Tips for achieving a perfectly smooth blow-dry

Let’s be real, achieving a salon-perfect blow-dry seems near impossible, doesn’t it? The pulling, the brushing and the intense, brutal heat – it’s enough to make you want to leave your hair to dry by itself and put up with the consequences. And it certainly doesn’t help that hairdressers make it look so easy. If only we all had our own personal hairdresser and their years of experience on hand to help us out…

Oh, wait, we do! We cornered master hairdresser Joh Bailey and got him to divulge his top five tips on achieving a perfectly sleek blow-dry, at home…

BEST BLOW-DRY TIP #1:

Make sure you are shampooing and conditioning your hair with the right products. I recommend using keratin-based products to inject life into your hair – and help it to behave. When you’re washing your hair, ensure you massage the product in a downward direction from the top of the hair cuticle to your ends. This will ensure your hair has a smooth, frizz-free base for your blow-dry. bh recommends: Indola INNOVA Keratin Straight Shampoo and Conditioner.

BEST BLOW-DRY TIP #2:

Arm yourself with a good, strong hair dryer and always use the nozzle attachment. This ensures the heat goes exactly where you want it to and will help you to achieve a smoother finish. bh recommends: VS Sassoon Ultimate Salon Dryer.

BEST BLOW-DRY TIP #3:

Before you begin drying, spritz your hair with a quality heat protection spray. Once you’ve spritzed, dry your hair with a hair dryer until it’s 70 – 80 per cent dry. Don’t be afraid to flip your head upside down to ensure you’re drying your hair evenly. Joh recommends: TRESemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection and Shine Spray.

BEST BLOW-DRY TIP #4: 

Ensure you use a good quality barrel brush with stiff bristles. bh recommends: Lady Jayne’s Brush Radial Multi-Tuft Brush as it’s specifically designed for heat styling.

BEST BLOW-DRY TIP #5:

It’s important that you don’t tackle large amounts of hair at once. For the best results, section your hair and blow-dry it straight down, piece by piece. Ensure the hair your dry is no wider than the brush. The reason I say this is if you have too much hair on the brush, the air will not hit all of the hair and the strands surrounding the targeted spot will frizz-up!

What are your best tips for achieving a salon-quality blow dry at home? What is your biggest hurdle when it comes to making your hair dry like you want it to?