Help for the hairstyling-challenged

[Greta]

I'm 44 years old, and apparently don't know how to use a blow-dryer.

 

My hair is straight, medium coarseness, and super thick. For most of my adult life I've worn it long and avoided the blow-dryer to keep it healthy at that length.  I recently got it cut shorter, like this:  https://www.hairfinder.com/hairstyles17/backlight-hairstyles-8.htm   This, as you can see, is not a wash-and-go cut, but requires some styling.  I don't necessarily want to make it quite as "voluminous" as it is in this picture, but you hopefully get the general idea.

 

When my stylist blow-dried it for me, it was perfect:  lots of body and "movement", soft and silky, just really nice.  But when I blow-dry it, instead of all that loveliness I somehow just get poofy.  Like a giant stiff, dry cotton puff instead of soft and silky.  What am I doing wrong??   :confused1:

 

 

[Greta]

That happens to me too. 

 

You could just get it blow dried at the hairdresser's once a week :) That's my plan, when I become wealthy!

 

 

That would be nice!   :001_smile:  But I don't see my income increasing anytime in the near future.  (Probably the opposite...)

[Scarlett]

I'm 44 years old, and apparently don't know how to use a blow-dryer.

 

My hair is straight, medium coarseness, and super thick. For most of my adult life I've worn it long and avoided the blow-dryer to keep it healthy at that length.  I recently got it cut shorter, like this:  https://www.hairfinder.com/hairstyles17/backlight-hairstyles-8.htm   This, as you can see, is not a wash-and-go cut, but requires some styling.  I don't necessarily want to make it quite as "voluminous" as it is in this picture, but you hopefully get the general idea.

 

When my stylist blow-dried it for me, it was perfect:  lots of body and "movement", soft and silky, just really nice.  But when I blow-dry it, instead of all that loveliness I somehow just get poofy.  Like a giant stiff, dry cotton puff instead of soft and silky.  What am I doing wrong??   :confused1:

 

 

I can never blow dry mine like my hair dresser.  Try a curling iron/blow dryer combination...or after you do your best blow dry, use a big round curling iron to soften it out without straightening it.

 

I have thick curly,kinda wild hair too.

[Garga]

My hair is thin and wispy and when I blow dry it it gets thinner and wispier.  Why is hair so annoying like that?  Whatever is bad about it becomes worse when you try to make it nice.

 

The only way I can figure out how to get the same response from my hair as a hairdresser can get, is to figure out how to have an out of body experience where I stand outside my body and do my own hair.  

 

There's gotta be something about not having to have your arms waving up about your ears when you're doing hair.  When you can put someone in a chair and lower them down, then you can style at the correct angle.  I think it's impossible to style with your arms in the air and the blood rushing out of them.

 

Sorry that wasn't helpful.  I'm sitting here with hair half sticking to my head and half sticking up and with a bizarre cowlick down the back of it because I blew dried it this morning and didn't also take a curling iron to it.  If it air dries it's even worse, if possible.  

 

If I use 2 different (sometimes 3) products, blow dry it, use a curling iron AND a straightening iron, I can make it presentable.  Anything less and it's horrible.

[J-rap]

My hair is thick and gets real poofy (haha -- my computer keeps trying to change that word to "goofy") too, except in the summer when it's hot and humid and then it gets frizzy.

 

This is what I've found works.  I avoid the hairdryer altogether.  On especially poofy days (there it goes trying to change it to goofy again!), I sometimes wear a beanie for awhile as it dries.  (For me it often depends on the weather.)  But normally, I just let it dry naturally, and then I use my big round curling iron on it.  Not to really curl it much, but to smooth it down a bit and get the hairs going in the direction I want them to go, with maybe a little flip at the end.  I use a 2-inch diameter curling iron.  Doing this not only makes it less poofy and going the right direction, but it makes it softer.

 

BTW, I really like that haircut!  

 

[Carol in Cal.]

