Have you ever returned from the hair salon with a fresh haircut and blowout, only for your hair to fall flat once you've styled it yourself? It turns out that to keep that polished look, you need to know how to blow dry your hair at home. Maybe you've invested in a good blow dryer (which is great!), but recreating a salon-worthy ‘do is a little more complicated than breaking out your new toy.
Ree Drummond knows a thing or two about how to blow dry hair: She almost always styles her hair at home using the Dyson Blow Dryer, even for her show The Pioneer Woman (she doesn't like to wake up an hour earlier to have it done!). When Ree does gets her hair done, she turns to her stylist, Amber Southern, for a polished look, who has some great at-home blowout tips.
Amber uses the “prep, style, finish” method for her clients, meaning she’ll apply a heat protectant, style hair with a round brush and product, then finish off locks with a pomade or hairspray. While you might have to add a few more steps to your routine, your hairstyle will last longer. “If you do the work in the beginning, you can just touch up your hair with hot tools later,” Amber says. From prepping your locks to preserving your hairstyle, here's a step-by-step guide for blow drying your hair at home. Use these tips to create a shiny, smooth look for any hair cut or color, whether it's a feisty red hair color like Ree, a pretty brown hair color, or a stunning gray hair color.
1. Choose a blow dryer.
Amber recommends a blow dryer with at least 1850 watts for maximum airflow; she also prefers a lightweight model so it doesn’t hurt your arms! Check out some of her favorites below.
Best Blow-Dryers
2. Prep your hair.
Towel-dry your hair as best as you can—if your hair is soaking wet, "you're wasting your shoulder muscles," Amber jokes. Comb a heat protectant through damp hair. If you have curly hair, you might consider using a detangling cream in the shower like the Living Proof Perfect Hair Day In-Shower Styler.
Best Heat Protectants
3. Power-dry your hair.
Lift your hair up from the roots and begin drying, using a paddle brush like the Paul Mitchell Pro Tools 427 one. Leaf through your hair with your fingers as you dry, getting air flow in between all the strands; use the brush vertically to detangle your hair and horizontally to smooth out any kinks.
4. Add any styling products.
When your hair is about 60% dry, add a styling product; apply to hair with your fingers and comb through.
Best Styling Products
5. Break out your round brush.
Divide your hair into four sections—you can use clip-ins like the ones from Kristen Ess. Working in sections, bring out a round brush and start shaping your hair (The larger the diameter of the brush, the more volume you're going to get). Wrap a one-inch piece of hair around the brush, flip up and under, and run the nozzle of the blow dryer down your hair shaft, pulling taut as you go. Repeat with the other sections.
Amber loves the Olivia Garden brush, which comes in various sizes, for a blown-out look. But if you want a sleek style, just continue using the paddle brush for this step.
6. Add a final touch.
Set your style with a finishing product like a hairspray or pomade. Amber swears by the products below.
Best Finishing Products
7. Protect your 'do!
Sleep with your hair in a top-loose bun so you don't flatten your style. Salon hair achieved!
Audrey is the assistant editor at Food Network Magazine and The Pioneer Woman Magazine.
