How to maintain a short sleek bob?

[ninah]

I've had my hair done for the first time in yonks and I love it, it's so sleek and efficient looking. A bit anna wintour, possibly, but once I sleep on it all that will be gone ..
The hairdresser recommended a round brush and blow drying, will that be enough or do you think I need a special gadget like the babyliss big hair that everyone raves about on here, or straighteners? she got the effect with just the brush, but I have fingers like bananas - any tips?
help I am v low maintenance normally

[TattyDevine]

I wouldn't get a big hair for such a short sleek bob but if you want a gadget for that kind of style, the JML "Instyler" is the one for you.

I've got one (dont use it to be fair) and when I first tried it I thought, this is the ideal kind of thing of you want a shiny sleek short bob.

So I stuffed it away in my dildo incidentals drawer ready for when I ever get the courage to have a chop!

[ninah]

Ok, thanks - er what is it? straightener? last time I used a hair gadget was tongs in the 80s
I hesitated ages, but going for the chop was the best thing ever!

[cherrychoo]

I use my GHD straightners.

Also Ausy shampoo & conditioner.

Takes about 6 minutes to do thats all. I also nicked some hair putty from dh and just smooth a bit on the ends which keeps it from being fly away.

Cant be arsed with faffing so its as simple and quick as possible.

[TaudrieTattoo]

I dry my bob with a round brush at the sides, but finger dry the rest, then run straighteners through the front and fringe. The back can do what the feck it likes, can't see it, lol.

Love my bob, put tigi headrush through it for extra shine

[applecrumbleandcream]

Hi, I too have a chin length graduated sleek bob which I love. The only problem is that if I don't get it trimmed every 6 weeks you can really tell when it has been so precisely cut.

Anyway, this is what I do. I rough dry my hair with a towel till it is practically dry and then put in my side parting. I then section it off so there is only the bottom section of hair to dry and I use a big round brush. Once this is dry I unclip more from each side and carry on until it is all dry and sleek. I then use GHD's to smooth and straighten the top layer only. Sometimes I use a little serum on the top.

I've never been tempted to buy a Babyliss Big Hair as I know it wouldn't work on my hair. HTH

[ninah]

thanks this is really helpful. I am a complete novice when it comes to style. I am trying to finally look a bit more presentable, and I don't want to spend a fortune, so I'm glad I came on here first. Funnily enough I did load up on aussie conditioner! and I got the round brush. Think I'll see how it goes with that and add straighteners if I need them. The one time I had it straightened, for a wedding, it looked like wig. Do you get what you pay for with straighteners, should I go for posh ceramic ones? or can I get away with basic

[ninah]

Glad I didn't get big hair thing now. Apple, I can't see myself being up to the sectioning off thing. But yy to regular cuts - you can go back for a free fringe trim, where I had it done, which I think is a fab idea

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

I have a slightly shaped bob, and I just use a round brush and hairdryer. You need a good hairdryer IME, and you need to 'set' the blowdry at the end with cool air, this is what prevents fluffiness.

I use Aveda Mint and Rosemary shampoo which gives it some lift at the roots, and then Joico moisturising conditioning treatment - just a tiny bit.

I towel dry and normally leave about 15 mins after I get out of the shower before I dry it. Then use the round brush right at my roots along my parting to lift and smooth that bit, and then just work round with the brush and dryer. I don't find that I need to section my hair off. I do all this on the hottest setting.
Once it is 97% dry, I use a cooler setting and just brush through with a paddle brush while I keep the dryer on it. Then blast it on the very coolest setting right at the end.

That whole process takes less than 5 minutes, and then my hair lasts 2 days. I don't use any straighteners or extra products.

[ninah]

Lovely, thanks everyone! I will give it a go
Even ds saying I look like Velma from scooby doo can't dent my ego tonight

[TeaOneSugar]

I've use an airstyler on my hair for years, not the babyliss one, mine doesn't spin.

It's really quick and easy, especially for doing the back, I can't handle a brush and dryer at the same time and I like my bob to curl under slightly.

When in a hurry I rough dry it with a hair dryer first.

[tryingtoleave]

I would use a ghd - easiest and fastest way of making hair sleek and shiny. But it is spending a fortune, unfortunately.

[ninah]

what do ghds have that, say, a boots ceramic version doesn't? have seen some deals, but even so they are expensive. Cheaper than surgery, however ...

[RustyBear]

I don't know what the difference actually is with GHDs but I certainly saw it straight away when DD got some for her birthday, after using a cheaper pair before - and they really last, too - DD's are 6 years old now.

When I got a bob earlier this year I offered to buy DD some new ones and I'd have hers, but she said hers were fine and that I would need narrower ones, so I got myself some GHD IV minis which work perfectly on my shorter hair.

[Ephiny]

I dry with the towel or with hairdryer on low setting until my hair is almost dry, then use the round brush with hairdryer on hot setting (with 'styling nozzle') to finish it off. I do divide into sections as my hair is very thick - but not as many tiny fiddly sections as they do at the hairdressers, and if you don't have such thick hair you might get away with not doing it at all. It would probably look more 'sleek' if I straightened afterwards, but I'm too lazy to do any more.

The airstyler looks interesting though, just reading about it now, hadn't heard of that before!

[Gingefringe]

I have a shortish bob and was a bit sceptical about using the Babybliss BigHair on it but I'm so pleased I bought it. My hair is quite fine and it gives it loads of body at the back and at the fringe area (I have an annoying cowlick thing going on at the front which is really hard to control)

Not sure if it was designed for shorter hair but it works for me. Basically I think if you have enough hair to cover the brush, then it should be ok.

[tryingtoleave]

The difference with ghds is that they are faster. I can get a decent result with a cheaper pair but I have to go over each piece of hair a few times. With the ghd I only have to do it once. But you could try with a cheaper pair and see if you are happy with the result - it might depend on how thick and straight your hair is to begin with.

[ninah]

The airstyler looks good, only the hairdresser told me to blow down on the hair, and that would blow up? Going to try and get one more day before I have to wash it. Then I will do the towel dry and section with brush thing. And get a cheap pair of straighteners to begin with, just to see if I get on with the whole malarkey. I don't need extra body, just control. Thanks for the advice

[TeaOneSugar]

Airstylers don't really blow your hair about at all, even on a high setting because it comes out of all the little holes.

It's like a hotbrush but it blows hot air rather than just heating up.