How to Blow Dry Hair at Home – Every Girl’s Guide

Nothing can beat the feeling of stepping out with bouncy soft curls after a blow dry at the salon. You feel more beautiful and ready to take over the world. But it’s almost impossible to get the same results at home. So, here we tell you how to blow dry hair at home, what to use before blow drying hair and mistakes to avoid.

In this post, we cover:
1. What to use before blow drying hair
2. How to blow dry hair at home
3. Mistakes to avoid when you blow dry hair
4. Best blow dryers in India and their prices

What to Use Before Blow Drying Hair

As blow drying hair includes a lot of heat styling, it’s important to ensure your hair are protected. You can apply a hair cream before blow dry or try this homemade preparation. This spray will work like a charm, even better than the best blow dry creams available in the market. This step is even more important if you plan to blow dry frizzy hair.

How to make heat protection hair spray

Ingredients (for medium-length hair):

Shea butter 2 spoons
Grapeseed oil: 1 tablespoon
Aloe vera gel: 2 spoons
Water: depends on your hair length
Tea tree oil: couple of drops to moisturise your hair
Corn starch: 1 tablespoon

Process:
1. Mix shea butter, grapeseed oil and aloe vera gel
2. Add water and mix well
3. Add tea tree oil and corn starch to the mix
4. Transfer this liquid in a spray bottle
5. Spray this liquid on your wet hair and then use a blow dryer to style them.

You will see the difference in your hair instantly! Your hair will be more nourished and manageable, without feeling dry. Plus, they will smell great through the day!

[Also Read: Benefits of Shea Butter]

How to Blow Dry Hair At Home

If you are new to the art of blow drying hair at home, here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Wash Your Hair
   You may think that hair wash is not part of the “perfect blow-dry routine” but it is. Clean hair is easier to style and looks great after a blow dry. You can use regular shampoo to wash your hair but we suggest that you choose a moisturising shampoo. It will add some moisture to the hair and protect it from the drying effects of heat. Right moisture levels will also make your hair look healthy and shiny. Do not buy an expensive shampoo, just find a formula that works for your hair type. Follow it up with a conditioner to lock the moisture. Make sure you wash your hair properly.
2. Let Your Hair Dry Naturally Until it is at Least 70% Dry.
   Your hair is more prone to damage when it is wet. Therefore, do not rub with a towel harshly or start using the dryer immediately. Instead, gently cover your hair with a towel or an old T-shirt and squeeze out excess water. If you have short hair, wrap the towel/T-shirt around your head. Then, remove the towel and let it air dry. You can use a leave-in conditioner to smooth out your hair and then leave it until it is at least 60% dry. Apply the heat protection hair spray on your hair.
3. Divide Your Hair into Small Sections.
   Untangle your hair and then divide them into small sections as per their length and thickness. Remember, the bigger the section is, the longer it will take to dry. Use clips to separate the sections and work with one side of the hair completely before moving to the other. This will allow you to do your blow dry at home easily.
4. Start with the Lower Sections.
   A lot of us don’t know how to use a hair dryer to style hair. we just set it to the highest temperature and run it all over our hair with a round brush. This serves no purpose as the hair is exposed to a lot of heat and do not get styled properly. Blow dry your hair gently and maintain the right distance to make sure that it stays healthy even if you style it often. Start near the base of the neck and work in small sections. If you prefer, you can use clips to separate the sections.
5. Go from Roots to Tips.
   Always start from the top section and keep the blow dryer 15 cm away from the scalp to blow dry hair. Hold the brush at 45 degree angle from the scalp and start brushing the hair, running the dryer along the length of the hair with the brush. Curl at the bottom and hold the dryer for a few seconds before moving on to the next section. A thick round brush is ideal for salon-like blow dry at home but you can also use a comb.
6. Treat it with Cold Air and Finish with a Hair Spray
   Give your hair a treat of cold air to lock in the shine. Run your fingers through your hair to blend the sections. You can also apply an anti-frizz serum or moisturiser to make them appear shiny. If you want straight ends then you can use a flat iron. If you like the curly blow dry, skip the flat iron.

If you follow these steps properly, you will be able to get amazing results from blow dry at home. The blow dryer price you pay will turn out be a great investment since it will cost you for less than the price of 4 blow-dry sessions at the salon.

[Also Read: How To Do Hair Spa At Home]

 

7 Mistakes to Avoid When You Blow Dry Hair

Mistake # 1: Wet hair
Make sure your hair are 65%-70% dry at the time when you start blow drying your hair. Start by towel (or t-shirt) drying, use your hands to untangle and then a brush.

Mistake # 2: You are starting from the wrong end
Don’t wrap your hair around the brush and the use a blow dryer. This blow dry technique is ineffective and takes double the time to get any results. Instead work your round brush from roots to ends. And then back to the roots while keeping your hair dryer focused on your hairline and roots.

Mistake # 3: You are using the wrong brush
Use a big brush to get smoother hair. Avoid round brushes that have metal in the middle as they get very hot and damage the hair. If you already have frizzy or dry hair, best to go for traditional brushes.

