How to Do a Bouncy Blow Dry

It’s easy to assume that the only way to achieve a blow-dry with added ‘oomph’ is to spend time (and money) at the salon, but the truth is that you’re totally capable of creating this style statement all on your own - you just need the right tools and the right plan. As they say in Mean Girl “That’s why her hair is so big - it’s full of secrets.” - and we’ve got the secret to a DIY bouncy blow-dry right here.

What tools do you need for your bouncy blow-dry

Before attempting the technique, you need to make sure that your blow-dry toolkit is fully stocked. There are a few different brushes and accessories that you need in your back pocket if you want to become a blowout boss - but they are all affordable and easy to get your hands on.

Round Brush

A good round brush is your secret weapon to a seriously bouncy blowout. To get the volume and the soft curl you’re after, you want a hairbrush with a circular barrel that can handle your hair type. The Tangle Teezer Round Tool is the perfect hairbrush for the job and will leave your hair full of bounce and volume but still sleek and smooth. It comes in two sizes so whether you’re dealing with short or long hair - here’s an option for you. See our full range of blowdry hairbrushes.

Comb

It’s also great to have a few other hairbrushes and combs handy when you’re in pursuit of the perfect blow-dry. We recommend grabbing the Ultimate Detangler - to make sure your hair is totally tangle free before you start drying and also the Ultimate Teaser which is great for sectioning at the start and adding some extra volume at the end.

Section Clips

The key to a good blow-dry is giving each section of your undivided attention whenever you’re working on it. Sectioning clips will help you keep the rest of your hair out of the way whilst you’re working on a small section. These are way more effective than tying your hair back with a bobble or scrunchie - and won’t leave crimps or dents in your glossy, blow-dried mane!

Volumising Shampoo and Conditioner

A great blow-dry starts with a good hair wash and the products you use in the shower can have a big difference on the end result. You want to wash with lightweight volumising shampoos and conditioners that won’t weigh your hair down and burst your bounce.

Blow-Dry Volumiser for styling

Another product you may want to invest in is some Volumising spray. This can be especially helpful if you have straight hair that tends to fall flat fast - but make sure you’re using something lightweight that works for your hair type, otherwise, it could turn down the volume rather than pumping it up!

Hair Dryer

Of course, for a blow-dry - we need a hairdryer. You don’t necessarily need to go for salon level tech when it comes to your dryer, but it is a good idea to choose one with different heat and power settings. This type of blow-dry doesn’t require intense heat the whole time, so being able to bring the temperature down a few degrees will make a huge difference to heat damage.

How to do a bouncy blow dry with Tangle Teezer

Now, you’ve got your tools, you’re ready to get your bounce on. Here’s our step by step guide to getting the blow-dry of your dreams.

1) Wash your hair with volumising shampoo and conditioner

Head to the bathroom and grab your volumising shampoo and conditioner. Make sure that you’re using something that works for your hair type and isn’t going to weigh you down. Hot tip: If your bouncy blow-dry is for an event and you’re using a new product for the first time, maybe try it out beforehand, so you know how your hair reacts. And remember, you have too much of a good thing, so only use a small, pea-sized amount of product.

In the shower, you can use our Scalp Exfoliator and Massager to really work through your shampoo and our Ultimate Detangler to draw through conditioner.

2) Towel or air dry your hair

It might be tempting to dive straight into blow-drying, but the truth is that this could ruin both your hair and your look. Using a hairdryer on wet hair is a recipe for long term heat damage and will also stop you from getting a smooth and shiny finish.

You want your hair to be at least 60% dry before turning up the heat, so dry your hair carefully with a towel and then leave it to air dry (perfect time for a bit of outfit or makeup prep!) During this time you can also use your Ultimate Detangler to make sure tangles and knots are tackled.

3) Apply volumising styling product along with a heat protector

Another way you can limit the impact of heat damage is to use a protective spray. Again, you don’t want to use this on soaking wet hair so once your hair is around 60% dry, give it a little spritz of your variety heat protector. At this stage, it’s also a good idea to apply some volumising product. Avoid creams and mousses that could weigh down your hair or make it greasy and instead opt for a lightweight thermo-modelling spray. This will not only help you achieve the bounce and lift you’re looking for but will also help your blow-dry last from day to night.

4) Section your hair

Sectioning is an important, but often overlooked part of the blow drying process. You want to focus on one section at a time and avoid wet and dry hair getting tangled up during the process. Use the tail-end of your Ultimate Teaser to split your hair down your centre parting and then into small sections on each side - the number of sections will depend on the thickness of your hair and how much hair you have. Once you have your even sections, use your sectioning clips to pin each section out of the way - you’re now ready to dry!

5) Use a round barrel brush

Once you’re ready to dry, it’s always best to start with your fringe - as this can dry quickly (and awkwardly) if not blow-dried in line with the rest of your look. Take your Round Tool and wrap a small section (just enough to cover the brush) of hair around your tool then pull your fringe through the brush whilst drying with your hairdryer - this shouldn’t take long and is a nice easy place to start.

Now it’s time to tackle the rest of your mane! Concentrate on one section at a time, and you can always split that section into smaller sections if it’s too much for your tool to handle.

Carefully wrap the hair around the round barrelled hairbrush and direct the nozzle of your dryer over the teeth as you move the brush through from root to tip. You want to keep your dryer on a medium heat to avoid damage and hold it around 5 inches away from your hair. Direct it in a downwards direction so it will smooth the cuticle down - a smooth flat cuticle = guaranteed shine!

For extra bounce, lift each section of your hair up and away from your scalp and dry the roots away from their natural direction (aka across to the other side of your head).

Once the section is nearly dry, concentrate on the ends and whilst keeping the hair wrapped around your Round Tool blast it with some cold hair - this will help lock the shape into place. If you have more than one round barrelled brush you can even leave that section in the hairbrush until it’s cooled and move on to the next section. This will give your look extra staying power!

Workaround your head with this technique until all sections are complete and boom! You’ve got yourself seriously bouncy blow-dry.

6) Hairspray

With your blow-dry done the last thing to do is set it in place. Take a lightweight but strong hold hairspray and give an even mist over your whole hair. If you want to add even more volume you could flip your hair upside down and use a little extra hairspray on your roots (for an even bigger bouffant you could backcomb your roots before your spray). And that’s it, your bouncy blow-dry is ready to take out on the town!