How to get a salon blow dry at home - by L'Oreal

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How to blow dry your hair

When it comes to hair, a style switch-up is as easy as a flick of the wrist. No matter the length or hair type you have, with a core arsenal of tools and techniques, you can bring your blow dry game up to photo-ready in minutes.

So what are these fix-all techniques? We’ve put together our top tips for luscious, blow-dried locks.

The At Home Blow Dry

Always wanted to know how your stylist creates that killer blow dry? Look no further. You can achieve a salon-worthy blow dry at home in minutes, regardless of the length of your hair.

Step One - Lather and Rinse 
The key to any good blow dry is, of course, beginning with clean, damp hair. Choose a volumising shampoo, such as our Elvive Fibrology Thickening Shampoo, to give your strands a little extra oomph later in the process. For now, massage your shampoo into a rich lather (treat yourself to a little scalp massage, too) and then rinse. Apply your Elvive Fibrology Thickening Conditioner and let it soak for a few minutes before rinsing.

Step Two - Wait Until Your Hair Dries to Damp 
Use a cotton t-shirt or soft towel to soak up any excess water from your hair. When your hair is just about damp, you’re ready to go.

Step Three - Prime Your Strands 
Protecting your strands with a good heat protector is key to a sleek style – you don’t want to dry your ends out! Our Elnett Heat Protect Spray Smooth Blow Dry protects your hair and also helps cut down on drying time. What could be better? To use, hold your heat protection spray away from your hair and spritz evenly.

Step Four - Choose the Right Brush 
It’s best to select your brush based on the style you’d like to achieve. A flat paddle brush, for example, will help to ensure smooth, straight drying. For more volume, try a round brush – this can add some serious body to your style. 


Your brush size should also be determined by the length of your hair. Short hair is more easily managed by a smaller brush, whilst a bigger brush can help speed up the drying time on long locks.

Step Five - Blow Dry from the Roots
To actually dry your hair, work in sections from the back of your head to the front. Always begin at the roots. Once those are dry, work your way down your strands. 

TIP: If your hair dryer comes with nozzle attachments, use them! They help to evenly distribute heat for a sleeker style.

How to Blow Dry Straight Hair 

Few of us are born with naturally pin-straight hair. Fortunately, if that’s the look you’re longing for, there’s an easy blow dry solution to whip your strands straight into shape.

Step One - Detangle 
To create the sleek, smooth blowout of your dreams, begin with clean hair and use the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair type. Using a detangling brush or wide tooth comb, gently work out any knots or tangles in your hair.

Step Two - Section Your Hair 
Separate your hair into four sections ­– two on the top of your head along your natural parting, and two below – and clip securely. This will help keep your hair tame and tangle-free as you begin to dry your hair.

Step Three - Dry your Hair
Beginning with the back sections, blow dry your hair from root to end using a flat paddle brush. Make sure your roots are dry before moving on to the ends of your hair. Work through all four sections of hair.  

Et voila! Runway-worthy straight hair in no time at all.

How to Blow Dry Curly Hair 

You may be thinking: curly hair + blow dry = frizz but, unlike other styles, the right tools make all the difference.

For a perfect curly blow dry, you’ll need:

● Ceramic or tourmaline blow dryer – It may be specific, but choosing a dryer like these will seriously reduce frizz formation. Bonus points for buying one with a diffuser attachment. These UFO-shaped add-ons can help shape your curls and decrease the threat of frizz even further.
● Shampoo, conditioner, and a hair mask formulated for curly hair
● Hair mousse, such as our Elnett Satin  Crème de de mousse  

So, let’s get started!

Step One - Start with Clean Hair
Clean and condition your curly hair with the right formula for your hair type. As often as you can, shower with lukewarm water. It’s far less drying on your strands, which help to reduce frizz. Twice a week, up the conditioning ante by swapping your daily conditioner for a hair mask, such as our Elvive Extraordinary Oil Masque, which nourishes your hair by targeting the driest ends.

Step Two - Remove Excess Water from your hair 
Use a cotton t-shirt to blot your hair, removing any extra water. Be gentle, though – you don’t want to disturb your natural curl pattern.

