Alright, gentlemen - this one's for you!

What if we told you that you have been blow drying your hair all wrong.  Lucky for you, we're going to clue you in on how to dry your hair and achieve a voluminous look at the same time.

You're just 5 tips away from the best hairdo of your life...

 

Blow drying hair is truly an art.

The hair dryer is your paint brush and your hair is the canvas. Perfect blowouts aren't just exclusive to women - with the correct technique, men can achieve perfect blowouts,  too!

We took advice from celebrity stylist, Mark Bustos, and put together an easy-to-follow list of 5 blow-drying tips for you, men.

F.Y.I. - you'll need a quality hair dryer. Check out How The IONIC Hair Dryer Changed My Life to help you choose the perfect dryer. You won't achieve optimal results with these styling tips without one - you've been warned.

Tip #1: Don't Hold The Blow-Dryer Too Close To Your Hair

Make sure that your hair is damp and not soaking wet; this will prevent heat damage - maybe even spray Lakme's K.Style Heat Protection Spray! Towel-dry your hair and wait around 10 to 15 minutes before you start blow-drying. Contrary to popular belief, holding the dryer close to your hair will not make it dry any quicker - it'll burn your head and hair instead. The comfortable distance between your hair and the blow dryer is about 6 to 8 inches.

 

Tip #2: Ease It With The Heat

Once your hair is dry, it's advised to switch off the heat and use the 'cool' temperature option. Leaving the heat on for more than it should be, will result in burning your hair. The 'cold' setting will actually add a bit of extra volume and set your hair. Blow drying your hair using excessive heat will also result in drying out your hair, therefore once your hair is fully dry, continue styling with the cooler temperature.

BTW, the cooler temperature will give your hair a shiny finish!

 

Tip #3: Show Your Dryer Who's Boss

Target the airflow to direct the direction you want your hair to go - simple enough right? Wrong. This is such a common mistake in blow drying hair - simply applying the dryer to your hair without directing airflow will result in frizzy hair! If you want to wear your hair over to the right side, smooth it over using your hands, and with a concentrator, direct the pressure of the air in the direction you want to wear the hair. Usually this is tip is easier using a brush, rather than your fingers - give CHI's Turbo Styling Brush a try!

 

Tip #4: Decide How Much Volume You Want

There is such a thing as different levels of volume! The question is: do you want to increase the volume of your hair, or decrease it? If you're going for a flatter look, and want the front of your hair to be a bit higher, using your Turbo Styling Brush, simply blow dry and brush from the back of your head to the front, to flatten the hair. To lift the hair in the front, brush in upwards strokes with the concentrator angled blowing upwards. 

 

Tip #5: Get To Know Your Dryer

This is the most important tip of all... Your dryer has a cold and hot temperature option for a reason - take advantage of these 2 settings! The hot temperature setting has its own characteristics, while a cold temperature setting achieves something entirely different in the styling process. Think of it this way - heat applied to our skin opens our pores, right? The hair's equivalent to 'pores' are called 'cuticles', which is the outer coating of the hair; when heat is applied to the hair, cuticles open. With hot air applied to the open cuticles, you'll be able to manipulate the hair, and move it into whatever direction you want to wear it. Once the hair is DRY, switch to the 'cool' temperature setting to "close the open cuticles", sealing the style in. By shutting the cuticles with the cold air, your hair will also appear shinier and healthier. 

You can apply a small amount of American Crew's Heavy Hold Pomade to assist with holding your style in place!

 

You have the tips, the tools, and the hair - we believe in you! After following these tips and practicing them a few times, you'll be a pro like Mark Bustos in no time. Just make sure to avoid the few common mistakes, and you'll be rocking the healthiest hair and best man-blowout in town.

Channel your inner stylist and make us proud!

Let us know about how your man-blowouts turned out in the comments!

 

XOXO,

Chiara