You're Doing It Wrong: How to Make Your Blowout Last Longer

How long your blowout lasts depends on three things: how you prep your hair, using a good dryer and how you blow it out.

Even if you have an extra-oily scalp (and therefore feel you can't go more than a day without washing your hair), celeb hairstylist Jen Atkin is about to debunk that myth. It doesn't matter what kind of hair you have, if you prep your hair correctly, you can go up to four long days with one blow dry. "It's all about using the right products and tools," confirmed the pro.
Surprisingly, it all starts with your shampoo.

Use Two Shampoos: "I always suggest washing with two different shampoos," said Jen. Come again? No, the pro's not telling you to wash your hair twice, she just wants you to use two different types of shampoos. "Use a cleansing shampoo at the roots and a repairing or smoothing shampoo on the ends to hydrate and balance out your hair texture," she said. Your ends need more love because that hair is older, color-damaged and really dry from heat tool usage. "Then condition as normal from mid length to ends," she added.
Use Prep Product Pre-Blowout: "Out of the shower, it's really important to use a priming product on your hair before you start the blowout," noted the expert. But what kind of hair you have will determine the type of product you prep with. "If you have fine to medium textured hair, use a volumizing spray or a wave spray. I also love using mousse at the roots for added volume," recommended Jen. "And then if you have thick, really frizzy hair, it's important to do a treatment once a week and also use a finishing cream or a hair oil before you start the blowout." Doing this will make sure your hair is hydrated and protected. 

Jacqueline Lee/E!

Pick the Right Blow Dryer: Now that you've prepped your particular hair type, you want to make sure you're not causing any further damage to your strands with excess heat. "If you have fine hair or broken hair from color, you want to make sure you're using a low-to-medium air flow setting," noted the pro. (It's all good though, because the Dyson Supersonic^TM hair dryer will cut your drying time in half.) It's also really important to pay attention to the type of nozzle you're using. That's why this dryer is amazing, because it has a styling concentrator, which is good for a nice voluminous blowout. The diffuser, on the other hand, is good for frizzy or really unruly hair."
The celeb stylist's final word of advice? "Everyone's hair is different, so I think it's really important people ask their hairstylist what their hair type is," she said.

That way, you'll be able to tailor the blowout specifically to you—and make it last!