Straighten Hair With a Blow Dryer: Master 9 Simple Steps

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase.

Struggling to leave home without perfectly straight hair? Daily straightening with irons can damage your locks. 

But here’s the solution: straighten hair with a blow dryer. Unlike irons, it’s gentler, dispersing heat evenly to reduce damage. However, achieving salon-quality straight hair with a blow dryer requires specific steps.

If you don’t know how, this comprehensive guide has you covered. Learn the secrets to frizz-free, sleek locks in this step-by-step tutorial. 

Say goodbye to daily hair struggles and hello to effortlessly straight hair!

Fast Facts

• Straightening your hair with a blow dryer can be a gentler alternative to using flat irons, reducing the risk of hair damage.

• To achieve salon-quality straight hair with a blow dryer, you need specific tools and products.

• Essential tools and products include a microfiber towel, a wide-tooth comb, heat protectant spray, hair mousse or spray, a high-quality blow dryer, a round brush, and hair clips.

Tools You Need To Straighten Your Hair With a Blow Dryer

Hair straightening with a blow dryer is a seamless process if you have all the other needed tools and products ready in your arsenal. 

Towel

Start with a gentle microfiber towel like the Polyte Professional Salon Towel to remove excess water from your hair post-shower.

Unlike coarse cotton, microfiber minimizes friction and prevents split ends.

Wide-Tooth Comb

Use a wide-tooth comb with rounded tips, like the Ancgreen Detangling Comb, to detangle wet hair without causing breakage.

Heat Protectant Spray

Apply a heat protectant spray to shield your hair from the damaging effects of heat styling.

This protective layer helps maintain moisture and hair strength.

Mousse and Hair Spray

Opt for mousse to add body and hold to your hair before blow-drying, and use hair spray to set your style after drying.

Blow Dryer

Choose a high-quality blow dryer with the following features:

• Power. Look for a dryer with wattage around 1800 or higher for thin hair and 3600 for curly hair to speed up drying.
• Technology, Ceramic and tourmaline technology evenly distributes heat and locks in moisture.
• Cool button. A cool air option helps seal your style in place.
• Attachments. Use a nozzle to concentrate airflow on specific areas.
• Heat and power controls. Adjust settings for your hair type.
• Weight. Opt for a dryer that weighs around two pounds for comfortable use.

For a well-rounded choice, consider the JINRI Ceramic Hair Dryer, which meets these criteria.

Round Brush

To straighten and add volume while taming frizz, use a ceramic round brush like Osensia’s Ceramic Ionic Thermal Barrel Brush.

It heats up quickly, reducing drying time and minimizing heat exposure.

A Step-By-Step Guide on How To Straighten Hair With a Blow Dryer

Got all that you need to straighten hair with a dryer ready? If everything is set, be prepared to give your hair a proper blowout. 

Here are all the steps you can follow to achieve straight hair with a blow dryer:

1. Ensure Your Hair Is Clean

Make sure your hair is clean by washing it with a protective shampoo and a leave-in conditioner for added moisture. 

By doing this, you’re essentially eliminating the excess oil in your hair, which might have made it difficult for your hair to maintain the style, texture, and volume achieved with a blow dryer.

2. Dry Your Hair With a Towel

Blow-drying your water-drenched hair can take forever! Not only would holding your styling tool up in the hair for a long period strain your arm, but it will also cause frizzy hair. 

As you know, prolonged exposure to heat can eventually remove the moisture in your cuticles. In reaction to this, your hair will naturally absorb moisture from the air which causes frizz.

To avoid this issue, you can choose to towel-dry your hair. 

Follow these tips when doing so:

• Be careful not to vigorously rub it against your tresses since this can cause serious damage. Instead, pat dry your hair using a microfiber towel. 
• You can gently lift your hair from the bottom to the top and gently squeeze out the excess water.
• If you have long hair, wrap it in a large microfiber towel and wait 10 to 15 minutes for it to absorb excess water.

Once your hair is 50% to 60% dry, you can move on to the next step of the blow-drying process.

3. Detangle Your Hair

Before straightening hair with a hair dryer, you must first detangle it.

This step will grant you a seamless blow-drying experience without having to deal with knots and tangles.

And since you’re dealing with damp hair, the best tool is a wide-toothed comb. 

