Nothing beats the feeling of jubilation you receive as you first step out of the salon, ready to showcase your freshly tendered hair to your social circle and beyond. Whether it be for a social event or work engagement, we all love to indulge in a session at the salon – but our home and work commitments mean this isn’t always practical. That’s why learning how to achieve the salon blow-dry at home is an essential money saver that will ensure your hair stays styled for hours.
Whether you want to add some extra volume to hair that is lacking lift or want to create a power hold for a special event, the perfect blow-out is your new best friend. Hair maestro Asgar Saboo, who has styled a broad range of A-list personalities such as Cindy Crawford, Eva Longoria, Katrina Kaif and Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan, is here to share his top tips on how to achieve the perfect blow-out that will leave you looking and feeling like you have just stepped out the salon
Pre-Dry
Pre-drying your hair makes it much easier to manage later on. Towel dry your hair then detangle with a wide-toothed comb to minimise breakage.
Prep
In achieving the perfect blow dry, preparation is key! Smooth over towel-dried hair with a small amount of serum or natural oil, such as coconut or argan oil, ensuring you use on the mid to ends of your hair to avoid greasiness. For curly hair, the trick is to ensure the curls remain constructed, so add a volume enhancing mousse or curl enhancing product to set them. Finally, brush through again with a wide-toothed comb to spread the product evenly. Add a heat protection spray to dry or damaged hair.
Section
For particularly thick hair, sectioning it will make the process of drying a lot easier and quicker. Start by creating a horizontal parting along the back of your hair and fasten the top section of hair out of the way. Drying the bottom layers first will ensure all the hair is dried thoroughly.
Dry
The perfect blow-dry is about focusing the direction of the hair when it is drying. For this, it is best to use the concentrator nozzle of your hairdryer. Using a barrel brush, take a small section of hair and lay the top end over the brush. With the hairdryer on high heat but medium power, hold it adjacent to the hair and pull along the brush. Curl the brush under slightly when you reach the end of the hair to ensure it falls with a soft finish. For curly hair, using a brush will cause the look of frizziness so it is best to dry by scrunching and holding your hair under the heat.
Volume
The volumising mousse will have already added some va va voom to your hair but if you are looking for extra volume, Velcro rollers are a perfect way of naturally lifting and curling your hair. Focusing on the top layers, particularly for thicker hair, separate individual sections and place the roller at the roots underneath your hair. Pull the roller along the hair and when you reach the ends, roll it back under itself to the scalp. Fasten the roller onto your head with a grip and secure with a medium hold spray. Once you have secured all the rollers, give a final spray and warm gently using a low setting on the hairdryer.
Finish With Finesse
Now your hair is beautifully prepped and dried, the final steps allow you to polish the look as much or as little as you like. For a bouncy blow dry, remove the rollers and shake your hair gently but be wary of running your fingers through the curls as this can cause the look of frizziness. Position your hair around your shoulders to beautifully frame your face. For a sleek and sultry style, carefully brush through the hair with a paddle brush to eliminate stray hairs and give a soft finish. Finish with a spritz of shine serum and spray to hold.