Step Three - Use Leave-in Conditioner  
Apply a small dollop of leave-in conditioner to help lock in your hair’s moisture.

Step Four - Add Your Mousse
After your leave-in conditioner has had a few minutes to work its magic, apply Elnett Satin  Crème de de mousse  from your roots to your tip in sections. This will help to give your curls more definition and shape. Shake your hair out to re-define your natural curl pattern. 

Step Five - Diffuse your Roots 
With the diffuser attachment on your hair dryer, begin to dry your roots. On a low or medium setting, flip over your hair and begin at the nape of the neck. The diffuser prongs should be lightly touching your scalp. 

Work in slow, gentle circles and make sure your ends are not trapped in the bowl of the diffuser – they can become dried out and frizzy this way. Repeat the process until your hair is about 80% dried and then air dry the rest.

And that’s it! Curly, frizz-free blow-dried hair at home.

10 ways to keep dyed hair healthy (by L'Oreal experts)

Dyed hair

1. Wash your hair less

The more you wash, the quicker your colour will fade – it really is as simple as that. So buy back some time in your every day routine and skip the frequent washing. The best way to care for your colour is to wash only twice or three times a week – then soak up oil from those roots with dry shampoo when needed.

2. Skip straight to conditioner

So, you’re having trouble weaning yourself off daily washing – you’ve been doing it for years. At the very least, try skipping shampoo and jumping straight to conditioner. You’ll add softness, shine and caring nourishment – all without washing that crazy colour away.

3. Pick the right shampoo

There’s a reason why colour protective shampoo was invented. While some regular shampoos can wash away your colour and accelerate colour fade, formulas like L’Oréal Paris Elvive Colour Protect Shampoo actually work to protect your colour, helping to keep your pastel, vivid or metallic shade looking beautiful and vibrant. Whatever you do, choose a “low sulphate” shampoo as it will help to wash out less colour from your hair.

4. Condition, condition, condition

When we colour our hair, it becomes more fragile – this helps the colour make an exit and therefore, that’s when fading occurs. So allow the oils, butters, conditioning polymers and other hydrating elements that often go into a great conditioner to help form a protective barrier and help prevent your colour making a bid for freedom.

5. Heat Protection

They work - In particular, the ingredients in heat protection sprays reduce heat damage, most likely by evening out how the hair heats up. However, they can’t insulate your hair from most of the damage, so you still need to minimise your hair’s exposure to heat styling!

6. Make time for masks

Did we mention condition? Just for good measure, it’s back in at number six. If you’ve been on a colour break and become slack about masking, now’s the time to get back on the wagon. Just 5-10 minutes of masking twice a week can add a super dose of healing nourishment that helps to repair damage, increase shine – and naturally, keep that colour going stronger for longer.

7. Air dry 

There’s a blow-dry backlash brewing amongst the style set – and we think we know why. Addicted to colour – that’s crazier by the second – they know that all that heat from blow-dryers, straightening irons and curling tongs may not only be damaging to the hair, but also be pressing play on yet more moisture loss and compromising that radiant colour. So do as they do and simply apply L’Oréal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Hair Oil to damp hair to nourish and add shine – all whilst helping to save your colour from the perils of the hairdryer.

8. Use filters

One of the number one enemies to long-lasting, super bold colour is UV light from the sun. Even in winter when the days seem dark, light loves to play havoc with your hair. So add a UV filter finishing spray to your morning routine and show the sun who’s boss.

9. Swim smart

Remember the stories about chlorine turning coloured hair a slimy shade of green? Chlorine can not only change your colour (obviously not colouring it green), but it can also fast forward fading. So if you’re heading to the pool, prep your hair and pre-condition. Apply a layer of conditioner to your hair and spin it up into a bun to form a protective barrier against chemical damage. After all, if you’d wanted to go green, you’d have picked Colorista Spray in Mint.

10. Eat right

Condition – like beauty – starts from within, so feed your hair from the inside out. A diet rich in oily fish such as salmon and mackerel will nourish your hair with omega-3 fatty acids, making it shiny and strong. Add some walnuts in and get a hit of vitamin E to help combat dry, brittle hair post-colour.

Pankhurst and Deane uses L’Oreal products in the salon.