5 tips from ghd’s global brand ambassador so that you can recreate salon-grade hair days even when you’re stuck at home.
Admit it – whenever you’re home for long periods of time, one of the first things you tend to neglect is the state of your hair. Suddenly you’re unconsciously taking part in the #nopoo challenge, forgetting that you own any form of styling tool (that includes your everyday brush), and resorting to only two hairstyles – the “I woke up like this” bird’s nest and the fail-proof topknot.
Instead of giving up on making your hair look good, why not treat it to an at-home blowout? Not only can you practice your hairstyling chops, it’s also a lot more pleasant to have a mane that’s well taken care of rather than whatever mop that’s been growing up there.
Global brand ambassador for ghd Adam Reed shares his top tips to creating that perfect salon blow-dry in the comfort of your own home using the new ghd helios™ hairdryer, so if you’re unable to step out of the house for an appointment, you can still get that bombshell crowning glory.
Style slightly damp hair
Make sure your hair is about 85% dry before you start styling with your dryer. If the hair is too wet the strands will be more prone to breakage and damage, but hair that’s completely dry won’t hold the final look for long. Find the sweet spot between the two that will make your hair more malleable without adding more damage to your tresses. All you have to do is before styling, dampen your hair with a few spritz of water and apply a styling product that not only protects your hair from heat damage, but also helps to retain your final style. Finally – always remember to be gentle!
Control your heat settings
Dry you hair on a low heat setting, and only use the hotter setting for the finishing touches. Though it might feel like it’s taking too long especially when you’re working with freshly washed hair, it’s actually much healthier and less damaging on your strands when you first work with a low heat setting. You’ll also have greater control over styling, and create less fly-aways. Only using high heat when finishing off your final styles will help “stretch out” and mould the hair completely without making it brittle.
Seal the deal
After styling, it’s important to seal the hair using the cool setting to achieve a silken, smooth effect. The cold air helps to tighten your hair’s cuticles, leaving a defined shine while helping the hair set into your desired style. If you find yourself constantly struggling with frizz, finishing off with the coldest setting can also help control frizz and fly-aways.
Go big or go home
For a big, beautiful finish, try using a large radial brush when styling to help add movement and body to the hair. Use vented round brushes such as the ghd ceramic vented radial brush for good heat reinforcement while styling. Work in sections by beginning at the base of your roots with the brush, before gently rolling it down to the ends, using the heat from the hairdryer to follow the brush. You can also try flipping the brush vertically after lifting the root so you get a soft, natural-looking wave at the end.
Move it, move it
It’s not uncommon for women to dry or style their hair by moving the hairdryer up and down over each section of hair, or just holding that dryer in one place and letting the heat do the work – however, these methods don’t contribute to the desired result. What you should do is continuously follow the brush with the nozzle of the dryer facing in the direction of the brush – drying from the root to tip.
The new ghd helios™ hairdryer is the brand’s latest innovation in helping to create professional-grade blowouts at home. It features bespoke Aeroprecis™ technology, which combines advanced aerodynamics to focus on the high power airflow with a contoured precision nozzle for even heat distribution and enhanced styling control. It comes with a lightweight, brushless motor that creates a powerful airflow travelling at 120kmh to speed up styling for times when you’re in a rush.
Despite boasting heavy duty specs, the helios™ hairdryer was made for carefree styling, thanks to it being ergonomically balanced. It’s also engineered with varying power and temperature controls, so that you’re able to explore various styles with different hair textures. The ghd helios™ hairdryer retails at RM910, and comes in sleek colours of ink blue, white, black, and plum. Find out more via the ghd website here.
Photos: ghd