Blow-drying hair is an easy thing to do at home, right? Wishful thinking. There’s a big difference between a good blow-dry and a bad one. Here are 10 common mistakes you are probably making at home. With a few tweaks to your method could be blow-drying more like a professional in no time.
1. Not Shampooing Hair First
Kylie, who owns The Gallery of Hair says you actually have to shampoo your hair twice. “The first wash removes excess oil in the hair and the second wash removes excess particles in the hair”. She recommends washing hair every two to three days and using the correct shampoo for your hair type.
2. The Conditioner Rush-Job
When we’re preparing to go out and we’re in a rush, putting conditioner on our hair can be a hasty after-thought randomly applied. “Think of hair like fish scales. Leave it on between one and five minutes to give it a chance to penetrate the hair. Conditioner closes the pores down for a smoother result. Always comb hair right through to the ends for an even distribution of conditioner. Combing makes sure the conditioner reaches right to those hair ends”, Kylie says.
3. The Infamous Hair Tussle
It might look good in the movies, but to get out of the shower and use the towel with both hands to tussle and dry hair is a big no-no. “Put a towel around your hair and squeeze it and pat your hair down. It keeps a good amount of moisture in your hair for the best result”.
4. A Quick Job is a Good Job
Allow more time for blow drying your hair than you think. Just like house painting, preparation is key. “Comb your hair right down to the ends for a good foundation. it has to be smooth and no knots to get the best blow-dry”.
5. Put Hair Product As Final Touch
“Always use mousse and make sure the product is taken right down to the hair ends. It ensures your hair result is full of shine, volume and moisture”, Kylie’s favourite mousse is La Biothetique Volume Mousse. Label M is Kylie’s preferred relaxing balm for hair ends.
6.Blow Straight From Each Side
Take your time to section the hair and hold the bulk of the hair up with the clip or hair band. You’ll need someone else to do the back section of your hair, the best scenario is using a trained professional, but if you’re stuck somewhere and you need a blow-dry in a hurry get your buddy to section your hair. Kylie says “Always start from the bottom section. You can do more sections further up, make sure each section is precise (a precise line), it ensures a smooth blow-dry”. It depends on the texture of your hair but provided all the tips have come into play your blow-dry is heading in a great direction.
7. Your Dryer Nozzle is Still in the Box
Get the nozzle out and put in on your hair dryer, it plays a very important role in the success of the blow-dry. “Always use the nozzle, otherwise hair blows everywhere. Don’t hold it so close to the hair that it burns the hair either”, Kylie cautions. The nozzle will direct air where it best needs to go, if held vertically, that’s why it is so difficult to do a great blow-dry yourself.
8. Comb, Brush, Fingers…It All Works
A good quality brush can mean the difference between stay or sway. Kylie recommends using ” A smaller brush for more control, pulling the hair to make it straight eliminates frizz. A bigger brush gives more body”. The pressure on the brush should be quite firm, particularly if hair is curly.
9. Dry Blow-drys Work Too
Moisture is another key aspect to maximising a great result. The hair should be dried from quite wet to completely dry. “If your hair dries mid-way you can rehydrate it it with a water spray bottle”.
10. Waiting Till Fly Away Hair Grows Out
Don’t go out looking like a chicken with ruffled feathers on top, control fly away hair using hair spray. Kylie advises flattening the fly away pieces down with a hand straight after applying a little hair spray. Kylie uses Formule Laque. Her favourite finishing product is Label M’s Rejuvenating Radiance Oil. Just by rubbing a small pearl size amount between the hands and combing through the whole hair with the fingers, the blow-dry will stay beautiful for longer.
When All Else Fails…
As much as we can try to replicate the hair salon experience at home, nothing beats getting a professional hair stylist to do an unbeatable blow dry. Going regularly or even once in a while to a salon, the hair dresser gets to know the strengths and foibles of your particular hair , part of the service is to recommend products to get the best results for you that might be very different to the client who walks in after you.
Why La Biothetique and Label M?
After four years using these two brands at The Gallery of Hair, Kylie’s recommendations come naturally. ” These two products give me the results I’m looking for, they are two brands that are constantly evolving, there’s lots of ongoing education so we know the products back to front. The results speak for themselves and the team from both brands are passionate about the products and easy to deal with.
Gone are the days you’ve forgotten to make a hair appointment and the salon is long closed. Gallery of Hair has an easy online booking system you can access from your home in the middle of the night or while you’re on holidays when you first spot your roots coming through. Walk off the plane and walk straight into your appointment using this system. You can add services and request particular hair stylists.
Feel free to share tips from this article and if you’re not sure which hair dryer is right for your hair do your research, buy it once and buy well.
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