Why is my hair flat after blow-drying?

By Leah Williams •  Updated: 07/03/22

There is nothing worse than your hair falling flat, especially after you have just blow dried it.

There are different blow drying techniques to help achieve bodacious and beautiful hair. However, you’re going to need the right tools to avoid any hair damage and to quicken the drying time process.

In this article, we’ll find out the answer to the question – why is my hair flat after blow drying?

Let’s dive deep and find out some interesting facts!

Why does my blowout fall flat?

I know it’s frustrating to end up with flat hair when your aim is to add volume to it. We all have different hair types and it may take a lot of practice to arrive at the best technique for blow drying wet hair.  It’s challenging to achieve perfectly blown dry hair especially when you’re unaware of how to do it right.

Let’s embark on the reasons why your hair lay flat and lifeless after blow drying, so you can get it right!

1. You’re not using the right tools.

A cheap blow dryer won’t do the trick if you want to have an elegant finish. We recommend investing in a professional tool to get a satisfying result. After all, your hair matters!

Aside from the best choice of a blow dryer, you also need a brush. A round brush is a more suitable option for all hair types and will allow your wet hair to dry quickly.

The right hairbrush provides better control, letting you add volume, texture, curls, and shape to your beautiful hair. However, you need to be gentle when brushing out your hair to reduce frizz and enhance shine.

Important: Stay away from a metal brush as it can be too hot and damaging for your hair. 

2. You’re blow drying soaking wet hair.

Blow drying your hair right after you get off the shower will stretch the strands too much, lose their moisture, and make it difficult for your hair to hold onto curls.

Towel dry or air dry your hair for a bit before blow drying. Towel drying is an efficient way to reduce blow drying time, as well as heat damage, and frizz.

Keep in mind to use the microfiber towel for better water absorption.

3. Your heat setting is at the wrong temperature.

If you’re unaware of techniques on how to blow dry hair, chances are you could be using multiple heat settings.

Yes, you may get your hair done faster, but too much heat will cause your hair to be flattened and may result in damaged, frizzy hair when done frequently.

A thicker, coarse texture, and curly hair, requires higher heat and a lower airflow setting while a fine hair should be in a lower to medium heat and airflow setting.

Make sure to finish off with cool air after heat exposure. All in all, it’s safer to use low to medium heat when drying sopping wet hair.

4. You’re blow drying your hair in the wrong direction

Pulling the hair straight down and directing the airflow from the end to the way up to your hair cuticle results in limp, flat, and frizzy hair.

Instead of starting from the tip to the roots, blow dry the hair down to the direction in which the hair grows using a concentrator nozzle to control the airflow.

Important: Use clips to section the hair before drying — sectioning allows for easier and thorough styling.

Important Tips on How to Achieve Perfect Blown Dry Hair

Perfectly blown out hair is achievable using the following tricks whether you have naturally curly hair, wavy hair, straight hair, and long hair:

Keep in mind the following tips to avoid flat hair after your blow dry session.

Wrap Up

Now that you already know the reasons why you end up with flat and lifeless hair after blow drying, I guess you’ll stop exhausting yourself anymore drying and styling your hair the wrong way.

Generally speaking, your hair is flat after blow drying due to the use of wrong tools or hair products. The wrong blow drying technique is also a hair killer. And of course, blow drying damp hair is a no-no!

So, choose the right tools such as the round brush for better hair volume. Avoid the metal brush as it makes your hair frizzy after blow drying.

Be sure to towel dry before blow drying your hair. Use the right towel for better water absorption. Of course, to avoid flat hair after blow drying, condition your hair and use a heat protectant spray before blow drying.

Learn more about how to blow dry hair like a pro by checking out our articles.

Leah Williams

Leah Williams is the founder of Lucky Curl and has been in the hair care and styling industry for the last 15 years. Since then, she has developed incredible expertise and a deep understanding of how to treat and style the most difficult hair types and is passionate about sharing her knowledge with the readers of Lucky Curl.

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