Blow-drying your Hair Straight/Smooth

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To get that perfect sleek straight look will take practice and patience but with the right tools and products you will get there.

However the curlier your hair is to begin with the harder it is to straighten. It should always be remembered that hair is at its best when you work with what you have naturally rather than try to fight it! If you really hate your curls or afro you may want to think about a permanent chemical straightener.

The Tools and products you will need for blow-drying:

• Hairdryer with nozzle to direct the airflow.
• A large round real bristle brush (although the size of brush will depend on length of hair).
• A large pad brush for final smoothing. Check out brushes for more information on both of these brush types.
• A selection of clips to keep unwanted hair out of the way (large flat professional hairdressing clips work best).
• Your preferred styling product. Mousse is good or one of the numerous new products designed specially to help straighten your hair and keep it that way for longer by protecting it from moisture. If you want your blow-dry to last then a styling product is necessary to keep moisture from reverting your hair to its natural wave, they will also protect your hair from heat damage.
• A gloss or oil to smooth over your hair and remove any unwanted frizzes to finish with.

How to:

There are many varied ways of blow-drying your hair and this is just one.

• Shampoo and condition using either your preferred type or try one of those designed for smoothing and straightening there are many on the market and they really will provide you with a little extra help.
• Detangle your hair using a wide toothed comb and then rough dry using your hands until your hair is 80% dry. Especially if you have very thick hair, there is no point spending hours with a brush in your hand getting arm ache, as your hair does not take any shape until it is at least 80% dry.
• Use a thermal protection spray to prevent heat damage.
• Starting with the hair in the nape, section off a 5cm deep piece of hair. If this section is wider than the brush, separate it into handleable amounts.
• Use your brush to remove any tangles that have formed in the section of hair. Draw your brush over the surface of the section from roots to ends, directing the hair down towards your shoulders and keeping tension in the hair. Wind your hair around the brush back towards the scalp (insuring the ends are not bent). Use your other hand to smooth the hair as you wind.
• Now unwind the brush to reveal a length of hair (about 5cm/2") to be dried. What you should have is the all important tension that will get your hair really straight. You should still be directing your hair towards your shoulders.
• Pick up your hairdryer (with nozzel attached) and direct the flow of air along the hair under tension. The air flow should always be in the direction of the ends to help in smoothing the cuticle. It should also be towards the brush but not on the brush. You are really drying the hair that is pulled straight between the scalp and brush, using the brush as a griping tool rather than a brush.
• If you start to get flyaway or frizzy bits, move the hair dryer and use the air flow to hold them down. At all times keep the end of the hairdryer about 3 to 5 cm from the hair, it is easy to burn the hair if you don't.
• Continue to work down the length of your hair in this way until only the ends are left around the brush. At this point it depends on how you want your hair to look what you do. For turned in or turned out simply bend the hair around the brush.
• For that dead pan straight sleek look: remove the brush and insert it underneath the ends using the airflow from the dryer to keep them against the brush but not around it. The ends should be in the same direction as the rest of the hair, don't be tempted to curl or twist your brush or else that is the effect you will be left with.
• Let the section fall away, check that it is fully dry and move onto the next section without disturbing the one you just finished until it is fully cool. Repeat instructions 3 to 10 until all of your hair is dry.
• Finish with a smoothing serum/drops and a little hair spray to protect from moisture and the dreaded frizzies!

Extra Tips:

For an alternative method we also have a few tips from one of Australias top professional hairdressers Michelle Aldridge at Shuum.

You may want to angle the hair around your face and parting in the direction you wish it to fall. But remember, straight down is the look right now and you don't want to end up with a 70's "Farrah Fawcett" look by overdoing it.

If your hair needs more volume, angle it out from your head at 90% rather than down towards your shoulders.

If you found that this read like a foreign language, then you may want to try a lesson from your hairdresser. Simply book in for a blow-dry and explain, when you book, that you want to treat the booking as a bit of a 'how to do it yourself session'. Normally you will only be charged for the blow-dry. Make sure you get the stylist to watch you do it and put you right, as well as you watching them.

	Courtesy of Shane Henning, NOK Sydney.
	Courtesy of Tracy Hughes, Meika Hairdresssing, Melbourne.

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