Well, many people say the best blowouts happen in the salon. That's almost true when you think of the feather-soft finish, gentle bend and healthy shine that last for days because you let a professional do it for you. But what if you could get this bouncy and polished look right from your bathroom, would you jump right in? This isn't another salon fantasy; it's a practical technique using a blowout blow dryer, and many people have been ticking this off their checklist for a while now.
What Is a Blowout?
Before you even turn on your blow dryer, what is a blowout? A blowout is a bouncy, voluminous hairstyle that can be achieved with just a blow dryer and a hairbrush. While a blow dryer can help you blow dry your hair, blowouts are different. This tells you that achieving perfect blowouts isn't about tools, the process matters as well.
Surprisingly, blowouts are not as complicated as they're often made out to be - whether you're in a salon or doing it yourself at home. After a blowout, you don't need to reach for a straightener or curler. This makes it one of the gentler styling options and honestly, it does more than just style the hair.
Salon blowouts don't leave you, you leave with your head a little taller and hair that seems to be in good condition. But what if you didn't have to book, queue or wait? First, you need a blowout blow dryer (because not all blow dryers can give you a perfect blowout) and the right approach.
Tools to Gather for DIY Blowout at Home
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Shampoo and conditioner
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Heat protectant
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Round brush and a wide tooth comb
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Blowout hair dryer
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Hair clips
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Hair shine spray or texturising spray
How to Do a Blowout at Home
Salon visits are quite expensive and each one does a number on your hair. Any DIY technique gives you more control over what goes on your hair, and that's what a DIY blowout is all about—aside from saving money and time.
Say you left the salon with a bouncy, perfect blowout, then wash your hair once and it's all gone. That's usually when many people realise that a basic at-home blowout is a skill worth having. Don't worry, we're here to make the process simple.
Step 1: Prep Your Hair
The best blowouts don't just happen. For instance, how you prepare your hair determines the outcome you get. Professionals would normally wash the hair and condition it using a quality shampoo and conditioner. GK Hair Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner are the best you can trust for this process thanks to its formulation with a unique protein (Juvexin) and other plant-based ingredients. Once that is done, you can rest assured that your hair is free of dirt and products.
Your scalp doesn't need to feel stripped to be clean, which is why sulphate-free shampoos are the better option. If your hair is naturally fine, volumising products can make it look fuller without weighing it down.
Start by washing your hair as usual, then gently press out excess water. Apply conditioner to your hair, but keep it slightly away from the roots so you don't lose lift. Then, apply your GK Hair Leave-In Spray for an extra boost of moisture that serves for the whole day! That show-stopping blowout you've seen on people came about because they started on the right base.
Step 2: Detangle Your Strands
This is a continuation of the ‘prepping your hair’ process. You'll need your wide-tooth comb here to free knots and ensure that your strands are loose from root to tip. You should not skip this step as it is your chance to have a sleek blowout without damaging your hair. After this is done, apply heat protection.
A heat protectant like GK Hair's ThermalStyleHer Cream helps create a barrier from high temperatures up to 450°F (230°C). Applying heat protectant after leave-in conditioner gives you finer results.
Step 3: Dry Your Hair Mildly
After detangling, rough-dry your hair until it is no longer dripping but still slightly damp. This helps the style last without putting stress on the scalp. Keep your best blow out dryer about 6 to 8 inches away from your hair. This helps regulate the heat and gives that lift and sleekness you desire. Skip using a brush at this stage and work through your hair with your fingers.
Step 4: Section Your Hair
With your clips, section your hair and hold it in place. Parting your hair helps keep the sections you're not working on out of the way. You can do two sections like how you'd do a half-up, half-down hairstyle. Well, you don't have to be that precise with your parting; you just need to work on a part of your hair one at a time.
Step 5: Blow Out Section by Section
Grab your blow dryer and the best blow dry brush for curly hair, and get ready to work. Unpin a section (could be the lower section), then place your round brush on your hair and brush from roots to ends. As you do that, go along with the blow dryer. You don’t need expertise, focus and strategy are all you need, and if you have a standing mirror, it helps you even more.
Use a concentrator on your blow dryer to focus the airflow where you want it to be. Use medium heat first, then adjust as needed. Starting medium gives you control, the kind of control that prevents frizz or damaging your strands. If you want tighter curls, bounce or volume, then increase the heat slightly.
Step 6: Don't Miss the Cold Air Blast
This step, as easy as it is, is easy to skip. This final burst of cool air from your blow dryer isn't just cosmetic. It locks the cuticle so that the style doesn't disappear by the second day.
Step 7: Finish With a Texturising Hair Spray
Blowouts stay longer with finishing sprays. If you want something sticky, then go for a dime-sized amount of cream. This is done to prevent frizz and seal in moisture. At the end, don't forget to apply a few spritzes of your GK Hair Styling Mousse to hold the style and add extra shine.
Do you want to try hair straightening at home? Read Hair Straightener: Ceramic vs Titanium for Middle East Hair Types
Pro Tips to Make Your Blowout Last
How long your blowout will last begins from how you do it. A blowout is no easy feat, so having to repeat blowout sessions in a week will not only damage your hair (because of continuous exposure to heat) but also wear down your arms.
Here are ways to get your blowout to last:
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Choose the right shampoo and conditioner. That is, the one that addresses your hair concerns. If you deal with frizz, split ends or volume, or you have colour treated hair, then go for a shampoo-conditioner pair that meets your hair's specific needs.
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Lower heat. High temperature can cause frizz, which is why blow drying wet strands is a no! Tired arms and longer blowout time are peculiar with blow drying when your hair is wet.
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Don't just grab any blow dryer. DIY blow dryers tend to forget to attach a concentrator nozzle to their dryers, which is key to getting salon-level results. Concentrated air makes the cuticle lie flat making it less frizzy and shinier.
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Point your blow dryer downward when working so that your hair lays flat.
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Sleep on silk. Friction can undo your blowout in one night. Silk pillow cases are gentler fabric options.
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Lastly, use a quality, high-end blowout blow dryer like GK Hair's Ion Pro Blow Dryer. The ionic setting gives you better results by speeding up drying time and giving your hair gloss.
Now that you're ready for a blowout session, how about you get a heat protectant alongside your blow dryer? GK Hair is your best online store!
