One of the most useful hairdressing lessons you might want to learn is how to blow-dry the hair properly. This is a popular service often requested in hair salons and anyone who hopes to work as a hair stylist has to learn the best techniques for this. Finishing up on the hairstyle with blow-drying is just as important as the cut and it determines how well the style will look. A client will also always judge the quality of the work by the result they see when you are done.

There are several ways to dry and style the hair and they include using a hand-held dryer, using a hood dryer, towel and finger drying and using heat-styling equipment to mould and shape the hair. Let us take you through these:

Choosing Drying Method

The first step in blow drying hair is choosing the technique that is most suitable for the client’s hair. It is important to choose the style that will make it easy for the client to style their own hair when they get home. When choosing the best method, you need to consider the client’s hair type, the desired final result or shape, the styling products you are using to create the style, and the brushes or rollers to use.

Blow-drying the hair

It is important to learn how to style the wet hair so that you can create the required shape when the hair dries. The most common way to dry the hair is using the hand-held dryer. There are several factors to consider when using the blow dryer in order to get the best result.

1. Towel-dry the freshly shampooed hair to get rid of excess moisture.
2. Apply the styling product you want to use; this can be a gel, moose or spray.
3. Use a comb or your hands to mould the hair into the desired style or shape.
4. Divide the hair into sections and work from the bottom up to achieve the desired results.
5. Point the hair dryer nozzle down the shaft of the hair to smooth down the cuticle and create a good finish.
6. Use the hairdryer and brush together in unison and avoid holding the dryer over particular sections as this can burn the hair.
7. If the hair dryer has a cold feature, use it to shape or fix the hair. The cold air will fix the hair into the shape molded by the hot air.
8. Work through the hair in small sections and make sure that you check the hair angle that needs to be lifted. The sections will determine the volume and the direction of the hair.

For best results, it is important to ensure that you dry each section of the hair before moving to the next.  Always make sure that when you use the dryer, it is always at a safe distance from the client’s scalp. This will help to protect the client from discomfort.

After blow-drying the hair into shape, apply fixing and finishing products to enhance the desired results. It is important to explain to a client how they can achieve the hairstyle at home and recommend the best hair care products.