The blow-dry lesson

My current hair routine goes something like this: blast dry, straighten the life (and frizz) out of it, and then use curlers to put texture back in. “That’s ridiculous and unnecessary,” says Adam Reed, co-founder of Percy & Reed.“It doesn’t have to be that difficult. Cut out at least one of those steps and hair will be a lot happier.” So that’s me told, then.

1

Prep is key

“The filter in your dryer needs to be clean so air can flow through it better,” says Reed.“Your brush should be clean, too. If it’s not you’re just going to transfer yesterday’s dirt and oil onto your freshly washed locks. Get into the habit of pulling out hair after each use.” Reed also says not to rough dry hair first; instead scrunch with a towel or leave to air dry slightly and work in sections.“Each one should be the same width as the nozzle on your dryer, which is essential for targeted air flow,” he says.

2

Dry downwards

If, like me, you shake the hairdryer around like you’re doing the hokey-cokey, stop now.“It’s tempting to dry in an up-and-down motion, I know,” says Reed.“But that opens and closes the cuticle and results in frizz. Instead, take time drying each section downwards and finish with a cold shot of air to add shine.” (And, by the way, that actually works.) “Once sections are dry, you’ll see hairdressers ‘dread drying,’ where they twist the hair around itself, using hot air to mould and cold air to set in place. That gives your hair that tell-tale blow-dry bounce,” he adds.

3

Invest wisely

“Hairdryers can be expensive, but cheaper tends to equal heavier, meaning you can’t [comfortably] hold it up for as long,” explains Reed. Which is one of the main causes of half-arsed blow-dries, apparently.