22 April 14  |  Wellness   |  

How to Achieve a Beautiful Blow Out at Home

Written by Melodie Garcia, Hairdresser at Golden Ocala.

No matter who you are—the better you look, the better you feel. According to a study by award-winning hairdresser Andrew Collinge, women experience such a boost of energy, confidence and optimism from changing their hairstyle or color that they do it, on average, 104 times in their lifetime.

The case for good hair is even stronger when you consider its ramifications beyond the filamentous hair on your head. When women feel their hair looks great, 56 percent of them in a similar study said their relationships with other people improved and 67 percent said they had a better day overall.

good-hair-day

Without the salon, you can still have a beautiful hair day. Here are a few tips for achieving a successful blow out at home.

The 10 Commandments of a Blow Out

1. Location matters – humidity’s in the house!

Have frizzy or flat hair before even walking out of the door? Blow-drying hair in a muggy bathroom could be the reason. I suggest moving the operation into the bedroom or waiting until the humidity in the bathroom evaporates.

2. Towel DON’Ts.

There are two things you should never do with a towel: rub your hair (it causes frizz) or wrap it on top of your head (it flattens the roots).

3. Stop, drop the dryer, and spray…

Do not EVER blow-dry your hair before applying heat protection mist. These products contain polymers that form film on the surface of the hair that dissipate the heat. Heat protection should be applied every time you blow-dry your hair. Also, as you dry the different sections of your hair, don’t be afraid to continue to apply heat protection as you go.

Apply heat protection mist before blow-drying hair.

Apply heat protection mist before blow-drying hair.

4. Know where you fall in the ionic blow dryer debate.

Ionic blow dryers are beneficial because they help the cuticles of your hair lie flat and eliminate frizz. However, ionic blow dryers can also reduce volume, causing the hair to lie flatter than desired.

These are the products we use in our salon.

These are the products we use in our salon.

5. Roots before rear.

Always dry the roots of your head first, with the exception of bang wearing beauties. Start by flipping your hair over and massaging the roots as you dry them. This process gets the root up and off your head for more shapely hair.

Massage your roots as you dry them.

Massage your roots as you dry them.

6. Consider your cut.

If your hair is all one length, a straight, sleek blowout looks great! However, if you have lots of layers, you can show them off by styling them to bounce and move.

7. Tension is everything.

Work 2 inch sections of hair by wrapping them tightly around a round brush and rolling it toward your head. Holding the nozzle of the blow dryer against the brush, firmly pull the hair through the brush to achieve glossy, silky locks. Then, clip the curl to the scalp with a duckbill clip and move to the next section of hair.

Wrap sections of hair tightly around a round brush.

Wrap sections of hair tightly around a round brush.

With clips, divide your hair into 2 inch sections.

Clip 2 inch sections of hair to the scalp with a duckbill clip.

Then, blow-dry the next section.

Then, blow-dry the next section.

8. Tame cowlicks and unruly hair.

Did you think there was no answer to that frilly, unruly cowlick atop your head? To lock that cowlick into submission, heat it up by holding it in the desired direction with a brush and blasting it with a warm blow dryer. Then, cool the cowlick down with the cool function of the blow dryer.

Blast that cowlick with your blow dryer!

Blast that cowlick with your blow dryer!

9. Keep your eye on the nozzle.

In other words, be sure the head of the blow dryer is always pointing down toward the shaft of your hair. The blow dryer should also never be closer than 3 inches away from your hair. This technique smooths the cuticle and adds shine without cooking the hair completely.

Keep the blow dryer pointed down and a few inches away from your hair.

Keep the blow dryer pointed down and a few inches away from your hair.

10. Work quickly to dry your hair.

If you have coarse, frizzy hair, drying it can be a timely process. The quicker you dry your hair once it is washed, the better it will look. If it does begin to air dry, spritz each section of hair with water right before you blow-dry it.

Keep spritzing!

Keep spritzing!

For a complete and finished look, touch up sections of your hair with a flat iron. Afterwards, hairspray it with a light hairspray and leave it to stay for 20 minutes.

Touch up with a flat iron.

Touch up with a flat iron.

Come Experience that Personal Touch!

Here at Golden Ocala, I give you that extra, personal touch – that golden experience. From beachy waves to glamorous red carpet styles, I give you hair that you can feel good about!

Now that's a beautiful blow out!

Now that’s a beautiful blow out!

Members, if you need help improving your look or simply want to try out a new hairstyle, schedule an appointment at the Golden Ocala Spa by calling (352) 402-4350.