5 blow-dry steps you should never skip

Blow-dry
(Image credit: IMAXtree)

Salon-level results at home

You probably blow-dry your hair a couple of times a week but, be honest, how many times do the results fall flat (pun intended)? Blow-drying your hair is a lot like attempting a crème brulee – too much heat too fast and you end with a burnt mess. That’s why we tapped hair stylists Nick Latham and Sean Nother – aka The Hair Bros – who can be found at the Knightsbridge outpost of Hershesons in Harvey Nichols for their simple techniques to beef up fine hair and wean you off other hot tools. (Yes, even the best hair straighteners can't do the job of a great hair dryer.) Your hair will thank you…

Step one – Do the prep

Brush wet hair with a mason brush.

Hershesons Mixed Bristle Oval Bristle Brush, £24

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Using the right product pre blow-dry will also save your ends from breakage and make the volume last longer. Remember to always use heat protection.

Hershesons Almost Everything Cream, £10

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And choose root-boosting sprays as they are lightweight and won't leave behind a sticky residue.

Kerastase Resistance Volumique Spray, £23.80

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Philip Kingsley Maximiser Root Boosting Spray, £18, John Lewis

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Step two – Rough-dry hair

Rough-dry strands with a hair dryer until it's 90% dry. Then you can start sectioning it and styling it. This will cut down your blow-dry time and means you should only have to go over each section once or twice with a brush. Another bonus? You use less heat on each section so hair won’t fall flat or get annoying flyaways.

Step three – Blow-dry in sections

Always blow-dry your hair from the front to the back, starting with the hairline and crown as they’re the most visible. Do it the other way around and by the time you get to the front section, it will be dry and harder to smooth down.

Step four - Blow-dry in the opposite direction

Sweep your hair forward, brushing down the hair shaft to smooth the cuticles. Bend strands around a large round brush when taking the heat through the ends. Repeat throughout the lower layers then comb your hair back. By blow-drying your roots in the opposite direction you give them extra volume.

Hershesons Ceramic Ion Brush Large, £30

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Step 5: Use your ears to create waves

Finally, part your hair as usual and tuck it behind your ears. Better yet, do it when your hair is still warm. Your ears are the perfect height to give you the same face-framing kinks you see on the red carpet.

Fiona Embleton

Fiona Embleton has been a beauty editor for over 10 years, writing and editing beauty copy and testing over 10,000 products. She has previously worked for magazines like Marie Claire, Stylist, Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health. Beauty journalism allowed her to marry up her first class degree in English Literature and Language (she’s a stickler for grammar and a self-confessed ingredients geek) with a passion for make-up and skincare, photography and catwalk trends.