Five tips on how to blow dry your hair like a professional

Brennen Demelo

Toronto hairdresser Brennen Demelo has had his hands on the hair of A-listers and top models alike. After 17 years in the business he's teaching classes on how to achieve his signature, tousled style every week at his Blow-Dry Bootcamps.
 
Here are five top tips I picked up while I was at beauty school:
 
1. Reach for the wide-tooth comb: Combing your hair after you wash it helps to remove excess water but won't cause the damage that brushing your hair will, says Brennen.

2. Dry it out: The biggest mistake women make, he says, is not removing enough water before they begin styling. "It's really important to get hair 90 percent dry before you even think about turning it under," he says. Do a preliminary blow-dry with your hands and feel your hair with your fingers as you go.
 
3. Go the wrong way: When you're drying your hair, to get maximum lift, remember to hold hair in the opposite direction of growth. "You need to use heat plus tension to get the lift so you have to really pull your hair away from your scalp," says Brennen. And don't be afraid to tip your head sideways to make it easier.

4. Smooth it out: Don't reach straight for the product – using a round brush to gently coax the hair into a sleek curl will help your blow-dry last longer.

5. Clip up the back: When blow-drying the back of your head, separate hair into sections and clip up. As you work your way around, you'll find the hardest part to reach has been dried in the cross breeze of the other sections.
 
$80. 316 Adelaide Street West, Toronto. Brenendemelo.com.