5 Tips for Blow Drying Your Hair at Home

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that there’s nothing like getting a blow dry by your favourite hairdresser (there’s even a National Blow Dry Day). You bounce out of the salon with soft, shiny hair full of volume, oozing with confidence and feeling like a new person. Many people dream of having a personal hairdresser at home so they can have “a good hair day” every single day. Thankfully, even though that’s not possible for most of us, celebrity hairstylist, Michael Douglas, is on a mission to empower people with the tools, knowledge and confidence to style their hair at home so they can have “great hair days” even between salon visits. Washing your hair is an important part of self-care. Read on to discover 5 tips to help you blow dry your hair at home:

Why Blow Dry Your Hair at Home?

I will admit here that I am guilty of letting my hair dry naturally a lot of the time. When I do take the time to blow dry my hair it makes such a difference. There are many advantages of blow-dried hair, including:

It’s faster than waiting for hair to dry naturally
Blow-dried hair has more volume
A blow dry sets your hair in a style, giving a smarter look
Your hairstyle will last longer and you will be able to go longer between hair washes

Things you need to blow dry your hair at home

What You Will Need to Blow Dry Your Hair at Home

A water mist
A good leave-in conditioner heat protection cream
A wide-toothed comb
A blow-dry spray
Hair sectioning clips
A round radial hair brush
A good hairdryer with a concentrated directional nozzle

Take a look at the BLOW hairdryer from mdlondon. First of all, I have to mention how stylish it looks. I love the retro style, it looks beautiful in the home. It’s currently available in three colours, Casal Blue (pictured above), Blush and Olive Green, all Farrow and Ball-inspired hues. If you listen to the wonderful podcast, Making the Cut, hosted by Davina McCall and Michael Douglas, you will know how much attention to detail Douglas has and this comes through in his range.

More importantly, it is a high-quality hairdryer designed with the user in mind. It’s very light, weighing just 360g, which means an end to aching arms while drying your hair. Despite the low weight, it’s still packed full of power. In regards to the shape, the unique T design makes the hairdryer easier to balance too, even while drying the back of the hair. It has a handy good length 3m lead, giving you freedom to move around your hair easily. It’s great for adding bounce and volume and the concentrator nozzle allows your hair to shine. I also love that it’s a lot quieter than ordinary hair dryers so you can still listen to podcasts or music while you dry your hair. But of course, even with the best tools of the trade, there is a technique needed to achieve a professional blow dry. Keep reading for tips.

1. Towel Dry First

After washing your hair, towel dry it within five minutes. Don’t spend too long with a towel wrapped around your head (another of my guilty habits), as it may cause your hair to dry in a strange way. If this does happen, use a water mist to wet the hair down again. Comb through wet hair with a wide tooth comb.

2. Apply Leave-in Conditioner Heat Protection Cream and Blow Dry Spray

Next, apply a leave-in conditioner heat protection cream. This will make your hair soft and shiny. Then, spray some blow-dry spray on the roots and throughout your hair for added volume and to give hold.

3. Section Your Hair

Don’t try and dry all your hair at once. Follow the techniques of the professionals and clip your hair out of the way to dry in small sections,

4. Use a Round Radial Hair Brush

Use a round radial hair brush, the tapered end can be used to help divide the hair into sections. Wrap a section of hair around the brush and slowly move the brush down as you dry this part. Remove the heat but keep the hair around the brush until it cools.

5. Use a Concentrator Nozzle and Point Downwards

The best tip to get a smooth and shiny blow dry is to use a concentrator nozzle and make sure you are pointing downwards on your hair shaft as you dry. This will smooth the little fine hairs down and ensure a frizz-free finish. Hold your hair out as you dry it and dry it forwards for volume (watch the video tutorial below to see this in action). Remember low heat and medium speed will achieve the best result.