I would suggest trying a rinse out smoothing conditioner, and then drying the bottom of your head first, just above the nape of your neck, and then letting it dry naturally, tousling it a bit with your fingers as it dries.

[Scarlett]

My hair is thick and gets real poofy (haha -- my computer keeps trying to change that word to "goofy") too, except in the summer when it's hot and humid and then it gets frizzy.

 

This is what I've found works.  I avoid the hairdryer altogether.  On especially poofy days (there it goes trying to change it to goofy again!), I sometimes wear a beanie for awhile as it dries.  (For me it often depends on the weather.)  But normally, I just let it dry naturally, and then I use my big round curling iron on it.  Not to really curl it much, but to smooth it down a bit and get the hairs going in the direction I want them to go, with maybe a little flip at the end.  I use a 2-inch diameter curling iron.  Doing this not only makes it less poofy and going the right direction, but it makes it softer.

 

BTW, I really like that haircut!  

 

 

I rarely use the blow dryer on mine either.  I go to sleep with it wet and use a flat iron on it...but I like mine straight.  If I want some body and wave a big croudn curling iron does it fine.

[Miss Peregrine]

Blow dry your hair upside-down to almost dry. Like, thisclose. Just run your fingers through it as you dry it.

Flip yourself up and pile all your hair on top of your head, secured with a clip, except the very bottom layer in the back. 

Use a brush like thishttps://www.amazon.com/Professional-Purpose-Bristle-2-6-Inch-Diameter/dp/B015U69XVA/ref=sr_1_12_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1513202551&sr=8-12&keywords=wood+blow+drying+brush+round

and blow dry small sections. You can flip up or under or alternate.

Take another layer out of the clip and repeat until it is all dry. 

If it's too poofy run your fingers through to calm it down a little.

 

ETA: poofy, not goofy

Edited December 13, 2017 by Miss Peregrine

[momacacia]

What product did she use before drying it? What type of brush or comb?

 

Also, I had good success going to ULTA and asking for product suggestions for my situation.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

When I had my hair styled like yours, I would do much as Miss Peregrine suggested.  

 

I think the three keys are 1) using the proper brushes (I'd use three: a flat brush for smoothing, a curved vent brush for basic drying/styling, and a 2- or 3-inch round brush for finishing), 2) drying it upside down until almost dry or fluffing it every few minutes while it almost dried naturally, and 3) drying the lower portion separate from the upper portion.  

 

My technique:

First, I would bend over and just messily blow dry while running my fingers through my hair, turning side to side, moving the blow dryer constantly as I dried different sides of my head. (This is to duplicate the effect that your stylist got by lifting small sections as he/she dried it).  I could generally do this step with blowdryer on high, but you may need to start on medium.  You want your hair to still be damp at this point, but the hairs to be separate from each other, not clumped together.  It should look fresh and have movement, but not be dry and frizzy.  If you over do it, spray it slightly with a spray bottle.

 

Next, I'd stand upright and brush my hair with a flat brush to smooth it. I might add some sort of smoothing product, probably a serum, at this point, and some styling product.  I'd put a tiny bit on wet hands, work it through my hair with my fingers, then with the flat brush.  (The Wet brand brush works good for this).  

 

Then I'd switch to a vent brushing low heat/low air to finish styling, flipping the lower section of hair up as I dried it, then flipping the upper section forward and down on the sides, and straight down on the back (holding the brush with the right hand to style the left side of my head, and holding it in the left hand to style the right side).  For unruly sections, or if it was too fluffy, I'd use the round brush and possibly extra styling product, to force the stubborn locks into submission.  

 

If your blow dryer doesn't have separate heat and air settings, just use the high setting for the initial, upside-down initial finger drying, then switch to low for brush styling.

 

Hope this helps,

[Greta]

Thank you all so much for the help!  

 

Garga, I am sorry to hear about your hair woes too.   :sad:  No doubt you're definitely right about the stylist having an advantage in terms of the angle at which she's working, compared to when I'm trying to do it myself.  I'd love to see how stylists manage to style their own hair!  

