What's the secret to getting salon look hair at home?

[Fourlittlethings]

No matter how much tine I out into it, my hair never comes close to having that lively smooth shine that I leave the hairdressers with. What's the secret? I use a good shampoo and conditioner, a Parlux hairdryer and try to dry it flat. Do brushes make a difference?

Have you tried combing through your conditioner when you put it on? It's made a difference to me.

i'm terrible at this - but I think it's the angle you dry your hair at. If you get it wrong you end up not smoothing the cuticles and it looks frizzy.

I think it's down to blow drying too. I'm not very good at it .

What heat protectant do you use?
Where are you applying shampoo & conditioner? - conditioner might be weighing your hair down if you're putting too much in or putting it too close to your scalp.
Do you get your hair coloured? Often hair looks different texture-wise after recently being bleached or coloured.
Brushes do make a difference, I would suggest getting a round brush to create volume while blow drying if you have fine/straight hair, or a hair dryer diffuser if you have thick & curly hair.
Another couple tips to keep your hair shiny - before you get out of the shower, run some cold water on your hair & it will help to retain moisture, brush conditioner through with your fingers, & always use a heat protectant when heat styling.

DD instructed me to use straighteners in order to achieve this.

I can get a much better finish with the Babyliss Big Hair than with a dryer & brush

I forgot about this ... ooops! Thanks for all the advice. Think it must be down to drying method. I don't use a heat protectant but neither does hairdresser. Had it cut today and it's sleek again ... she says it's because she's drying it from above and can get the angle right. Might invest in a better barrell brush when I restock on shampoo.

Thanks all.

I second the Babyliss Big Hair. I spray Kerastase heat protector onto all of it, blast it 80% dry with the GHD air dryer and section it well to dry it off with the BBH. It stays bouncy, swingy and shiny without fail.

Love the babyliss big hair but I've just invested in the babyliss sheer volume and I think it might be better for the sleek look you're after.

Good brushes and lots of products with silicone in them.

Just got a Parlux last year so will avoid a new dryer but am definitely going to buy a new barrell bush - it looks like the 'modern' brushes are ceramic. Mine must be 10 years old and certainly doesn't have a ceramic barrell!!

Agree it's the blowdrying. My hairdressers spends ages over mine. I get bored and my arms ache.

I wouldn't get a babyliss bighair if you've got fine hair.

The parlux and a decent brush should do it.

I second combing through conditioner after washing. It means the conditioner coats every strand and they move over each other easily when its dry.

My other cheat to get a lovely shine is to smooth a couple of drops of Elvive Extraordinary oil onto damp hair before blow drying. It cuts down drying time and leaves hair all swishy without that weighed down oily feeling of serums.

The Babyliss sheer volume isn't a dryer. It's essentially a heated ceramic round barrel brush. You use it on dry hair.