How to Get a Salon-Quality Blowout at Home

1. Prime and Prep Your Hair  

The perfect blowout starts with a primer. “If you think of a painter, they always prime their canvas before applying the paint to get the best results,” says Sunshine-Antonioni. “Spray a priming product, like the Pureology Colour Fanatic Multi-benefit Leave-in Treatment, from the mid-shaft to the ends of the hair and then follow with a product that’s appropriate for the look you’re going for.” This will add moisture and protect your hair from heat damage. 

If you’re going for a sleek style, you’ll want to use something that will enhance the shine and smoothness of your hair, the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Frizz Killer Serum Leave-In. For a fuller style, use a volume spray, like the Redken Guts 10 Volume Spray Foam, at your roots.

2. Pre-Dry Your Hair

If you’re wondering whether it’s better to do a blowout on wet or dry hair, the answer is neither. You’ll yield the best results with damp hair. 

“Start by pre-drying the hair with your blow dryer,” says Sunshine-Antonioni. “Use your hand to stretch your hair and pull on it with the tip of your blow dryer pointed down.” She says that anyone with curly hair should use a lot of tension, while those with finer hair should just move the dryer back and forth and do it hands free. Continue with this process until the hair is 80% dry.

3. Section Your Hair 

“Next, make sure your part is where you want it and create four sections, one to the left, one to  right, one for your front pieces and one at the back of your head,” says Sunshine-Antonioni.

4. Choose the Right Brush 

According to Sunshine-Antonioni, it’s best to use a round bristle brush when you want a salon-level blowout. “The bigger the brush, the straighter the hair, the smaller the brush, the tighter the curls — choose according to the result you’re going for,” she says.

5. Blow Dry Your Hair Like a Pro  

Sunshine-Antonioni recommends starting in the front of your hair. “If you have fine hair and you start in the back, by the time you get to the front, it’s pretty much dry and you’ve set your hair up to be flat,” she says. It’s also important to focus more on the ends of your hair. “A lot of times people will spend time and energy by going from the root to the tips of the hair, but for a beautiful, polished blowout, you really just need to focus on the ends of the hair.”

If you want a smoother blowout with polished ends, roll your hair in toward the face, wrapping your hair around your brush. “A lot of times I see women drying their hair and they’re using a round brush, but the hair is not wrapping around the brush so the ends look frizzy,” says Sunshine-Antonioni.

6. Finish With Hairspray

Once your salon-worthy blowout is done, Sunshine-Antonioni recommends setting your style in place with a light mist of flexible hairspray, like the Color Wow Cult Favorite Firm + Flexible Hairspray. We also love the Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Humidity Aerosol Hairspray for a stronger hold. 

7. Refresh With Dry Shampoo