How to Straighten Hair With a Blow Dryer

Prepping Your Hair

Get the right tools, including hair dryer with a nozzle. The most basic tool you need to blow out your hair is a good hair dryer with a nozzle that will direct the heat in a concentrated stream. This will result in a smoother blowout than one done without a nozzle. Most hair dryers come with a nozzle attachment, but you can purchase one separately if yours doesn't. In addition to a hair dryer, you'll need the following: Wide-toothed comb or detangling brush Large round, boar-bristle brush Heat protectant product Hair oil or anti-frizz serum Hair clips

Wash your hair. Shampoo and condition your hair in the shower as normal. Since you're planning to blow it out straight, consider using a straightening shampoo and conditioner to reduce the volume before you even start your blowout.

Blot your hair dry. As soon as you step out of the shower, use a towel or an old, clean t-shirt to gently blot the excess water from your hair. Don't squeeze, rub, or twist it up, as this can make it frizzy. Just use a towel or t-shirt to absorb the water dripping from your hair.

Comb out any tangles. Use a wide-toothed comb to comb your hair before you start your blowout. It's much better to start your blowout with tangle-free hair since the brush you'll be using could damage your hair if it catches on any knots.

Apply a heat-protectant product. Heat-protectant products contain polymers that bind to your hair and keep it from getting fried by the hair dryer. Squirt a nickel-sized amount into your palm, rub your hands together, and smooth the product into your hair from roots to tips. You may also want to use a straightening cream or mousse with the heat protectant if it does not provide hold. Check the label to be sure. If you don't have a heat protectant product, apply leave-in conditioner or anti-frizz serum. It's better than drying your hair with no product at all. Avoid using too much product, as it could leave your hair limp and greasy instead of shiny and sleek.

Move to the bedroom if it’s too hot in the bathroom. Humidity causes curly hair to frizz up, so blow-drying your hair in the bathroom just after taking a hot shower is not ideal. To get the best out of your blowout, blow dry your hair in a bedroom or different room with a mirror and no humidity.

Blowing Out Your Hair

Rough dry your hair until it’s 80% dry. Instead of jumping straight to drying it out straight, start by using the dryer without a brush to get your hair about 80% dry. Hold the hair dryer several inches from your head and dry your hair all over, using your other hand to comb through your hair and tousle it to help all the layers dry evenly. Stop when your hair is still damp but no longer wet. Rough drying protects your hair from getting too damaged by your hairbrush and dryer. If you go straight to using the brush, it will take twice as many passes to get each section of hair straight. It's better to get most of the way there without a brush. Make sure to point the dryer so the air is blowing down the shaft of your hair from roots to tips, not up it. Aiming the blow dryer this way will help to keep the cuticle closed and create a smoother look. You can also allow your hair to air-dry if you don’t feel like blow-drying it twice.

Pin up the top layers of your hair. Gather the top layers of your hair and pin or ponytail them at the top of your head. You'll start by drying the bottom layers and unpin more layers until your hair is fully dry. This way, you'll be able to ensure that all of your hair is evenly dried and straightened.

Drape a small section of hair around your brush. Choose a section of hair to start with and drape it over your brush close to the roots. The brush should be touching your head, with the hair hanging over it. This will enable you to pull the section of hair taut as it dries, which is the key to getting it straight.

Turn on the hair dryer and position it 2 to 3 in (5.1 to 7.6 cm) from the brush. In most cases, you want to use a medium heat setting to reduce damage to your hair. However, if your hair is extremely curly, use the hottest setting to ensure it dries straight.

Angle the dryer down as you pull the brush from roots to tips. Pull your hair taut with the brush and run it through your hair from roots to tips. At the same time, angle your hair dryer down and move it down the length of your hair. The brush and hair dryer should move in sync. If your hair lacks volume, brush your hair upwards. If you want it to lie flat, brush it downwards. No matter how you angle the brush, always keep the hair dryer angled down so the stream of air moves from the roots to the tips. This helps the hair shaft lie flat and prevents frizzing. Move the dryer back and forth across your hair to prevent keeping the heat over one area for too long.

Brush and dry until the section is dry. One pass isn't usually enough to dry a section of hair. Keep drying the same section until it's completely dry and straight. Remember to brush from roots to tips, holding the hair taut. Angle the dryer downward.

Continue sectioning, brushing, and drying section by section. Keep going until the entire bottom layer is dry, then unpin the next layer of hair and repeat. Continue until your hair is completely dry from top to bottom.

Finishing the Look

Blast your hair with cold air. Turn your dryer to the cool setting and finish off the top layer by blasting your hair with cold air from the roots down toward the tips. This helps the hair shaft lie flat and prevents frizzing throughout the day. This can also help you to see if there are any damp spots left in your hair. Any remaining damp sections will need another pass with the blow dryer.

Apply serum to keep your hair sleek. Use an anti-frizz serum or argan oil to keep your hair shiny and straight. Rub a little through your fingers and comb it through your hair, focusing on the tips, which tend to dry out sooner than the rest of the hair.

Use a straightener if necessary. Curly or wavy hair can be difficult to completely straighten with a hair dryer alone. Your hair should be sleek, but it might not be bone-straight. If you want it to be perfectly straight, use a straightening iron on each section of hair after you’ve blow-dried it.