One of my favorite indulgences is a salon blowout. Once you spend the $40 (the cost of a blowout a blowdry-only chain DryBar) and 30 to 40 minutes, you’re set for the week. Seriously, once you have polished, beautiful hair, you can get out of the door in 10 minutes flat. Here are my favorite tips for making your blowout last for up to a week.
Start strong. The key to a lasting blowout is doing it right the first time. If you can’t make it to the salon for whatever reason and are a DIYer, invest in a light, quality, powerful hairdryer, like the T3 Featherweight. You’ll get your hair dry in no time and it’s so light, your wrist won’t get tired before you’re finished.
Go light on the products. When I’m at a salon, they can blowout my hair with volume and wave—just the way I like it—simply by using a blowdryer and a brush. At home, it’s a different story. I’m not nearly as adept with those tools, so I rely on products. But the lesson I’ve learned from my salon blowouts, is that a little product goes a long way. Opt for lighter-weight products such a heat protectant spray and a touch of mousse. Leave the gels and creams to the professionals, unless you have very thick, coarse, unruly hair. Then use as little as you can get away with.
Blow your hair all the way dry. You need to keep drying your hair until it is 100 percent dry. Often that may be a minute or two longer than you think is necessary. The payoff will be big when it comes to next day hair, believe me!
Sleep twisted. The friction between your head and the pillow is one of the quickest ways to ruin a blowout. Learn a trick that works for you: maybe it’s a satin pillow, maybe it’s a braid* or maybe it’s a twist. I love these clips from Goodie, because they hold, without leaving a dent or pulling my hair. I twist my long hair high on my head so that the tail is actually in my face and clip on the top of my head with the Goodie clip. It doesn’t irritate the back of my head when I sleep. Generally, the higher you twist your hair, the more volume you’ll wake up with.
*A braid is my second go-to sleep style. I do a side braid on the days when I’m wearing my hair curly, or toward the end of the week when my natural waves are starting to break through.
Befriend dry shampoo. A spritz of dry shampoo goes a long way to making your blowout last longer. You can find many good drugstore options—Suave Professional Dry Shampoo is one of my favorites. The best time to use dry shampoo is before you even spot the greasies. For me, that is the night of day two or three. I definitely prefer using dry shampoo at night, because it gives it time to absorb and if you get a little sweaty during the night, it will help absorb that.
Workout with caution. I’m definitely not advocating you skip the gym entirely for the sake or your blowout, but avoid the classes that make you drip with sweat. For me, that means I can do yoga, pilates, lift weights and light aerobics. You won’t catch me at the pool or in a Bikrham yoga class. Read on for ways to refresh your hair post workout.
Experiment with second day styles. Around day four or five, I start to wear my hair in half-up, half-down styles as it’s the front of my hair that shows the wear the most. But even a simply ponytail looks prettier when you have a blowout, because the pony is bouncier and fuller.