 

Suzanne, thank you for the very detailed description!

 

Momacacia, she just used a mousse before blow-drying it, and then a little bit of a shine serum after it was styled.  (I have cheaper versions of both of the products that she used, but not those exact brands.)  She used a large, round brush, and she had an attachment on the dryer that (I don't know the right term here!) sort of "concentrates" the flow of air.

 

Again, thank you very much for every single post - I so appreciate the help!

[Alicia64]

Hi Greta!

 

First of all: super cute hair cut. I recently went from a bob to a cut similar to yours. I was great at drying my hair as a teen, but since I had kids, every hair skill is totally gone.

 

Here's what I did. . . I started to watch an evening Houston news anchor who does You Tube videos in the daytime. She very kind, very transparent -- and very helpful. Here's where I started:

.

 

No, her hair doesn't match yours or mine perfectly, but it's a great starting point. I started watching a bunch of her You Tubes.

 

Also, you probably need good product in your hair. I got one or two of the things Dominique suggested.

 

I hope this helps!

 

Alley

[solascriptura]

I think I would blow dry it as you already and then use a texturizing spray of some sort. Maybe a curl enhancing spray? That style is a little shorter than mine, but similar. I use the spray on damp hair and scrunch it a bit. The curl enchancingspray kind of gives my hair a more piece-y look. Sometimes if the himidity is low I can use the spray on wet just washed hair and that’s enough to give it an intentionally messy look. You know, beachy waves. At least I hope it does. I guess some might think I just rolled out of bed. Hehehe.

[Greta]

Thank you, Alley!  I just watched the video you linked, and it was fun and helpful.  I'll watch more of them later this evening.

 

Sola - I've never tried a curl enhancing spray, so I'll give that a shot!

[solascriptura]

Thank you, Alley! I just watched the video you linked, and it was fun and helpful. I'll watch more of them later this evening.

 

Sola - I've never tried a curl enhancing spray, so I'll give that a shot!

I use the one from Garnier Fruitis (sp?). Smells good and it’s inexpensive. Worth a shot.

[Arcadia]

For the soft and silky effect, I would need to use a leave in conditioner. Else my messy, thick with unruly waves hair would look like a lion’s mane (according to my buddies).

 

The blow dryer attachment is a concentrator and is usually included with the blow dryer. For my hair, the hairstylist alternates between a concentrator and a diffuser nozzle attachment when styling.

[Alicia64]

Thank you, Alley!  I just watched the video you linked, and it was fun and helpful.  I'll watch more of them later this evening.

 

Sola - I've never tried a curl enhancing spray, so I'll give that a shot!

 

I'm so glad you like her, Greta. I think she's great. The hair products I see her using include:

 

Got to Be Fatastic mousse.

 

Hair spray called Kenra Volume 25. (It sounds neat in that it doesn't make her hair full of thicky, sticky product. She washes her hair every two or three days and apparently this hair spray leaves her hair soft and nice.

 

And something called Living Proof Amp.

 

I haven't tried the products yet, but I have started using a curling iron based on her videos.

 

I think she's sent from heaven! :)

 

Alley

[Okra]

When I cut my hair short, I realized the same thing!  I actually called my hairstylist back and explained that I really didn't know what I was doing  (and yes, felt kinda stupid too).  But, it was the BEST thing ever!  She had me come back in and taught me how to style it.  I would do try it, and then she would tell me what I was doing wrong and how to fix it.

 

Honestly, best thing I ever did for my hair

[Greta]

When I cut my hair short, I realized the same thing!  I actually called my hairstylist back and explained that I really didn't know what I was doing  (and yes, felt kinda stupid too).  But, it was the BEST thing ever!  She had me come back in and taught me how to style it.  I would do try it, and then she would tell me what I was doing wrong and how to fix it.

 

Honestly, best thing I ever did for my hair

 

 

Wow, what a great stylist!  My stylist is such a sweetheart, and I've been going to her for many years, so she would probably be open to this as well.  Thanks!