How Hair is Like Butter - Three Common Mistakes in Blow Drying Hair

I have the frizzies.

My curls won’t straighten right.

My hair has no volume.

Why doesn’t my hair look the same as when I left the salon?

These are the most common things I hear from my guests when they talk to me about the trials and tribulations of getting their hair to behave. They use blow-dryers, flat-irons, difusers, sprays, gels and some have even tried condiments not really designed for use as hair products. Trust me, the mayonnaise aisle at Sam’s Club is not where you want to buy hair products.

So, here are a few mistakes that people make almost daily that prevent them from getting the looks they want from their hair.

1) The Half-Dry — I know it’s not easy getting ready for work in the morning. A lot of moms have to make the kids lunches for school, shower, get dressed and their hair gets left for last. As a result, they get out of the shower, look at the clock, panic, and then fire up the blow dryer. When the top layer of hair is dry, they figure it’s “dry enough,” so they stop halfway through so they can make it to work on time. While I am sure their bosses applaud their attention to punctuality, their hair is screaming “I’m still wet!” Stopping halfway through means that the wet hair will dry naturally. In the natural Florida humidity, that means it will curl and frizz as it dries. Do yourself a favor and wake up 10 minutes earlier so you have the time to finish what you start with the blow dryer. Your hair will thank you.

2) But I’m Using What You Told Me To Use — Typically, I will recommend products for my guests based on their hair type and lifestyle, but sometimes they’ll complain because they aren’t getting the same result I got when I used the product on their hair in the salon. The most common mistake is that the product isn’t being properly applied. Most people will pour the product in their hands and then rub it through their hair with their fingers. That may be a faster way of doing it, but not the most thorough way. My recommendation is to take a fine-toothed comb and run it through your hair after you’ve applied the product. This will spread the product around more evenly and you’ll get a much better result.

3) Pump Up the Volume — Here’s the big mistake my guests make all too often. In order to build a little volume, they’ll flip their hair over and blast the roots with the hot air from the blowdryer. When they’re done, they’ll just flip the hair back over and think they’re done, but later they’ll complain they still aren’t getting the volume they want on top. Here’s the reason they fail: Hair is like butter. When you heat butter, it melts and then it takes on the shape of whatever it melted into once it cools. Hair does the same thing. When you heat hair, it becomes malleable and softer, enabling you to make it do what you want it to do. The problem is, after you flip your hair over, it cools in the flat position, so that momentary volume you achieved will be gone in a few minutes.

The secret is to buy a blow dryer that allows you to switch from hot air to a cold blast. When you’re hair is still flipped over and you’ve heated it with the blow dryer, give it a cold blast before you flip your hair back. That way, you will cool your hair in the volumized position, and you’ll keep that volume all day long.

I’m interested in hearing your comments and complaints, so email me here dpsalonandspa@gmail.com to give me your feedback and ask me your questions about haircare. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

In style,

Darren Pena