The little things in life.

As some of you may already know, my favorite thing in the world is getting my hair blown out; it’s the best feeling ever. I also love the soothing sound of the blow dryer. Growing up, our mother would do her hair at night after putting us to bed, and I remember that sound as I fell asleep. Now, doing it by myself at home is a completely different story—it requires patience and skill, and it’s not relaxing. That’s why I love when someone else does it for me.

So for some professional tips – we turn to the queen of blow-dries – Vanessa Fortino [V.F].

[V.F] Understanding blow drying made me better at colouring and cutting. When I lived in Toronto a few years back – I couldn’t find a salon that I loved, so worked for a blow dry bar. I was banging out blow dries, day in – day out. So when I came home, I carried it with me. It made me a better hairdresser, because I understand the shape of the head better. I understand how the hair is going to fall.

Here are all the tools you’ll need:

Blow dryer
Round Brush
Hair Clips
Blow Dry Nozzle

This was hard to piece together. A blow dry may sound simple, but it is actually very technical. Creating a step-by-step guide is a bit challenging due to the many variables involved—such as hair texture, type, and condition. Therefore, this post serves as more of a loose guide with some helpful tips.

[V.F] This isn’t easy to do yourself – so don’t be too hard on yourself if you can’t get it right. If you can – find someone else to do it for you– it will be a lot easier. As always, you can ask your stylist for tips or advice too. A good stylist will want you to execute your hair style the same way they do.

TIP: Hair won’t hold its shape or product when it’s soaking wet, so make sure to gently towel dry your hair first to remove some of the excess water.

[V.F] Always make sure you add product first to protect your hair from the heat of the dryer. My favorite is Sebastian Professional Dark Oil. Then there is Sebastian Professional Taming Elixir or Texturizer.

[V.F] For a finishing product, Sebastian just came out with a styling cream called Sublimate. Honestly, it makes your hair feel like cashmere. It works well on both hair types – it takes any frizziness out for curly/textured hair and for fine hair it really holds everything together. And, it’s weightless It’s just the perfect finish.

TIP: Always read the labels on how to apply the product. The Sebastian website has amazing product info.

Rough Dry your hair first.

[V.F] Rough drying is basically to get the dampness out of the hair. But it’s important to know which direction to point the nozzle. If you have curly or textured hair – forcing it in the wrong direction will make the hair appear frizzier. So, you want to a make sure to point the nozzle downward. If you have finer hair – you want to add volume. So you should put your head upside down and blow dry downward.

Section out your hair.

Separate your hair into four sections – one at the crown, one on each side and one in the back. Twist each section and secure with a clip.

What is the rule of thumb when it comes to what size of round brush to use?

[V.F] It depends on the length of your hair. If you have really short hair – you’ll want to use a small to medium brush. If you want volume – go with medium. But, if you want a smooth finish– you should go with a large or extra-large brush.

Now this is the part I hate – Lol. The actually blow drying.

[V.F] This is where it gets kind of hard to explain because every head of hair is always different. You really need to find a method that works for you. You don’t necessarily need to section it out. For smoothing – you really always want to hold the hair dryer up and point the nozzle down. If you want volume – you want to get underneath the hair and point the nozzle upwards. Cooler air will help seal the hair cuticle giving it a smoother look and it will help set the style. So switch the setting on your dryer and shoot it with some cool air before you take the brush out.