Last Updated on March 27, 2022 by Rei
The key to straightening your hair using a hair dryer is with the tools you use. This includes a quality hair dryer, concentrator nozzle, heat protectant products, wide-tooth comb, and hair oils. The concentrator nozzle works by concentrating the hot air, this would result in a much smoother blowout compared to just using a hair dryer. A heat protectant is for those who have damaged/brittle hair, this would greatly reduce the chance of heat damage. You also need a wide-tooth comb to remove any tangles. The final step is to use hair oil to avoid frizz and to make your hair extra shiny and straight.
Blow drying your hair straight is totally possible. You might not need to use a straightening iron and risk heat damage. The heat that are generated by straightening iron can sometimes cause burn smell and can also lead to damaged hair if not used properly. You should try straightening your hair with a hair dryer and see how it works.
Now for a more detailed explanation on the steps, I mentioned above:
Table of contents
Preparation is key!
I know, I know you just want to get started blow-drying. But the time to prepare would pay you back ten folds!
Here are the things you should do before you even touch your hair dryer to prevent damaging your hair.
What’s my hair type?
Did you know that a specific hair type needs a specific heat setting and products to prevent damage? That’s right, knowing your hair type is really important.
For example, when blow-drying curly/kinky hair the heat setting should be low. This is because curly hair is the most prone to damage and heat. While straight hair is generally stronger and more resistant to damage, it doesn’t mean that you can do whatever you want. Proper care is always necessary for every hair type because anything hot can damage your hair one way or another.
Wash and Brush
Start by washing your hair with shampoo and conditioner like you normally do. You need to do this to make sure that your hair is hydrated, you don’t want to dry out your hair and risk brittleness. You can use straightening shampoo and conditioner to enhance the final result.
Then dry your hair with a towel to about 50 percent to reduce the time it takes to blow-dry. A good rule of thumb is you should never blow-dry your hair when it’s dripping wet.
Use a wide-tooth comb to straighten your hair and remove any tangles. Doing this would ensure that you don’t yank out your hair while straightening your hair.
Use heat protectant products
Applying a heat protectant product before blow-drying is always a good idea. Even if you’re using the lowest heat setting. This is even more important for those who already have damaged hair.
There are a lot of available heat protectant products on the market today. Some are spray types while others are cream. Try what works best for you. You should also look at the ingredients at the back and look if it has silicon in it. Silicon is especially great in preventing heat damage from hair dryers.
Let’s start blow-drying!
Start by roughly blow drying your hair to about 80 percent dry. Don’t use any of the attachment yet, just start without any attachments. Hold it a few inches away from your hair and move it all over your hair. Doing this would protect your hair from getting damaged when we later start using our hairbrush.
After you finish roughly drying your hair, get your round brush and concentrator nozzle.
Take a small section of your hair and use your round brush while laying the concentrator nuzzle flat against your brush. Move the brush slowly from top to bottom along with your hair dryer. After finishing that section get another section and repeat the steps. Remember to use your hair dryer while using your brush in a curling motion. The round brush can be replaced with a paddle brush, the same steps can be applied.
The final step is to use the cool shot setting and seal the straightened hair.
Add some shine to it!
Additionally, you can apply some serums or oil to keep your hair shiny and straight. We recommend argan oil for this. Another product you can try is anti-frizz serum, take a small amount, and use your fingers to comb it all over your hair.
