Is anyone else completely unable to blowdry and style their own hair?

[Frequency]

I just want a big boucy blowdry a la Cindy Crawford in the 90s. I know my hair can do that because hairdressing colleagues have done it for me. I know I am capable of doing it on other people, I used to work in a blow-dry bar and was able to whip even the finest, scraggliest mop into a stunning halo of big bouncy curls with only a blow dryer, a round brush, and some product, occassionally I would have to reach for the velcro rollers and tongs, but not often.

Yet, I cannot do it on myself. I've watched YouTube videos of both professionals and non-professionals and followed along even with the ones that make me cringe because they get the technique so wrong, even with bad technique and the wrong products, they still get a better result than me. So I copy and make the mistakes they make and still end up with flat, pin straight hair.

What am I doing wrong?

Have you tried the Babyliss Big Hair rotating brush - my hair is dead straight and it's the only implement that gives me bounce.

It's very easy to use once you get the hang of it!

https://www.johnlewis.com/babyliss-big-hair-rotating-hot-air-hair-styler-black/p617466

Sorry no advice but I’m the same!! I got the dyson airwrap too which was waste of money

My arms get so tired and all this effort wasted for flat hair… meanwhile hairdressers can give me fab blow dry in half the time, double the volume 😩

👋

Me too. I have thick hair with a slight wave.

I have a Parlux hairdryer, a Babyliss rotating brush, some curler thingies that were recommended. I have had many pairs of straighteners. With all of these, my hair always looks the same as if I'd let it dry naturally, just a bit frizzier and with tireder arms.

I have masses and masses of heavy but also weirdly fine hair. Only aome hairdressers can get a perfect long lasting blow dry. I feel your pain.

The airwrap does help, also having layers cut in helped too

Me. I can't even blowdry my hair straight. I am clueless and useless when it comes to looking groomed.

I have the babyliss brush thing. I was unimpressed after the first few goes. It doesn't get very hot and tangles in my hair. Maybe I should get it back out and try again.

I do not like the air wrap at all. We had those in the salon. I always ignored them and used the flat irons or curling tongs instead.

I can't style mine with a hairdryer, I just get too hot and my hair turns into a frizzy mop, so I let it dry naturally and then use GHDs. I find a keratin treatment really helps too.

I'm the same and I want to thank you all for steering me away from expensive mistakes. I've given up even trying tbh.

I’m the same, although without your experience. I had the babyliss big hair and I just lost a lot of hair every time I used it. Without any impressive result to show for it.

I feel so much better now at not being able to do my own hair. If you, as a trained hairdresser, can't do it, how on earth can I be expected to? Thank you.

Try again with your Babyliss big hair. Practice makes perfect with that thing. Blow dry your hair to 90% dry first and then section it up and then use the big hair. I have very very thick wavy hair and it transforms mine.

I am the same. I have a lot of hair and the only decent blowdry I can get at home is from the Babyliss Big Hair.
It’s definitely worth trying it again.

Just sitting here with wet hair wondering wtf I can do with it other than dry and straighten it 😂
ive always been shit with hair other than keeping it in good condition. It’s naturally wavy/curly/big but not in a good way, more Hagrid when it’s left to its own devices.
i straighten it probably once every couple of weeks so I can see what it’s like when it’s smooth and under control.
my arms aren’t strong enough for proper blow drying and I also find it incredibly boring and fiddly.

I'm the same. Useless. Have an ancient hotbrush which gives me a bit of a helmet look rather than bounce!
I recently bought some velcro rollers in Primark for £1.50. For me a game changer. I partially dry hair with hairdryer then put the rollers in. Once dry remove. I don't brush just shake hair, finger style it and leave. Lasts several days.
Obviously not much good for washing hair before work on when time is short but think my hair looks better than its done for ages.
I've seen those cheap Dyson Airwrap knock offs and wondered if they were any good?

Same here. I just can’t do it. If I try, I look like frizz bomb.

They are not. I own the actual Dyson Long (bought second hand from CEx) but because I am an impressionable twat I ALSO bought a knock-off version from Instagram and it was shit. £60, they didn’t honour the no-quibble returns guarantee and it came from China despite saying it was UK based. I don’t know what I was thinking that day. £60 straight in the bin.

I do get a good bouncy blow dry with the Dyson, though. As long as you don’t expect actual curls, it does the job.

I'm absolutely useless, got so sick of my hair looking crap I had a really brutal pixie cut...and then couldn't even style that myself! It's growing out now as I was determined to have it long again, except now I have menopause hair and what's growing is awful, like wire wool 😱 No idea what to do with it now, think it will have to be short again but need a massive pow wow with my hairdresser to find something I can actually manage on my own.

Mentioned this to my daughter before who is a hairdresser. I have the same problem she said it's hard to do it yourself as when using a blow dryer you have to smooth all the cuticles down first before curling which really need to be done from above and is really hard to do yourself. If I wanted straighter hair that didn't frizz when blow dried she recommended a temporary Brazilian blow dry which only last a few weeks.

https://amzn.eu/d/01k2XTL

You need this, perfect results every time and so easy to do yourself

Is this like a rotating brush. Amazon’s video doesn’t make it very clear.

I bought the Shark smooth style and am having some good results. Blow drying until hair is 80% dry then using it.
Practice makes perfect!

Hairdresser here....(always fancied the chance to announce myself and here it is)

As you know but to remind you...

Rough dry and use product to prep
Reapply prep product to 80% rough dried hair
lightly blow dry that in
Start at the front of the head
Section
Use the right sized round brush
Tilt head, get brush in
Using blowdrier on medium heat and medium speed
Wrap and dry hair
Leave brush in hair until Section has cooled or cold shot
Carefully unwind
DO NOT TOUCH THIS SECTION AGAIN UNTIL BRUSH OUT
Repeat until front is done
Work in 3 or 5 sections at the back. Using a profile section. Top section (3 or 5) for the crown
Repeat
Once dried and cool, head upside down and use a paddle brush, tangleteezer or fingers to dress out
Sprat lightly with a light hold hair spray
Flip back to normal
Zhuzh
More hairspray
And now flounce...

Failing that ... velcro roller the shit out of it and leave those in foe 30-40 mins and then dress out

If that doesn't work...I'll give you my number.

Another vote for the Shark hot brush. I always wash my hair in evening and leave to dry naturally. Then use the smooth function in the morning. It is literally a life changer! Takes me less than five minutes and I have gorgeous smooth flicky and bouncy hair. Honestly best £60 I have ever spent on beauty items and I've spent a lot over the years!

The Babyliss isn't meant to get hot

Maybe give it another try? I find it very good. But I think the key point about styling your own hair is that somebody isn't doing the work from above. So the smoothing and the volume just aren't going to be the same.

I was actually thinking about getting regular blow dries. I'm finding as I get older and my hair gets thinner it just looks rubbish. But the hairdresser can still do a good job.

I do use the Babyliss or regular old-fashioned Velcro curler things for volume. But having it done at the hairdressers means it lasts so much longer and look so much better.