Mistake # 4: You are not using the blow dryer’s nozzle
Nozzle is the attachment that comes with every blow dryer. We often forget about it and never use it but that’s where we are wrong. A nozzle helps direct the heat in one area, leaving you with smooth shiny hair.

Mistake # 5: You are not getting volume
To get salon blow dry at home, use your hands to comb your roots and then blow dry. This is an important step if you want add oomph and volume to hair while blow drying.

Mistake # 6: Rushing it and not letting hair set
When blow drying your hair, let the hair strands cool off on the brush. If you will jump to next section quickly, your hair won’t set properly. To get the salon blow dry at home, let your cool down on the brush and then move to the next section.

Mistake # 7: You are not using the after blow-dry spray correctly
Every blow-dry session ends with a hair setter spray being applied. The problem is when we do this at home, we go overboard and spray a lot of product. Using a lot of hair setter spray spoils the look and reduces volume. For voluminous look, apply the spray very little, and only on the roots. If you will apply it on the ends, the hair will fall flat. Also, apply from some distance to allow for even distribution.

 

Last Words on How to Blow Dry Hair at Home

Drying hair seems like such an easy thing to do, and yet you could damage your hair if you don’t do it right. Here are common questions and doubt around how to use hairdryer properly, tips on how to dry hair fast, and more:

Can you blow dry dry hair?

You can cause damage by using a hair dryer on dry hair because of the excess heat. If you want to dry out blow dry styles, either spray your hair with some water, or a heat-resistant spray before you begin using the hair dryer.

How to straighten hair with a hair dryer?

You will need a hair dry with it’s nozzle, a wide toothed comb, a circular brush, and some hair serum to blowdry hair straight.

• First, wash your hair with an anti-frizz shampoo and conditioner. Wrap your hair in a towel or old t-shirt to get rid of excess water. Do not wring it dry or twist into a bun since this would make it frizzy.
• Next, apply some anti-heat serum or a leave-in conditioner to protect your hair cuticles from the hair dryer’s heat. Use a wide-toothed comb to evenly spread out the serum.
• Start blow drying hair using your fingers (don’t use a brush at this stage!) to dry 80% of your hair, leaving it damp, but not wet.
• Divide your hair into sections. Secure the top layers atop your head using a clip, or make a ponytail.
• Starting with the lower sections, take a section of hair and drape it over the brush, keeping it close to your head. You should be able to feel the bristles touching your head. This will also help you pull the hair tight and straight while drying it, which is the key to straighten hair with blow dryer.
• Pull your hair with brush keeping your hair straight. Keeping the heat at medium, angle the nozzle where it runs down the shaft or the length of your hair and away from your roots – this is extremely important. Dry it in the direction of root to tip. This keeps your hair cuticle closed and protected, preventing frizz. You may need to repeat the process 2-3 times.
• Slowly work your way through all the sections.
• Once you are done, blow dry with cool air to keep your hair straight for long. Apply some more serum to finish.

 

What is the fastest way to blow dry your hair?

Steps to make your hair dry faster include wrapping wet hair in a towel or an old t-shirt to soak up all the water; Rough-drying hair with a blow dryer on low heat and fingers till it’s 80% dry, and drying your hair in sections.

 

Does blow drying your hair with cold air damage it?

No, because cold air or natural air actually helps set your hair. It would be wrong to call the lowest setting on the hair dryer as ‘cold air’ since, even though it is cooler than the other settings, it is still warm air. When using a hair dryer, always keep it at a distance of a minimum 5 inches.

 

Best Blow Dryers In India And Their Prices

Instead of searching tips on how to blow dry your hair, try to first find a good blow dryer. No technique is going to give you an amazing blow dry if you do not have a good blow dryer. You need not invest in an expensive piece since some of the best blow dryer models are affordable. However, if you want to buy one, you may get overwhelmed with all the options available to you. Do not panic, we are here to help you find the best blow dryer in budget.

Here are the top 5 blow dryers in India with prices:

Hair Dryer Brand	Hair Dryer Features	Hair Dryer Price
Philips Hair Dryer: HP8100-06	•  1000W of power •  ‘Thermo Protect’ feature for extra heat protection of hair •  Thin concentrator offers better air flow •  Storing hook for easy storage	Rs 845
Panasonic Hair Dryer: EH-ND12P	• 3 different temperature and speed settings • ‘Healthy Mode’ for damage-free and perfect drying • Cool-air selection for locking your blow dry hairstyle	Rs 995
Nova Hair Dryer: NHD 2806 1200W (Foldable)	• Advanced overheat protection with ionic conditioning • Compact design • 2 heat settings	Rs 995
Havells Hair Dryer: HD3151	• Dual-protection against overheating • Fast and gentle drying at 1200W • Removable concentrator for a focused flow of air • Travel-friendly design	Rs 1,195
Vega Professional Hair Dryer: VHDP-02	• 2-speed heat settings • Detachable end cap for easy clean-up • Resistant to damage	Rs 2,499

 

The most important thing before you start blow drying your hair is to know your hair type. If you have curly hair, you may have to add moisture at each step right from shampoo up to the blow dry so that your hair does not get frizzy. Always use a heat protectant spray (like the recipe we shared above) or hair cream before blow dry to create a physical barrier to protect your hair from heat damage.