The 7 minute blow dry: How to dry your hair like a pro
No matter what length your hair is, there seems to always be a struggle to dry it. Some days even the shortest hair can take two seconds to dry while others it seems to want to keep all that absorbed water for hours. Sometimes I just leave my hair limp and wet hanging on my shoulders and turn up to places with flat hair because I didn’t have hours to spend to get it styled and dry. But, if the 7 minute blow dry works as well as everyone says it does, we’ll no longer have to run out of the door rubbing our hair with a damp towel and hoping that it dries nicely. Here’s how to achieve a salon perfect blow dry in your own home!
Magdalena Frackowiak by Ben Hassett (Wilde Wellen – Vogue Germany January 2012)
#1 Make sure you’ve got the gear!
A salon perfect blow dry needs a salon perfect hair dryer! Don’t go crazy, but get a good quality professional hair dryer that’s no more than 1,800 watts so it doesn’t damage your hair while drying it. It might seem like a pointless investment but your hair will benefit from a high quality hair dryer.
#2 Use your fingers!
Yep, brushing your hair while drying it will waste time as wet hair won’t hold any shape. Instead, use a fast-drying spray after you’ve washed your hair and blow dry your hair by moving the dryer side to side quickly and teasing your fingers through it. Get your hair to about 80% dry, which should only take a few minutes.
Photograph from Fitness Magazine
#3 Divide and conquer!
Divide your hair into four sections, one at the back, one at each side and one on top. Twist each section and secure with a grip, and then curl the hair around a wide barrelled round brush. The longer your hair is, the wider the barrel needs to be. Attach the concentrator nozzle to your hairdryer and use the brush to push the hair against the airflow. Roll the brush back towards your scalp as your dry, and don’t be afraid of getting it stuck – just wiggle it horizontally and rotate your wrists to loosen any trapped hair. Don’t waste time on the back section of your hair, just use a paddle brush to concentrate the blow dryer at it and then cover it with your expertly dried front sections.
Photograph from Fitness Magazine
#4 Seal the deal!
Use the cold setting on your hair dryer to close the cuticles and create more shine, weave your fingers through your new professional blow dry and apply a frizz-free or shine-boosting serum on your locks to get a beautifully shiny and healthy look.
Accompanying photographs from Fitness Magazine.
