I love the feeling of salon-fresh hair. I want to show you how I make my blowdry last for days to keep that salon feeling for as long as possible.
Some people love getting a facial or a massage but for me, my favourite pamper treat is a blowdry.
A blowdry is the same as a blowout, just in case there was any confusion. As I’m Australian I’ll keep calling it a blowdry.
Now there are lots of blowdry bars opening up to get your hair done for a bargain, but even still I want my hair to last.
So to keep my blowdry looking awesome for as long as possible I follow these 10 tips.
How to make your blow dry last – 10 tips for great hair
1. Don’t touch your hair
I know your hair feels amazing after a blow dry but please don’t touch it. Your hands and dirty and it’s messing up your hair so stop it. I’m a nervous hair twirler so I know how addictive it can be. Be really aware and stop yourself from touching your hair.
2. Sleep with your hair clipped up
At night, twist your hair up and clip it loosely on top of your head. See my post on how to wake up with great hair. You’ll avoid frizz from your pillow and tangles during the night.
3. Sleep on silk
Talking of pillows, switching to a silk pillowcase really does make a difference. My mum told me this trick and she’s right. I have one from Slip and a cheap alternative is to tie a scarf around your pillow. That’s also a great option for when you’re travelling.
4. Use a shower cap
Sexy, I know. But your hair needs to be protected. Try these super chic turban shower caps from Louvelle. You’ll love wearing a shower cap with their range and because turban are fabulous.
5. Take shorter showers
And turn down the temperature a little. You want to avoid too much steam which will create frizz in your hair.
6. Dry shampoo is your secret weapon
When those oily roots threaten to undo your do, spray some dry shampoo and brush it through your hair. If you don’t love dry shampoo, you might be making these dry shampoo mistakes.
7. Brush gently
Choose a gentle brush like my beloved Mason Pearson or a Tangle Teezer. These brushes will keep your hair looking smooth rather than fluffy.
8. It’s ok to restyle
You can use a round brush to restyle any kinks with your blowdryer. I often reshape the layers around my face to keep them looking the way I like.
9. Add in some curl
On days three or four, if I’m starting to get a lot of kinks in my hair, I’ll curl it with a 1-inch curling wand. Adding in some texture helps prolong the style so I can still wear my hair out.
10. Braid it
Towards the end of my blowdry’s life, I’ll braid my hair and put it up. This way it still looks good and I can avoid another day of washing my hair. Sometimes when I take my hair out I have such great waves from the braid I push it one day further…
Confession time:
I’ve made a blow dry last seven days. This was probably two days too far, but I think I got away with it because of the braids.
By the way, if you want to pin this post for later, I’ve created images for blowout and blowdry. I wonder which pic will be pinned more?
What’s the longest you’ve made a blowdry last in your hair? What’s your secret?
I would like to know why it is that when my hair stylist
Styles my hair stays nice for four days, when I do it messes up the first night I sleep on it. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Hazel, are you using the same products that your stylist uses? Do you use a brush and blowdry your hair for the same amount of time? Often it’s getting the tension right as you hold your hair and blowdry it that can make a difference. You can ask your stylist to give you a lesson so that you can replicate it perfectly at home x
I so enjoy reading your posts every time because it encourages me to keep myself up. It’s too easy to just let myself go.
I have hair that just goes to the shoulders with side bangs and it’s gray. Almost all white now. Do you have hair styles for the likes of me, or do you know of a web site as good as your you can refer me to?
I won’t stop reading your posts, promise. 🙂 Thank you, Emily
Day 1 – wash, product, blow out w/round brush
Day2 – shower cap, round brush and blow dryer, sea spray
Day3 – shower cap, (optional dry shampoo) round brush and blow dryer, half up down do OR toss around with blow dryer upside down and half up down do
Day 4 – shower cap, updo of some sort (I have several on Pinterest, Face Book or 30 day styles) shower cap, round brush and blow dryer
Day 5 – shower cap, updo of some sort OR French twist
Repeat
Awesome system! Thanks for sharing Michelle 🙂
I exercise often too and feel with all that sweat I should shampoo or else hair follicles will clog. I feel unclean being all sweaty & not washing my hair too. But I hear you should shampoo less. Yet I workout 5 -6 times per week. So are those people who workout often not shampooing often?
Hi Paula, when I worked out a lot, I would alternate washing my hair and using dry shampoo. I also wore a sweat band to stop my face sweat getting into my hair and would clip my hair up. I would give the roots a cool blast with a hairdryer to dry them and cool my head down before applying dry shampoo. I found my hair was fine but if you prefer to wash your hair every day then you should do what works for you 🙂
I’m an avid runner – I run about 4 days a week. After each run I have lots of sweat on my scalp. How do you make your blow dry last if you like to exercise? I can never make my hair grow out long because it’s fine and gets damaged VERY easily! (from shampooing and blow drying)
Hi Zhila, do you use dry shampoo? I find it’s a lifesaver to help create time between hair washes. If you have time, let your hair airdry then use dry shampoo to refresh your hair. If you’re in a rush, blowdry your roots quickly then use dry shampoo. This will mean you only have to shampoo every other day, or longer, depending on your schedule. Sometimes fine hair doesn’t grow that long so it could just be genetics. Make sure you’ve got a good haircut that’s blunt at the bottom to make your hair look thicker x
I do use dry shampoo! Not as often as I should. I also am bad at applying it.
Blow drying and then using dry shampoo is such a good idea. I’m going to try doing that on the days I run! Thank you
Here’s a post I wrote about dry shampoo as there are some common mistakes people make when using it – https://www.hairromance.com/2014/06/3-mistakes-youre-making-with-dry-shampoo.html – hope this helps! x
These are great tips! Question, how do you clip your hair up for sleep without it being painful? Mine I guess is just really heavy, so it either falls out or pulls and hurts my head.
http://www.medicaminablog.com
Hi Jillian, I use a large clip right on top of my head. I like this Lady Jayne one – http://rstyle.me/n/xkwbrmhfn – as it really holds my hair. I also use it when I go running so it’s strong. Try and twist your hair up right on the top of your head so that it won’t be in the way if you’re a side sleeper like me x