hair styling · hair care
How to Blow-Dry Your Hair Like aSalon Finish
How to blow-dry your hair at home for smoothness and volume, with heat settings, section order, brush choice, and tips for short, medium, and long hair.
Hairover Team
For a salon-style blow-dry, apply a heat protectant, rough-dry until your hair is about 80 percent dry, then work in sections with a round brush, pointing the nozzle down the hair. Sectioning is the part most people skip, and it makes the biggest difference. Finish each section with a cool shot to help set it.
What you need
- A dryer with a concentrator nozzle
- A heat protectant
- A round brush, sized for your length
- Sectioning clips
- Optional mousse or volumizing spray
Step by step
- Prep. Towel-dry by blotting, then apply a heat protectant and any volumizer.
- Rough-dry. Use your fingers until your hair is about 80 percent dry, with your head tipped forward for extra lift.
- Section. Clip the top up, leaving the bottom layer loose.
- Dry the bottom first. Take a section about the width of your brush.
- Brush and dry. Place the brush under the root, and pull slowly to the ends, with the nozzle following above and pointing down.
- Add tension. Hair needs a little tension to smooth, but do not pull hard.
- Cool shot. Hit each section with cool air before releasing it.
- Move up. Repeat until you reach the top.
- Finish the front last. Direct the front away from your face for a soft shape.
- Add shine. Smooth a tiny amount of oil through the ends.
Heat settings
Use medium heat for most hair, and lower it for fine or damaged hair. High heat is rarely necessary, and it can damage hair over time. Keep the dryer moving, about six inches from your head.
By hair length
Short hair. A small round brush or flat brush works, and it takes only a few minutes. Direct the hair against its natural fall at the roots for lift. Our pixie cut ideas cover short shapes.
Medium hair. A medium brush and a bend at the ends adds movement. If your hair flips at the shoulders, dry the ends under with the brush, or lean into the flip.
Long hair. A large round brush and big sections make it manageable. Don’t spend time on ends only. Start with root lift, and let your hands guide the rest.
Men’s short hair. Skip the round brush. Blow-dry upward or in your preferred direction with your fingers, and then add a little clay. See pomade vs. clay vs. wax.
Blow-drying curly hair
If you want to keep your curls, use a diffuser instead. If you want to straighten them, work in small sections with tension, and always use a heat protectant. It’s worth asking a stylist to show you the technique once. It can also help to wash and condition first with smoothing products.
Common mistakes
- Starting with a brush on wet hair. This takes twice as long.
- Using no nozzle. Scattered air creates frizz.
- Pointing the air upward. This roughs up the cuticle.
- Rushing the top layer. Finish there with care, since it’s the most visible part.
- Skipping the cool shot. Warm hair is still moldable.
How to make it last
Avoid humidity for the first hour, sleep on a satin pillowcase, and use dry shampoo at your roots on day two. Refreshing just the front section with a brush is often enough.
Related guides
- The 90s Blowout: How to Get Big, Bouncy Hair at Home
- How to Curl Hair With a Straightener: Step by Step
Some cuts blow-dry better than others
A butterfly cut needs a round brush, and a shag doesn’t. See layers vs. a butterfly cut. To find a shape that suits your routine, upload a clear photo to Hairover, get a hair analysis, and try hairstyles on your own face in Style Studio.
FAQ
How dry should hair be before using a brush?
Rough-dry until it's about 70 to 80 percent dry. Brushing soaking-wet hair takes much longer and adds more stress to the strands.
Which way should I point the dryer?
Point the nozzle down the hair shaft, from root to tip. This helps smooth the cuticle and reduce frizz.
What size round brush should I use?
Larger brushes give smoothness and soft bends, and smaller brushes give tighter movement. Short hair usually suits a small to medium brush, and long hair a large one.
