10 Tips: The Best Blowout

Is this you? "When my hair is blown dry in the salon, it always looks so healthy and shiny, but when I do it at home, I sometimes end up with a bunch of frizz and hair that looks dried out. Help!" Proper blow drying is gentle on your hair and leaves your hair with bounce and luster. Make sure your dryer has an adjustable temperature (at least, hot, medium & cool) and air stream (at least, high or low). Below are some other tips that will help you get the "salon quality" blow-dry you are look for. Pay special attention to #10...it's one of the best tips and the least used!

1. If at all possible, don't use the high heat settings of your blow-dryer. The air stream should feel comfortable on the back of your hand.
2. Keep your distance! Keep the hair dryer at least 8 inches away from your hair.
3. If your hair is fine you should set the air stream to low. Otherwise, you may end up with tangles in your hair.
4. Blow-dry every individual hair strand from the roots to the ends. This technique provides smooth cuticle layers, which are the basis for healthy, shiny, and well-protected hair.
5. You should keep the blow-dryer moving constantly to avoid applying too much heat in a single spot. We recommend dividing the hair in several portions and securing the strands with large hair clips or grips. Work your way up blow-drying your hair from the neckline to the crown of your head so that you don't hit the same strand of hair multiple times.
6. Most of us have to somehow live with the morning rush. Whenever you must speed up drying your hair use a higher setting for the air stream, not for the heat.
7. Always use a heat protectant. These products help prevent blow-drying damage.
8. Try not to blow-dry your hair immediately after shampooing. Ideally, you should allow your hair to first dry for 15 minutes under a towel turban. This saves effort and also cuts down on the hair exposure to the blow-dryer.
9. The diffuser attachment of your blow-dryer spreads out a more even air stream. This also prevents exposing individual strands of hair to too much heat.
10. Once you are done blow-drying your hair, briefly apply a stream of cool air. This cooling step gives your hair more elasticity.