Have you ever wondered if you could straighten your hair with your blow dryer? This thought may have come into your head because you do not have a regular hair straightener or because the one you have is faulty. The good news here is that you can straighten your hair using your blow dryer and it is a straightforward process.
Here are the steps on how to use a blow dryer to straighten your hair:
Straighten Hair with a Blow-Dryer
Wash and condition your hair
You should start with clean, just-washed hair. Using a moisturising shampoo would be better so that the hairdryer does not dry out your hair. After washing your hair, apply a generous amount of shampoo and allow it to set in for a bit before rinsing it out.
Towel dry your hair
The best towel for drying your hair is the microfiber towel, not your regular bath towel. Use the microfiber towel to squeeze water out from your hair gently. Do not rub your hair roughly, as that would only create more frizz or tangles in your hair.
Try not to squeeze your hair completely dry, as you will need your hair to be damp to get the best straightening effect with your hairdryer.
Section your hair
The next step is to section your hair preferably into three parts – two at the front and the third at the back. However, if four sections work better for you, you can also use that. Hold the sections in place with hair clips or bands.
Apply some heat protectant
You are likely to spend more time using the hairdryer to straighten your hair than the average time you use when you want to dry your hair. So, it is expected that your hair will have longer exposure to heat. Thus, it is essential for you not to miss this step.
Apply the heat protectant to each section. Applying the heat protectant to your hair is not advisable because it may not cover everywhere. It is best used when you have already put your hair in sections.
Get your straightening cream/gel ready
That is not compulsory, but if your hair does not get straight quickly, you may need a straightening product to help you get the best outcome. Make sure you do not use too much product at a time as it would weigh down your hair and you would not be able to achieve the desired straight hair.
Begin to work small chunks of hair
That is where the real work begins so you should pay attention to the guidelines:
- Take a smaller section of hair from the already sectioned parts hold it firmly in your hand.
- Hold the dryer nozzle facing down. If you hold it up, your hair would be blowing up and not get straightened.
- Use a consistent medium heat and start near your roots, slowly working to the tips.
- Try not to spend too much time on a layer of hair as you may overexpose its heat and it may become frizzy.
- Use a brush to comb through the section of the hair as you dry it but try not to brush it too hard. A round brush or any brush with soft thistles is best for this.
- Your hair has to be damp throughout the process. So, it would help if you kept a spritz bottle handy. You should lightly spritz the hair and not make it too wet.
Apply a hair spray for extra hold
After you have covered the whole head of hair, you can apply a hair spray to keep your hair straightened for a more extended period. You should avoid hairsprays containing silicon as that would give you residue on your scalp.
Benefits of using your hair dryer to straighten hair
- Cutting cost: You get to reduce the money you would spend on getting multiple hair styling tools. The good thing about this is that you can maximise the money you have to buy a standard hairdryer. Also, because it is straightforward to handle your hairdryer at home by yourself, you would save yourself the money you would pay a stylist to straighten your hair.
- Requires less skill: Anyone who has handled a hair straightener before knows that it takes some getting used to mastering the handling. However, just about anybody can handle it well with a blow dryer. You would not have to bother yourself about learning any new technique.
- Less processing time: You can use a hairdryer to get as little as between 15-30 minutes to get your hair straightened. That depends on how full and thick your hair is. Using less time is a plus as you can easily fit your hair straightening process into a busy schedule.
- Less risk of heat damage: When using a hairdryer to straighten your hair, the heat contact is not as intensified as when using a flat iron which would put direct heat on your hair. You cannot burn your hair by mistake even if you get careless and put the hairdryer too long on a section of hair. The worst effect you might get is very dry hair.
Conclusion
As much as you might be excited about using your best hair dryer to get lovely straightened hair, you should not overdo it. You should try to space the time in between each hair straightening, and after each process, you should nourish your hair with moisture and oils to restore the ones that have been lost.
It is essential to exercise caution when using an electric tool. Thus, ensure that your hairdryer does not have any exposed elements that can shock you on the touch. It would be best if you also waited for the hairdryer to cool off completely before storing it away until your next use.
