The Blowout That Won’t Hold Its Shape

There are times when you achieve a great blowout, only to have it go flat or limp a few minutes later. This is because the heat and air flow is not being directed in a way that puts enough tension on the hair to hold the shape. It might feel like the brush is just gliding through the hair, but it’s not holding the hair in place long enough to set the shape. It’s the ability to place the hair where you want it while you blow-dry the hair, not just blow-drying the moisture out of the hair, that creates the shape that will hold.

Look at the direction in which you are placing the brush. The brush should start as close to the head as possible, and you should lift it up slightly before you turn the blow-dryer on. This is the foundation of volume. If you place the brush too far away from the head, you will never get volume at the base, even if you get it on the ends. The nozzle should always follow the brush. Never place the brush in a direction where the air flow is blowing against it. Move the brush in a steady motion, rather than stopping half way through a section of hair.

One of the most common errors is using too much heat and not enough tension. While the hair might blow-dry faster, there is no direction, and the end result is a blowout that might feel soft and silky but will fall flat. Instead, turn the heat down slightly, and concentrate on your brush placement. Use enough tension to pull the hair taut, then blow-dry the hair while holding it taut. Once it’s dry, release it and allow it to cool in place. The cooling action sets the blowout in place, and this is often the missing link in the beginning stages.

One way to practice this is to take about 15 minutes and work only on the two front sections of the blowout. Partially blow-dry the hair, then take the brush and go back and shape those two sections over and over again. Pay attention to how the hair reacts when you change the direction of the brush or the amount of tension you apply. Take a few strokes of the blow-dryer, then release the hair and let it cool. Go back to it and see if it held its shape. Working in one spot like this for a while will speed up your learning curve more than if you quickly blow-dry a full head of hair.

If you find that your blowout still looks a bit haphazard, simplify your motion. Work in only one direction, such as lifting up or back, and repeat it several times. Don’t change directions too often, as this will confuse the blowout and it will never hold its shape. As the motion becomes more consistent, the hair will start to follow it, and your blowout will look more polished. A blowout is not about blowing the hair as fast as you can. It’s about a controlled motion of the hand and the brush, along with the air flow of the blow-dryer. As this starts to happen, you will notice that the hair will start to hold its shape longer. When you achieve sections of hair that hold their shape without you having to go back and fix them, you know that you are on the right track.