Since I’m very busy this week (much to the disappointment of my tween who is on Fall Break, but she is being a really good sport), I am running an older post that was wildly popular with our readers. We have a lot of new subscribers (woo hoo and welcome), so here is a post written by professional hair stylist, Angelic Papadakis, my longtime professional hair stylist in Tempe, on how to do a professional blow out on your own hair. I’m actually going to her tomorrow for a good blow out before I take on several freelance TV shoots that I have over the next three days. Take a look and give it a try because we gals love a good hair blow out….
Angelic says:
1. The first mistake a lot of gals make when blow drying their mane is that they start too soon. If hair is soaking wet, it takes double the time to blow it straight and by the time the hair really starts to get dry, most women tire of the job and their arms get sore. So we shut off the dryer, even though the hair isn’t completely dry, and that doesn’t work. Your hair must be damp, not soaking wet before you fire up the blow dryer. Here is a picture that demonstrates how Rachel’s hair isn’t soaking wet, but has dried some before we start to blow her hair out…
So be patient, towel dry your hair, apply some of your makeup and then start the drying process after your hair has air-dried a bit. Damp is the key word, not soaking wet.
2. Buy some clips to section your hair. This may feel tedious, but it makes all the difference because you will really be able to get each section bone dry before you move on to the next part. Here is a picture that shows how to section…
- Notice that one section of hair is down for the blow dryer and everything else is pinned up.
3. Use the right kind of brush, but note…in the picture above, I’m using a round brush, which gives great results, but if you are giving yourself a blowout, I recommend a flat brush. It is easier to work with and won’t get caught in your hair like a round brush can do, especially when you are working with the back of your head that you can’t see! So don’t feel silly if you have found your round brush tangled in your mane. It has happened to most of us gals!
4. Make sure the hair is completely dry before you do anything else like using a flat iron. It really is this simple. Trying to blow out soaking wet hair, not sectioning and using the wrong brush are all mistakes that mess up your blowout.
And here is the finished result….it looks good and will last Rachel (with a quick morning touch-up) a couple of days…
Thanks Ang for sharing your tips. I love that they are simple to remember and easy to follow. What blowout tricks do you use to dry your hair? Share here in the comments section because we busy gals want to know how to leave the house looking styled and managed in our manic world!
About Angelic:
Angelic Papadakis, Professional & Independent Hair Stylist
Angelic has been a stylist in the Valley of the Sun for more than 15 years. Specializing in precision cuts and color, Angelic has been Rachel’s personal stylist for many years and is always on the cutting edge of hair styling and design. Call 602-321-7005 to schedule an appointment with Angelic.
I agree with not blow drying from soaking wet. It also can be bad for your hair to dry it that long. I blast dry my hair upside down for a bit to get it to where it’s damp and then work in sections like Angelic does. I love using a round brush with boars bristles because then I can curl the ends under if I want. When I’m done, if I notice a little frizz I’ll put a tiny bit of shine serum in my hand and rub it together than gently work it through the ends only so it doesn’t take away the volume at the crown. I have the nastiest natural curl known to man so blowouts are a way of life for me.
Blowing upside down helps to give more volume, too. Thanks for your tips, Julie!