How to blow-dry hair for big and bouncy volume

There are a lot of unfair things in life and not being able to blow-dry your hair as well as your hairdresser is one of them. When they do it, you walk out of the salon with hair straight from a shampoo commercial: bouncy, full-bodied and strut-worthy spectacular. But when done at home it just seems to end up in a flat and frizzy mess. No matter how hard you try to watch them through your mop of wet hair as they work their magic, when you try to copy the technique at home it just never turns out the same.
RELATED: 10 of the best keratin-infused products
RELATED: Popular French haircuts and hairstyles to try
You could plan to kidnap your hairdresser and hold them hostage in your bathroom, but thankfully instead we had talented hairdresser Joh Bailey give us his top five tips on how to get a bouncy, full-bodied blow-dry at home…
BOUNCY BLOW-DRY TIP #1:
Begin by blow-drying your hair from scalp to ends. Make sure to always spritz your hair with a heat protection spray to prevent it from becoming dry and frizzy. beautyheaven recommends: Schwarzkopf Extra Care Heat Styles Heat Protection Spray, TONI&GUY Heat Protection Mist and Moroccanoil Heat Styling Protection.
BOUNCY BLOW-DRY TIP #2:
Once the hair is 80 per cent dry, part it so that it’s separated into the direction you want it to sit (middle part, side part, etc). As you continue blow-drying, use a hairbrush to firmly pull the hair in the direction you want it to sit and apply heat from scalp to ends.
BOUNCY BLOW-DRY TIP #3:
A small, firm bristle barrel brush is best for an effective full-bodied blow-dry. It allows for easy movement and will help create volume and bounce. beautyheaven recommends: ghd Ceramic Vented Radial Brush, Lady Jayne Thermal Radial Brush and ELEVEN Australia Small Round Brush.
BOUNCY BLOW-DRY TIP #4:
Using the brush, wind a section of your hair tightly up to the roots. Apply heat with the hair dryer and then hold tightly to the scalp for 30 seconds. Repeat with different sections of your hair. The more sections, the more effective the blow-dry.
BOUNCY BLOW-DRY TIP #5:
Use your fingers to slowly roll out the hair, being careful not to run the brush through it and destroy the volume. Finish with a light-hold hairspray. beautyheaven recommends: Aveda Witch Hazel Light Hold Hairspray, John Frieda Luxurious Volume Fine to Full Blow-Out Spray and Models Prefer Style It Light Hold Hairspray.
Can you create a salon-worthy blow-dry at home? What are your tips for adding volume and bounce to hair?
Have you tried any of the products mentioned above?
Review them now to earn points that you can swap for free beauty products in RewardsRoom.
114 Member Comments
I think it's very cool to have such a long volume blow to dry the hair those are having issue to dry long hair ..
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 1
I'm simply too lazy to BW my hair. But I will on the other hand spend more time on my skin
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Thanks for the tip. Will definitely be buying some new brushes to get such great results.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
great tips will need to give this a go next time i blow dry
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I am so uncoordinated, I cannot manage a brush and dryer, that's why those big hair heated brush thingies are amazing!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 2
Was in the same boat but then bought a brush shaped dryer and absolutely love it. A friend even asked me if I go to salon every time I wash my hair. My simple trick is to divide in two parts and keep twisting away from face on each side, leave them twisted like that and open gently after 5 minutes.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Me either! I watch the hairdresser so carefully and try to copy at home but I don't have the skill!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I'm exactly the same. By the time I've left the hairdressers I'm convinced I have the technique down pat but when I try it at home it just doesn't work.
I cannot for the life of me hold a hairdryer in one hand, a brush in the other and wind the hair around the brush, stretch and dry. I'm going to buy one of the hairdryer/brushes because that should free up one hand.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 1
I'll join both of you - I can't do it at home either! That's why I pay my hairdresser to do it lol. Otherwise the brush will end up tangled in my hair & I'll end up with more knots than I had to begin with. I'm terrible at heat-styling my hair!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 1
I follow all of those tips except I've only been holding the brush at the root for a few seconds. Tomorrow, I will try the 30 second thing and see if that helps. I am a few days into using stuff from the brand Pump & have already noticed a huge difference in the volume and condition of my hair, so that combined with the blow drying technique might finally see me have hair of note!
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
My hair lacks volume but don't have time in the mornings to do anything special with it when I dry it with the hairdryer.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I need to buy a new heat protectant soon, thanks for the great tips.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
Blow drying my hair properly is too much effort. If it's a special occasion I'll normally straighten or curl my hair
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 1
I used to think the same but a brush dryer has changed that opinion for me. Now I find flat iron too much of an effort.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I have never used a brush dryer before
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I wasn't quite sure initially either and they don't look as great but quite a life saver.
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
thanks for the tips
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
I find heated rollers really effective, I could not live without them
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0
That's interesting. I tried to use the rollers but ended up getting my hair all tangled up and never touched again. :P
- Log in or register to commentReply to comment
- Likes 0