Smooth Sailing: Enduring Blowouts for Fine Tresses
If you have fine to medium-fine and minimally textured hair, you know that retaining the bombshell volume of a perfect blowout is not exactly a piece of cake. Fine hair tends to lack body, instead laying against the scalp and sopping up sebum -- a deal-breaker for long-lasting styles! To help save your locks from becoming lackluster, we talked to Maria Russo, who offered these strand-saving pointers:
Prep: To make your blow-dry last for days after a salon visit, head to the salon with clean hair.
At the Salon: Ask your stylist to shampoo your hair with a volumizing cleanser and only apply a volumizing conditioner to the ends of your hair. Once you're at the styling station, request that the amount of styling and smoothing products be kept at a minimum.
Post-Appointment: When you shower, wrap your hair in Velcro curlers, pin loose strands with bobby pins, and wrap your head in a cotton-lined shower cap. This provides protection against the moisture and steam and maintains volume.
Beauty Sleep: Before hitting the hay, loosely wrap your hair up in a high bun and secure with a scrunchie. If you’re looking to score extra waves, lightly twist hair back and forth as you form the bun shape. Make sure the bun is placed at the crown of your head, so as to avoid friction from your pillow.
You're All Wet: If your hair gets wet on a rainy or humid day, apply a dime-sized amount of anti-frizz serum throughout your mane. The serum will help your hair dry in smoother waves, transitioning your blow-dry into a soft, “blown-out” look.
Quick Refreshers:
- On day two after your blow-dry,get rid of limp pieces of hair by wrapping small sections around a medium-sized curling iron. Make sure you don’t clamp down on the iron, which will cause banana curls or unwanted creases. After you add a bit of curl, comb the wavy pieces out and apply shine spray.
- You can substitute a blow-dryer and round brush. Section off the front pieces of your hair on each side of your part and loosely pull the rest of your hair back. Using a round boar bristle brush, blow-dry those pieces, creating new, fresh waves. Make sure the blow-dryer is on the lowest heat possible. To finish, apply a few spritzes of hairspray.
- After day two or three, use dry shampoo to tackle unwanted grease! Flip your head upside down and spray all over. Once you're right side up, focus on the roots. Then lightly shake out your hair and use your fingers to distribute leftover powder.
