There are plenty of reasons you may be wondering how to blow-dry your hair. Maybe you’re hoping to add volume to your hair, have a specific style in mind, or are just tired of leaving the house with damp hair.
There are plenty of reasons you may be wondering how to blow-dry your hair. Maybe you’re hoping to add volume to your hair, have a specific style in mind, or are just tired of leaving the house with damp hair.
Whatever it is, knowing how to blow-dry men’s hair properly can not only help your hair look its best but also save it from unnecessary damage.
We’ll cover how to blow-dry men’s hair (including curly hair), with special tips for blow-drying for volume and pointers for protecting your hair from damage if you regularly reach for a hair dryer.
We’re also including expert advice from Gabe DeJesus, a barber with over 20 years of experience and the owner of Studio58, a barbershop in Brooklyn, New York.
Looking for a step-by-step guide on how to blow-dry hair for men? We’ve got you covered.
Guys can follow these steps when blow-drying their hair.
After you’ve lathered up with shampoo and conditioner and rinsed everything out, gently towel-dry your hair. If you’re too rough, the friction between the towel and your hair can create frizz and flyaways.
It can also help to use a microfiber towel or a T-shirt instead of a traditional terrycloth towel, which can be hard on hair.
If you have long hair or need to detangle short hair, gently comb through it, starting at the ends and working up toward the roots. A wide-toothed comb is typically gentler than a bristle brush, which can snag.
Remember, wet hair is more vulnerable to breakage than dry hair, so try to avoid tugging or pulling your hair as you comb.
Even if you don’t know your way around a mousse or gel, using hairstyling products can really help with styling your hair.
According to DeJesus, using the right type of product is crucial. “Use a light volumizing mousse, spray, or light styling cream,” he offers, noting that this will give you a nice base to build on. “You’ll want to stay away from heavy pomades, wax, or gels.”
Spray or apply a small amount of heat protectant to minimize heat damage. This is particularly important for those who blow-dry daily.
Not all hair dryers are created equal. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on a blow dryer, but getting one with a few heat and speed settings can help you avoid damage and fine-tune your styling.
“Having a decent hair dryer with a concentrator nozzle will help a lot,“ DeJesus says. Those with curly hair may want one with a diffuser attachment.
Now it’s time to get to work. The style you’re trying to achieve will dictate how you blow-dry your hair. For example, if you want a sleek, smooth look, you’ll blow-dry your hair downward in the direction it grows.
If you’re hoping for maximum volume (more on that soon), you’ll blow-dry your hair in an upward motion. A more slicked-back style or a blowout men’s hairstyle (like a quiff or pompadour) may require a round brush.
DeJesus recommends starting with the blow dryer on a heat setting and finishing with cool or cold air to set the hair in place. (Many hair dryers have a cold-shot button for this.)
The cool air helps set your style in place and seal the hair cuticle, which promotes shine and helps prevent damage.
After your hair is dry, you can use hairspray to set your style in place. Some hairstyles may also benefit from products that hold, like hair wax or pomade. Depending on your preferences and the look you’re going for, you can use a product with a high-shine, semi-matte, or matte finish.
If you have fine hair, go lighter on the styling products to avoid making it look greasy or weighed down.
If you have curly hair, you probably know it can be frizz-prone, and maintaining the curl pattern when drying can be tricky. For these reasons, you’ll want to use a slightly different blow-dry technique than you would with straight hair.
“Curly hair is usually drier than straight hair,“ DeJesus says. This is because the bends and twists in the hair make it harder for oil from the scalp to moisturize down the hair shaft.
“When you use a hair dryer without a diffuser on curly hair, you may achieve the volume you’re looking for, but you’ll also get a ton of frizz,” he adds. “The diffuser simulates natural air-drying, but by using heat and airflow, it will enhance the volume of your curls.“
Natural hair with curls and texture also does best when product is applied to very wet hair — this helps you avoid frizzy hair once it dries.
To learn more about styling men’s curly hair, check out our guide to men’s curly hair types.
One of the key reasons people choose to blow-dry their hair instead of letting it air dry is to achieve more volume.
“To maximize lift at the roots, dry in the opposite direction of your hair’s growth pattern first,“ DeJesus says. “Then, begin blow-drying and styling in the direction of the growth pattern, using a vented round brush to lift sections of hair while directing heat at the roots.“
If you’re in a pinch, you can also use your fingers to lift your hair at the roots as you hit it with heat.
If volume is the goal, it’s helpful to start with volumizing hair products that lift and plump at the roots. (Our volumizing shampoo and conditioner are great options to kick off your hair care routine.)
Blow-drying at a high temperature can damage hair over time. One older study found that heat settings above 284 °F (140 °C) can cause damage to the hair cuticle that’s difficult to reverse.
A newer study on Indian women found that those who used a blow dryer were “significantly more likely“ to have microscopic changes to their hair compared to those who didn’t. These include things like uneven fraying, splitting, and hair breakage that may not be visible but weaken hair over time.
So, what can you do to protect hair from heat damage? You can:
Towel dry first. This helps remove excess moisture before blow-drying, reducing heat exposure. If you have time, it’s helpful to wait until your hair is about 50 percent dry before firing up your hair dryer.
Use an ionic or ceramic blow dryer. These help distribute heat more evenly and minimize damage.
Use the lowest heat setting. While it may take a little longer for hair to dry, this helps ensure it isn’t exposed to too much heat. If you have thicker hair, you might need medium heat to speed things along, but low is generally best.
Apply a heat protectant. Think of these heat protectants as potholders for the hair. Heat protectants create a protective barrier on the hair shaft that helps distribute heat evenly and slow down the conduction of heat, helping minimize damage.
Move the blow dryer constantly to avoid direct heat in one spot. Continuous motion helps keep the hot air moving and prevents one spot on the hair from overheating or burning.
Keep a distance of at least six inches between the blow dryer and the hair. This is the sweet spot for reducing damage caused by heat. In fact, there’s some evidence that holding your blow dryer six inches from your hair and keeping it moving may actually cause less damage than letting your hair air-dry. This is because of the stretching and swelling that happens inside the hair as it dries.
Finish with a cool setting. As mentioned, finishing your blow-dry session with a few blasts of cool air can help lock in your style and create smoother strands.
Use a weekly conditioning treatment. It might be hard to entirely avoid damage from blow-drying hair. But using a deep conditioner, hair mask, or conditioning treatment can help restore moisture and maintain hair strength.
Here’s a quick recap on how to properly blow-dry hair for men.
Blow-drying men’s hair involves some considerations, including gently drying, using a heat-protectant spray or serum, and investing in a decent blow dryer.
Techniques like blow-drying against the growth pattern, using a diffuser for curls, and finishing with cool air help enhance volume, shape, and hold for different hair types.
Using the right heat settings, keeping a safe distance between the blow dryer and your hair, and incorporating conditioning treatments can help prevent heat damage and maintain hair strength over time.
To learn more, check out our guides to hair care for men and whether blow-drying causes hair loss. (Spoiler: It shouldn’t.)
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