HOW TO BLOW DRY CURLY HAIR

It was like people had been waiting for it for years and when I finally uploaded the English version there were so many shocked responses. I decided to also make an updated Dutch video, which was received very good as well and now I will be writing a blog post to dig into it a little deeper and reveal some more secrets. I guess you already know what I am talking about… Yup, my curly hair routine! In this post I will be explaining to you what it is exactly that I do and I will also be giving you tips on how to blow dry your hair into full voluminous curls… Let’s go!

Wash, condition, co-wash
For me, this is where it all begins and this is where I have received the most shocked responses to, cause this is the thing: I almost always only use shampoo and conditioner, no other products. Say what? Yes! Nowadays I choose brands without sulfates, parabens or silicons which they say is “curly girl friendly” and that’s all. Up until a few months ago I also used a heat protector for when I would blow dry my hair, but this also has changed and I will explain why in this article.

Tip: My tip when it comes to washing would be to always use cold water when rinsing out the last bits of product. This will prevent your hair from becoming frizzy.

Blow dry, show off
When I have the time I try to air dry my hair as much as possible. But let’s be honest. This takes a lot of time and is simply quite annoying (and cold during the winter!) So blow drying is way more convenient and since a few months this has become even easier and faster since I am using the Dyson Supersonic. I had heard a lot about this hair dryer before, but to me, at first, this was just a way more beautiful version of my old hair dryer. But what is a good hair dryer anyway? And how to use it?

Invest in a good hair dryer + diffuser
It’s definitely worth it to invest in a good hair dryer, preferably one that comes with a diffuser. A diffuser is much needed for curly girls as it doesn’t disturb your natural curl pattern and is less damaging than direct heat from the hair dryer. For me, my hair is my crown so I always want the best of the best and I think that the Dyson Supersonic is definitely the queen of hair dryers. I now know that it has so many lovely features besides the beautiful design: it’s lightweight, it’s super fast (up until 8x as fast as the regular hair dryers, really noticeable!), it makes less noise and above all it has a built-in heat protector, which is why I don’t use any other products than shampoo and conditioner anymore.

Tip: It can be quite a hurdle to find a diffuser that fits your hair dryer afterwards, so buy it while you’re at it.

Medium & Cool
So how to do it? Set your hair dryer to the medium & cool setting and be gentle whilst you squeeze excess water out of the hair. Then apply product if you find that convenient (like I mentioned, this isn’t necessary with the Dyson Supersonic). Always hang your head upside down when using a hair dryer, especially when using a diffuser. This will give you more volume on top. Lightly place your curls on the claw of the diffuser, put the diffuser close to the scalp, and gently lift hair at the root to add volume.

Tip: In case you think your hair is still too wet after squeezing it, don’t use a towel but instead use a T-shirt. This is much softer to the hair!

80% – 20%
I never fully blow dry my hair, instead I blow dry until it is 80% dry and then wait for the other 20% to air dry. This is yet another way to keep your hair from becoming dry and frizzy. Afterwards it is up to you to either spray on some hairspray to fixate the look or simply scrunch it into the preferred shape and form.

Tip: Try not to over-dry the tips of your hair. If you can leave the tips hanging off the side of the diffuser, they’ll quickly air-dry and you won’t risk getting over dried or split ends.

 

Sometimes when I think of my hair routine I feel like it is very rigid and I sound like I am extremely OCD haha, but really. All of these tips have proven to work and I am very happy to finally have found the curly hair routine and equipment that works for me. I really hope this helped you further as well and let me know if you have any tips you’d like to share yourself!

 

 

 

In collaboration with Dyson