Violet is my cousin and future beauty consultant!
Salon styled hair is hard to beat, but with a these easy steps and some practice, you can look like you just paid a personal stylist to blow your hair out.
- Product. Use a product that is made for what you want (lift, smoothing, etc...) Be careful with hair type. Really assess what you have and pick the product closest to your hair type. If you have fairly normal hair there's no reason to use products that are made for dry, damaged hair. It'll be too heavy.
- Unless your using a root lifter, there's no reason to put a styling product on the roots of your hair. It'll only make it look greasy. Start on mids to ends and work upward so that when you reach your scalp the product in your hands is almost gone.
- With the guard attachment on your blow dryer turn your head upside down and start drying the roots for some lift. (The guard on the dryer protects your hair from the hot coils.)
- After your roots are dry, flip your head back up and dry the rest using your hands or a paddle brush
- If you have bangs or pieces around your face you can start to shape them to the side, middle, etc..
- For a middle part brush the front section of your hair to one side and blow dry pointing nozzle in that direction, then to the opposite side. Do this motion back and forth a few times. It knocks out any kinks or cowlicks you may have. After a few passes grab that front section of hair and wrap in a round brush. Dry hair by pulling it up and forward away from your face with the nozzle of your blow dryer on top of the round brush facing down. This will create nice lift and then you can push both sides into a middle part.
- For a side part, dry in the opposite direction that you want the pieces to go. Then pick up the hair and wrap in a round brush in the direction you want the pieces to lay. Blow dry with nozzle pointing in the same direction sweeping your hair to the desired side.
- After the front is done you are going to section your hair across the top (think mohawk) and clip in a small bun out of the way. Dry the rest of your hair in small sections around your head with a round brush. The direction is down and under keeping blow dryer nozzle facing down.
- Last separate the mohawk into 3 sections. Dry each section by wrapping it around a round brush and twisting down to your scalp. Dry until hot, then hit it with the cool button until cool and slide brush out of hair in the direction you are working The back section and middle section you are going to blow dry back. The front section (think temples and back a few inches) blow dry forward.
- If you need frizz control or shine use a very small amount of product and apply to ends and mids avoiding scalp. Part hair where you want it and use hair spray to shape and hold.
- The cool shot button on your blow dryer is absolutely your friend! Use it to cool down the hair while still wrapped in your round brush. The heat of the dryer molds hair. The cool shot locks in the shape and adds shine.For smoother looking hair always point nozzle of the blow dryer downward. For example...If you wrap your hair in a round brush the blow dryer position should be on top of the brush pointing down. If it's under the brush and pointing up, you're drying the hair in the opposite direction that you want it to lay and your making a tangled mess in the process.
- Use the guard the dryer came with. If you don't the hot coils are laying on your hair and your burning it. It'll eventually break off.
- Don't get discouraged if you feel like you're not good at this. Doing your own hair is a ton harder than working on someone else. And don't feel like you have to be coordinated like a professional. If you have to put the blow dryer down for a section while you get your hair situated that's totally fine. Keep practicing it'll click!!
- I love the Chi Pro blow dryer (about $90). You don't need a turbo and anything too fancy. Those are made for salon use and drying hair all day everyday. It's too much for basic home use and they usually cost a ton more.
photo credit:
chi pro blow dryer: http://www.farouk.com
cousin V: Melissa Clark
