BLOW-DRYING BASICS: MY WAY

It took some trial and error to finally get a good  hair routine down for myself. I used different products, brushes & techniques before I knew what my hair needed when it came to blow drying. 
I've been meaning to post my hair care routine for a while now. I hope you guys enjoy it and maybe pick up a tip or two.
I know everyone's hair is different and I have straight/wavy thick hair. So even if you don't have my type of hair I hope you like it anyway.  I apologize for the length of this post but I wanted to let you know everything I did and used :)

TOOLS I USE:

• Either a leave in conditioner spray or a detangler
• Hot Tools Blow Dryer 1800 watts with a nozzle
• Some type of protective hair serum or frizz taming serum
• A medium to large sized boar bristle brush 
• Any kind of hair clips to section off the hair

• *Optional* A vent brush for the back of hair
• *Optional* Velcro rollers to add volume & tame 

STEP 1: 

Right after I take my hair out of the towel I spray a light leave in conditioner and a detangler.  It's best to use these products when your hair is still really wet so your not ripping at your hair while you comb it. out.  I always use a wide tooth comb, not a brush while my hairs wet. Your hair is the most fragile when wet so it's easier to damage. 

STEP 2:

I always blow-dry my bangs/front section first. I used to wait to do this part last but I learned the sooner you blow-dry the front the more control you'll have over parting or cowlicks. I stretch the hair from left to right while blowing it out using the nozzle. This will give you more flexibility with your part. 

STEP 3: 

Once you've dried the front section, let the rest down and "rough dry" the rest of your hair without using the nozzle just to get some of the moisture out. Don't do this for too long bc you don't want it dry, you want it evenly damp. I flip my head over and use my fingers to pull the hair away from my roots. Your fingers can get a lot closer to your scalp than a brush will and you wanna get the roots completely dry first.  

STEP 4:

Now I apply a hair serum, I like either Argan Oil or Chi's Silk Infusion (whatever works for your hair type). I like to apply this product after I rough dry my hair. The hair needs more protection and smoothing when there's direct brush and blow dryer contact. If you put these kind of products in when your hair is really wet they wont be as helpful. I only use a dime size amount and  start from the ends to the middle making sure not to get the roots. 

STEP 5: 

Now I start to blow dry the back of my hair (with the nozzle). I like to alternate between a vent brush and a medium to large sized boar bristle brush. Boar bristle brushes have natural bristles so there good for smoothing the hair. They also are able to grab the hair and get lots of tension. I try to pull the sections around as I dry them. I turn my head to the sides when doing the back because it seems to be easier on my arms and then I have more access to the root area. I keep working my way up until I reach the top/back of my head. 

STEP 6:

Then I start on the sides and divide the left and right sections and clip them up on top of my head. The most important part when drying the sides is to use tension with your brush. If the sides started to dry spray them a little with water. If you try and dry them when there not damp, it will develop it's own wave and you wont have the control you need to dry them. If you come across any little or big knots, don't try and brush them through. Stop and gently comb them out or you'll probably have a little mess.

STEP 7:

After you've blow out your entire head, go back to make sure you didn't miss any spots. If all is dry, I use the cool button on my blow-dryer and go over my whole head quickly. The cool button is important (for me anyway), it locks in the moisture and prevents frizz.
Then it's time to deal with fly-aways (my favorite part) ugh! I learned a trick that helps a lot to tame these suckers. I use my blow-dryer with the nozzle and push the little hairs underneath the longer heavy hair. So the longer heavy hairs will sit on top of the little hairs and weigh them down! Make sense? I love this trick and it works so much better than a loading the top of your head with hairspray. 

STEP 8: 

If I have time, I will use a few velcro rollers around my head and let them sit while I get dressed, do makeup or whatever. This helps to calm down the hair and let it cool. It also gives my hair some volume. If I don't use the rollers its fine, but before I'm ready to leave I flip my head over, spray a little dry shampoo onto the roots and use the blow-dryer w/o the nozzle and kinda of stir it up.
This gives me a piece-y look and helps it from looking too done. 

I know, it sounds like  a lot of steps but it's not too bad. Blow-drying my hair is definitely not my favorite beauty routines. But..I have to say, having this routine that I stick to everytime helps and saves some time. 

What about you guys, what are your blow-drying tips or non blow-drying tips if your lucky! lol. 

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