5 Steps for a Flawless Blowout

A good blowout is a key skill for stylists, and a good brush-up (pun totally intended) is always helpful. Mirian Lima, master stylist at Dop Dop Salon in NYC shares a few tips for a bouncy, shiny, flawless blowout that lasts.

 

First: about products

Less is more when it comes to products, but you always want to use a heat protectant on a client's hair. Skipping this step can result in damage, and you certainly don't want that.

For fine hair, use a volumizing product (especially at the roots). Try Shu Uemura Fiber Lift Protective Volumizer; it's a bodifying veil that delivers structural support from root to end while protecting from hair.

For damaged hair, use products that repair, strengthen and protect. Try L'Oréal Professionnel Absolut Repair Lipidium Blow-Dry Cream, which is a heat-activated cream that repairs hair and makes it resistant to damage while making it easy to blowdry.

For color-treated hair that is medium/coarse, try Shu Uemura Satin Design Polishing Milk. The moisture-rich lotion provides humidity resistance, frizz control and heat-styling protection.

For coarse/thick hair, use something that provides smoothness and fights frizz, like L'Oréal Professionnel Liss Unlimited Smoothing Dual Serum. It smoothes the cuticle and uses a cream/serum blend for maximum strength.

For all hair types, you can use L'Oréal Professionnel Mythic Oil Sève Protectrice; it's a heat primer for up to 450°F.

 

Steps to a bouncy blowdry

STEP 1: Rough-dry fine hair. Set the dryer on medium heat and use fingers to let out some moisture. For added volume, flip hair over and blowdry from bottom to top. If your client has coarse hair, it's best to go from wet to dry to eliminate frizz and get a smoother and softer result.

STEP 2: Section hair into four large sections, then divide each into smaller sections and clip away so you can focus on small areas at a time and eliminate the amount of heat on the hair strand.

STEP 3: Blowdry starting at the back of the hair with a mixed-bristle round brush. Always blowdry with the nozzle pointing downward toward the floor to help seal the cuticle, lock in shine and prevent frizz. For the top portion of the hair, take a section in a Mohawk shape and blowdry in a forward and backward motion to give hair lift and volume.

STEP 4: Finish by applying nourishing oil to the ends of hair for shine and smoothness.

STEP 5: Make it last by pulling hair up into a very loose ponytail and creating a pin curl on top for volume (if you have fine hair) or sleep with hair above head, pulled into a loose ponytail and spray your favorite strong-hold spray before going to sleep (for all hair types).