Hair professionals share tips for a long-lasting blow-dry.
Women love a fresh blow-dry, but once you step out of the salon there's only one thought that lingers - how to make the newly styled hair last longer.
From oily scalps to Karachi's humid air, all play the part of natural enemies when it comes to our perfectly curled locks. Fear now! Lifestyle Mirror saves the day by giving tips on how to get a long-lasting blow-dry.
Hair professionals including Alli Webb founder of Drybar (California-based chain of salons), Gregory Patterson, hair pro at NYC bar – Blow and Kevin Marques of the Fekkai Salon at The Mark Hotel NY, share some of their secrets:
PHOTO: GLAMOURMAGAZINEHere are the 10 tips that will help you flaunt your shiny-bouncy hair for days on end:
1. Wash your hair twice
Alli claims "the cleaner your hair is, the longer it will last". The expert recommends starting your blow-dry with “SUPER clean” hair and for that you need at least “two washes”. A few shampoo recommendations for squeaky clean hair: Paul Mitchell’s Clarifying Shampoo Two or Toni&Guy Cleanse.
PHOTO: IMAGEZ2. Gently use conditioner
"Go easy on the conditioner to prevent excess oils at your roots," says Alli. Paraben and sulfate-free conditioners are light and don’t cause hair to limp. They are also suitable for heat styling.
PHOTO: HAIREXTENSIONS3. Finish off with cool air
"Your stylist should finish your blowout with a blast of cool air from the hair dryer," says Kevin Marques. "This will set the style in place. You can do this at home too if your hair dryer has a 'cool' setting,” he suggested.
PHOTO: ADAZLRead: 5 common practices that damage your hair
4. Sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase
"Sleeping on your hair can compromise your blowout," says Gregory Patterson. "Sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase so your hair can slide around rather than rub on the surface of cotton. This will also help minimise split ends and broken hair. A silk scarf is a great alternative... sleep in one or two high top knots to keep hair neat and maintain the movement built into your blowout." He recommends two knots for tight waves and one for one natural, flowy movement.
PHOTO: PURESALONSPA5. Maintain room temperature
We all know moisture can ruin a good hair day, try to avoid outdoors to prolong your blow-dry. "Keep your bedroom really cold when you sleep to minimize night sweating," says Alli.
PHOTO: HEALTHGUIDANCE6. Prevent sweating
Sweat also causes moisture and as Kevin says, "The enemy of all blowouts is moisture.” He suggests, "If you must go to the gym, sport a sweat-absorbent headband that will wick away perspiration from your forehead and the back of your neck."
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7. Use dry shampoo
"I suggest using a dry shampoo throughout your entire blowout prior to physical activity or even sleeping to absorb sweat before hair can," says Gregory. Sharing a tip for styling with dry shampoo, he says, "Spray along the original parting, then flip to the opposite site. The dry shampoo will absorb oil and residue while the flipping will force the hair strands to lay opposite of how they were designed during your original blowout." This will create more volume.
PHOTO: VALUEADD8. Refresh your tresses
"Wet and re-blow just the front sections or your bangs. This will give an all-over refreshed look," says Alli. It is always good to use light formula heat protecting serums so your hair doesn’t dry out and break due to excessive styling.
PHOTO: ABCNEWS9. Avoid contact with water
"Moisture, humidity, and water are the number one cause of death for blowouts," says Gregory. Always use protective serums or wear shower caps while bathing in order to maintain your blowdry.
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10. Add shine
They all agree on the fact that you will need to bring back the shine to your dry shampooed or sea salted locks at this point. But it's important to find a shine spray that's dry and won't deposit heavy silicones that make hair fall flat and look greasy.
PHOTO: BLEUABLOWDRYBAR
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