Beauty Tip: Blow It Out

From a young age, ladies have applied a lot of heat to their hair to get that seasons’ most coveted ‘do.  From crimping to curling to straightening, we’ve tried it all.  However, to get really beautiful hair, there’s one tool we’ve always used, and I’m sad to report … we’ve been using it wrong!

No matter if you want to play up your curls, or smooth out a wave, the only tool you really need is your blow dryer!  Organic hair specialist, Amanda Braydich explains how to really blow dry your hair and why “the cool button is not only an essential tool, but it is also the most understated forgotten tool in hair.”

To really embrace your hair you need to learn some blowdrying techniques and know which products to use, explains Braydich.  “I talk to each person and I’ve come up with a product cocktail to either amp up the volume or smooth it down.  If a client is looking for smooth hair, it’s all about proper blowdrying.  A lot of people will pick up a dryer and just wave it around meaninglessly.”

Braydich shares how this is a missed opportunity to get the style you’re really after.  Blowdrying is really the time when you’re “instilling a foundation of control [over your hair].”  For example, if you want your hair to be really smooth with an angle toward your face, you want the dryer held above your head because you want the cuticle down and pull your hair towards your face.

But the biggest problem is after your hair is dry.  “Once you dry your hair, everyone makes that fatal mistake of thinking they are done.  Your hair is like steel you need to heat it up to mold it then cool it down to set it to make it last,” Braydich explains while stressing the importance of going over your hair once again with your dryer set to cool.  “I have older women who walk into my salon and think the cold button is only there for their hot flashes,” she shares.

What if you’re ready to ditch the flat iron in favor of your natural waves or curls?  Braydich recommends using a defuser, which will help you avoid frizz.  “With curls, to build the maximum amount of volume start at the root and get the air going up.  You want to get the root area dry to promote that volume.  It will create a lot of solid structure when starting at the root.  Then move out towards your longer lengths next,” she explains.   “If you dry the lengths first and don’t get the root first it really weighs down the hair,” Braydich warns.  “When the hair is half way dry, I add in the mousse, then go back to the roots and then the ends and heat it up at full blast.”

However, just because you’re wearing your hair curly doesn’t mean you should skip pushing the cool button. ” Going over everything again in the cool setting is what’s going to give you all gorgeous volume.”  According to Braydich that cool button is essential for lasting hair, which in today’s busy world, a hairstyle that can last all day is a beautiful thing!

—Janine Silver