We all want that ‘blow dried at the salon’ look without the time and expense of visiting the salon. But the right tools and know-how can give you the salon finish you’re after at a fraction of the cost.
Start With the Right Hair Tools
A few tools of the hairdressing trade can help achieve the result you’re looking for.
A Ceramic Barrel Brush
If you’re going to blow dry your hair properly, you’ll need a brush that’s up for the job. Many plastic handle brushes aren’t heat resistant and won’t cope with being used under a hot hair dryer.
Don’t attempt to blow dry hair straight unless you have a barrel brush. For the best results you need a round brush with a ceramic barrel. Ceramic offers several benefits over other materials. The heat of the hair dryer quickly warms the barrel so hair is being dried by both the hair dryer and also the brush to cut down your blow drying time. As well as allowing you to hit the snooze button in the morning, a faster blow dry reduces the risk of damage to your hair.
Ceramic heats up quickly and evenly due to the emission of negative ions. These negative ions break down water particles, which also helps speed up drying time. The ions have the added benefit of sealing the hair cuticle and neutralising static for a smooth, frizz-free look.
Round ceramic brushes have vents at the base of the bristles which allows the hot air to pass through. Good quality ceramic brushes also have a pick at the end of the handle to quickly separate hair to allow you to dry it in sections.
The Ugly Swan Ceramic Brushes come in two sizes. The Large Thermal Ceramic Barrel Brush has a 53mm barrel which is ideal for blow drying longer, thicker hair. The soft-tip pins are also slightly longer on the large brush to cope with volume of hair. The Small Thermal Ceramic Barrel Brush has a 33mm barrel which is ideal for blow drying short hair and children’s hair.
Hair Dryer
A hair dryer with multiple settings allows you to use a lower setting for drying off the hair while a high setting is needed to shape and style hair. Not everyone uses the removable nozzle on the hairdryer but it’s helpful in keeping the hair a safe distance from the heat and for directing the hot air to one area of the head.
Hair Clips
Hairdressers use large clips to hold the hair while cutting and may use them again for sectioning the hair while blow drying. Hair clips are handyl at home for sectioning hair while drying particularly if you have thick hair which can’t be styled properly unless it’s blow dried in layers.
The Right Blow Drying Technique
Follow our step by step guide for blow drying your hair.
Step #1 Towel Dry
Gently towel dry or wrap your hair in a Unicorn Microfibre Hair Towel after washing. Our microfibre hair towel wraps dry your hair five times faster than cotton wraps. If you aren’t towel drying your hair, skip ahead to the next step.
Step #2 Brush & Dry Off
Use a Scream-Free Detangling Hair Brush to remove any knots or tangles without tugging or pulling out hair. Our brushes are safe to use on wet hair as they don’t break or stretch the hair shaft. Set the hair dryer to medium heat and dry off your hair until it’s about 80% dry.
Step #3 Section Hair
For the best blow drying result, you’ll need to dry your hair in sections. Use your fingers or grab your Ceramic Barrel Brush and use the pick on the end of the handle to section off the front and crown and clip it on top of your head. Next section off the horizontal mid section of your hair and clip it up so it’s also out of the way. You’re now left with a thinner layer of hair around the nape of your neck.
Step #4 Blow Drying
Turn on your hairdryer and choose a heat setting that’s not too hot for your hair. People with thin hair should choose a cooler setting than those with thick hair. Take a section of hair that’s not wider than the brush and start blow drying at the roots to add volume and dry as you pull the brush slowly through the length of your hair. Move around your head, drying sections of hair at a time.
Step #5 Styling
If you’re styling the ends by curling them under, roll the hair around the brush and dry. For a straight finish, pull the brush straight through your hair as you dry the ends. Once the bottom layers of your hair are dry, unclip the middle section. Again you want to dry your hair in sections not wider than your brush. Start by lifting the hair at the roots which take longer to dry than the ends. Blow dry the roots away from your head to give your hair volume. Keep the hair dryer close to the hair to reduce drying time as you slowly move the brush through the length of your hair.
Step #6 Final Touches
Finish by blow drying the hair around your forehead and crown. Lift the hair up and blow dry the roots for maximum volume. Turn off the hair dryer. Part your hair and give your hair a final brush or use your fingers to comb your hair into place.
Skip out the door knowing your hair looks amazing and you spent next to nothing getting a salon quality, bouncy blow-out that will last for days.
If you have any questions about our Ceramic Barrel Brushes, don’t hesitate to contact us.