Start lightly combing the ends and gradually moving toward the roots to prevent hair breakage. 

4. Apply Heat Protectant

And while you’re detangling your hair, you can simultaneously apply your heat protectant spray. 

This product’s formula adds an extra layer of protection against heat to your hair.

Consider it like sunscreen for your hair. Skipping it can damage your hair cells and blood vessels, leading to wrinkles, dryness, and discoloration.

Spritz the heat protectant all over your tresses and use your detangling comb to spread the product on your cuticles. 

Quick Tip

It shouldn’t just be any type of hair spray protection you should use! 

An ideal product should handle up to 450°F of heat to greatly reduce damage, no matter how hot your styling tool gets.

5. Apply Hair Mousse

Once you’ve applied the heat protectant, the next product to use is hair mousse. 

Hair mousse is crucial for maintaining your straightened and blow-dried hair, so don’t skip this step.

Hair mousse is typically put on damp hair and comes in a copolymer foam formula. It keeps your straight hair looking polished, bouncy, and frizz-free for hours.

Quick Tip

Adjust the amount based on your hair length. Short to medium hair needs a golf ball-sized amount, while longer hair may require more, like an egg-sized dollop. 

Afterward, use a wide-toothed comb or your fingers to evenly distribute the product over your hair.

6. Section Your Hair

Once your hair is mostly dry, use hair clips to start dividing it into sections.

Generally, sectioning your hair gives you better control over the area you’re working on and achieves even results. 

You can section your hair in 1 to 1 ½ inch portions, depending on hair thickness.

Make sure that each section can fully wrap around the brush while blow drying. 

7. Dry Each Section

For this step, you can start blow drying and styling your hair. 

Position your round brush under the roots of a hair section. Slowly slide it downward with a few rotations to create tension and prevent the section from scattering. 

Additionally, direct the blow dryer’s nozzle downward, following along with the brush from root to tip.

Repeat this as necessary for all sections of your hair.

For a sleek, flat look with minimal volume, follow this straightforward method: take a hair section and wrap it around the brush from underneath. Then point the blow dryer’s nozzle right at your hair.

If you want to prevent frizzy hair while blow drying, use a concentrator nozzle pointed downward. Focused heat in the direction of hair growth weakens keratin, allowing for smoother, straighter styling.

Quick Tip

Since the heat required from your blow dryer depends on your hair type, it’s always better to start with the lowest heat setting. 

You can increase the temperature bit by bit until you determine the right heat that can effectively straighten your hair. 

8. Blast Cool Air To Set Hair

Once all the sections are blow-dried and straightened, your hair needs time to get set. 

You can avoid waiting by using a handy feature available in most blow dryers!

If your styling tool has a cool setting, switch it on, and blast cool air against your hair. 

So what exactly does cool air do for your freshly blow-dried hair?

It seals the cuticles, giving your hair a smooth, shiny finish and keeping your tresses in place.

9. Spritz Hair Spray 

Spritz the formula all over your hair, and ta-da! For several hours, your straightened hair will have a strong hold, shape, and volume. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Straighten Curly Hair With a Blow Dryer?

Blow drying is effective for straightening 1A to 2C hair types. 

If you have type 3 or 4 hair, it can help a bit but won’t yield the same straightness as a flat iron due to lower heat concentration.

Are There Disadvantages to Straightening Hair With a Blow Dryer?

Here are some of the disadvantages associated with this method:

• Blow dryers can emit high levels of heat which can damage your hair over time. 
• Achieving a straightened look with a blow dryer can be time-consuming, especially if you have long or thick hair. This can be inconvenient for those with a busy schedule.
• Getting a smooth and straight finish with a blow dryer requires practice and skill. If you’re not experienced, you may struggle to achieve the desired results.
• Unlike other methods such as chemical straightening or using flat irons, blow drying is usually a temporary style. It may not last as long, especially in humid or rainy conditions.

Say Hello to Straight Hair!

Embracing the power of a blow dryer can make all the difference in your hair journey. 

With the right techniques and patience, the sleek, straight, salon-quality look becomes effortlessly achievable!

So the next time you yearn for that silky-smooth finish, grab your trusty blow dryer and say hello to straight hair in nine easy steps! 

Your locks will thank you, and you’ll step out with renewed confidence, ready to conquer the day.

Want To Learn More About Hair Styles?

Read these articles: