feel dismay over the fact that it would be borderline rocket science to attempt to re-create the same salon-worthy process at home — well, not exactly.
With that in mind, we figured it wouldn't hurt to seek out an expert for some serious blow-drying hacks. We tapped hairstylist Giovanni Vaccaro, the creative director for Glamsquad, for his best blow-drying tips and tricks for achieving your personalized, perfect hair in a cinch. Read on to find out.
Always Predry Hair
When blow-drying your hair into a sleek blowout, the first step is to always predry the strands with a towel before blasting them with heat. This cuts the styling time in half! Skip combing your hair, and apply the towel by flipping your head upside down, wrapping it around the back of your head, and twisting the fabric around your hair like you would a turban or a head scarf.
Any towel can work for this step, but Vaccaro recommends using one like the Aquis Lisse Luxe Hair Towel ($30). Wear it for about three to five minutes to absorb any excess moisture. Once time is up, you can test to see if this step is finished by removing the towel and squeezing a section of hair in your hand. If little-to-no water drips from those strands, you're all set to comb it out and move on to the next step.
Attach a Nozzle
Attaching a concentrator nozzle to your blow dryer can do wonders for minimizing frizz. The nozzle creates distance between the hair and the lip of the dryer, which is the hottest point of the hair tool. So instead of dispersed air flow hitting your strands from all directions, it concentrates the air flow against the hair.
"Hold the nozzle downward, pointing it down the hair shaft while you blow-dry," Vaccaro explained. By positioning the nozzle in a downward direction against the hair, air flow will be focused on smoothing down the cuticle to minimize frizz.
Section Hair Into 4 Parts
That morning time crunch might leave you with little time for getting dolled up, but you'll get much better results if you don't rush through the blowout process. Taking time to section off your strands before blow-drying will give you a much smoother finish, especially by the root.
"I recommend using alligator clips as they do the best job of gripping your hair so strands don't slide out," Vaccaro explained. "When sectioning hair, wrap it up into four distinct parts — the front, back, and two sides — by twisting the strands up into miniature buns." Once hair is sectioned, release the front portion to style first and go from there.
Start From the Front
The front of your head tends to be where the hair is most challenging thanks to uneven hairlines and hard-to-control cowlicks. So beginning to blow-dry along the front of your face will allow you to focus more time on smoothing out that frizzy hairline before moving on to the rest of the hair.
That's not all; Vaccaro asserts that starting with this section is important because it's the one most visible to others. And unsurprisingly, the first portion of hair that you style is usually the one you put the most effort into. Admit it — we all tend to get lazier toward the end of our styling sesh!
Use the Right-Size Brush
Choose your brush wisely! According to Vaccaro, brushes that are too big (think 3-inch diameter and above) will result in a superstraight outcome, because the hair won't wrap around the ends enough for a curl. On the contrary, smaller brushes (1 1/2 inches to 2 1/2 inches) will add waves to the style because the hair can wrap around the brush tightly, multiple times, while being held against the dryer.
"Bigger brushes are also more efficient, shortening the blowout time because more hair is lifted against the heat at a time," Vaccaro added. However, as a general rule, a 2-inch-diameter brush is universally best for at-home blowouts because it's known to give a similar straightened effect that a 3-inch brush can deliver, without having to sacrifice on the volume or movement that a 1 1/2-inch brush can create.
Lift at the Root For Volume
No surprise here — volume starts at the root. So it's actually your brush technique that will give hair that extra lifted finish. For this step, start off by holding the hair 90 degrees above the crown of the head. Then, keep your chin up and pull a boar-bristle brush up and forward so that the underneath portion of the root is exposed, using the brush like you would a hair roller.
Continuously use the brush to roll your hair up and back, and release the hair in a C shape while drying. This technique will give you a sleek blowout with a subtle wave at the ends and extra volume at the root.
Use the Cool Shot Button
Don't ignore the existence of the cool shot button on your blow dryer. Using it is key for achieving the ultimate shiny finish. End your blowout with a 10-second blast of cool air all over your hair to seal the cuticle, bring out the shine, and minimize frizz.
Pro tip: When pressing the cool shot button, pull your hair away from the face and shake it side to side to ensure your whole head gets exposed to the cool air before letting it fall back into place.
The Finished Look
Once hair has been sectioned, brushed, and blow-dried to perfection, you'll be left with the sleek, wavy blowout pictured. Spritz a flexible-hold hairspray like the Aussie Mega Hairspray ($3) onto the hair to ensure your blowout lasts all day long without giving your waves a hard, crunchy feel.
Dry With a Diffuser
While the sleek blowout is a fan favorite, sometimes it's nice to switch things up and opt for frizz-free ringlets instead. One thing to keep in mind: blow-drying curly hair with a diffuser is vital for avoiding fuzzy, lifeless locks.
For this kind of blowout, first scrunch two to three dollops of your favorite curl-enhancing styling products into the hair and adjust your dryer settings (both heat and power) to medium. This will help avoid damaging or weakening the strands with too-hot settings. Then, take a fistful of hair and lay it on top of the diffuser, pressing the attachment (along with the hair that's sitting on it) up against the scalp to create added volume and to softly dry the curls. Repeat this process until the whole head is dried.
The Finished Look
After a quick session with the diffuser, you'll be left with thick, springy ringlets that would have been impossible to get with a blow dryer alone. In order to keep your curls from becoming frizzy later, be sure to avoid touching your mane during the day. Every time you run your fingers through your hair, you'll unintentionally break the curls apart and create frizz.
