Beauty and the Beast: BLOWOUTS

Tips for achieving a great Blow Out:

1.) Hair should be 80% dry before you begin blow drying. If I'm home I let my hair air dry for a bit after a shower, I put my makeup on, drink coffee, check emails, stalk people on Facebook and once my hair is slightly damp I begin to blow dry it. If I'm blowing a clients hair out, I'll de-tangle the hair and then blow dry it all over on a medium heat setting using my fingers to separate until its slightly damp.

Hair should be damp not soaking wet

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 2.) Use your fingers, pull them through the hair starting at your roots as you dry. Brushes can only get so close so using your digits will ensure that all the moisture is removed from the hair. This will greatly shorten the time you spend blowing the hair out and prevents unnecessary heat damage.

Yay for fingers...Boo for directing the hair upward and for being so happy about it

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 3.) Start in the front, especially if you have bangs. Once the front perimeter is finished move to the back sections and work your way up and forward. I hate when the stylist waits til the end to blow out my bangs. not only are my soggy bangs stuck on my forehead for most of the service but by the end they are partially dried in every direction imaginable.

Yikes I think she may end up with the 80's big wave bang

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4.) Keep a spray bottle of water handy, Hair may need to be spritz while doing a blow dry especially if your hair is long or curly. Curly hair dries faster because of the texture, moisture is released quicker than in wavy or straight hair and long hair takes longer to dry but as your working, sections of hair will begin to air dry, use your spray to re-dampen the hair.

Don't use a super soaker, you can buy a water bottle for like $1 at CVS

5.) Sectioning hair is so important, in school they only let us use 1 clip to hold the hair. The theory behind this is that clipping hair up and down while you are working is time consuming (time is money people!) and as Ms. Gloria would say "your client shouldn't look like a Christmas tree with clips all over their head!"  We are trained to not rely on clips which in turn results in more precise sectioning skills as well as speed. But if your blowing your hair out at home, clip it up baby! Part hair down the middle into 2 sections then part hair from ear to ear across the top. You  should have 4 sections around your head. The section of hair that you will want to blow out should be based on the tool your using. The section you pull shouldn't be wider or thicker than the diameter and length of your tool.  A good rule of thumb is a section of hair should be approximately 1.5" thick and 2" wide.

 Over Zealous clipping can lead to Christmas tree head

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6.) Air flow should move downward along the hair from roots to ends. Going in other directions will open up the cuticle which will lead to breakage. Your arms may get tired but you should hold the dryer above the head with the nozzle pointing downward and out. Try to use a medium-hot setting while blowing hair out and then use the cold air button to seal the hair. This will lock in the style you have set and will make hair very shiny.

 This picture makes me laugh...I don't understand what shes doing..Blow drying her face?

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7.) Products make all the difference in the world! I hear a lot of people say it never looks as good when I dry it at home. This can be for many reasons hopefully these tips will help you achieve better blowout results, but if you notice your stylist using products on your hair ask them what they are using. A good stylist will show you what they are using and help you discover which products will work best with your hair type and style.When I use products on clients I always ask if its okay before applying it, show them the bottle and explain the benefits of using it. One of my favorite products is Aveda Light Elements: Smoothing Serum, I rub it on my finger tips (not my palms) and then rake it through my clients hair before and after a blowout. It conditions the hair, adds shine and eliminates flyways.

  LOVE LOVE LOVE

Aveda Smoothing Serum

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 Stylist spend most of their day blowing out hair or they make their assistant do it, either way you'll notice most of them work very fast and could probably blow your hair out blindfolded and upside down.  Remember to take your time when blowing out your hair at home to ensure your hair is completely dried (otherwise it'll frizz up) practice makes perfect, follow these tips and have fun experimenting with different products and tools!