Getting a new cut and color always feels good, but the flawless blowout has always been my favorite part of a trip to the salon. No matter how hard I tried, I could never achieve that perfect salon blowout at home. That is, I couldn’t until a stylist friend shared her top-secret tips with me. Now that I know how to do a perfect salon blowout at home, I look salon-fresh every day.
1. When I get out of the shower, I apply some detangler and comb through my locks with a wide-tooth comb. Then I let it air-dry for a while before applying a volumizing mousse from roots to tips. I’ve learned that very wet hair dilutes the product and makes it less effective. If you’re concerned about frizz, apply some antifrizz serum just from the mid-length of your hair down to the tips (it will destroy volume and look greasy if applied near the roots).
2. I used to immediately start drying with a round brush, but my stylist clued me in that I was wasting my efforts. Your hair won’t hold a style until it is almost dry (about 80 percent dry), so I start by blow-drying without a brush, using my fingers to comb through and aiming the nozzle downward to keep locks smooth. When I’m not in a big rush, I just let my hair air-dry to 80 percent to avoid excess heat damage.
3. Next, I clip the back of my hair up and dry the front sections with a small round brush (think the size of a nickel). I pull the brush up and back from my hairline to create volume and keep the dryer’s nozzle as close to my hair shaft as possible (but not touching) to create a super smooth, frizz-free style.
4. Now I work my way around the rest of my head, switching to a medium-size round brush (think the size of a quarter). The larger brush works better on the longer hair in back. I start with the bottom third of my hair and work my way up. Work your way through in sections, keeping the rest clipped, to make sure that every strand gets as smooth as possible.
5. At this point, you could be done and you’d look great, but you can also run a straightening iron through your hair for that extra satin finish. When I really want lasting volume, I set my freshly blown-out hair in large Velcro rollers (roll away from the face), and use a blast of heat from my hair dryer to set them before letting them cool and unrolling. A bit of smoothing cream takes care of any slightly frizzy ends, and a touch of hair spray helps lock in the style.
If you follow these easy steps, you can do a perfect salon blowout at home anytime. Remember, working with small sections and using the right brush is key. And remember: don’t waste your time trying to straighten soaking-wet strands.
