How to Care for Your Blowout
I recently got a professional blowout that used all these extra, unreleased hair products and some cool special effects-type stuff for flyaways and shine, etc. When it was time for me to shower and get rid of my blowout, to say I was not ready to let go of it is putting I mildly — I avoided taking a shower and kept my hair neatly tied up so that the curls at the end of my pony tail would still be present and look fresh.
Knowing that going longer than two days without showering is pretty gross, I put showered with a shower cap and kept my blowout for an extra two days. I showered the next day and again put on the shower cap to preserve this blowout that just felt like it was a godsend. I kept up with my regular showering routine, but managed to keep my blowout for eight days. It was barely hanging on the eighth day with tangles starting to form where the curls were, and the dry shampoo wasn’t cutting it anymore for the oil that had started to form.
I realized that I really did not know the proper way to maintain a blowout since I usually just shower them out the next day. In order to avoid bad hair hygiene, I looked into the proper way to care for a blowout and how many days can one actually keep a blowout. Was I being too excessive with eight days? Or is that totally cool as long as you are doing it right?
A blowout is the same thing as blow-dried hair; this is just the term for when you get your hair professionally blow-dried at a salon instead of doing it yourself in your bathroom at home. There are a lot of great blowout places now that only do blowouts.
To begin, you want to make sure you wash your hair with a really cleansing shampoo. This is so that when oil builds throughout the longevity of your blowout, it is doing so on really clean hair — only use a little bit of conditioner.
The worst enemy to a blowout is perspiration. So when you go to the gym, wear a headband that will absorb the sweat, and keep your hair tied up with a hair tie that won’t leave a mark on your hair. My best friend uses a hair tie that looks like a phone cord because it doesn’t leave imprints on her hair.
1) When you shower, always use a shower cap and do not shower with really hot water, but rather cool water — remember heat and moisture are bad for blowouts. Always use dry shampoo before working out, after working out and before bed. Use it during times when you know you will sweat so the moisture doesn’t ruin your blowout.
2) When you are a few days in, wet and blow-dry only the front of your hair to keep it looking fresh. If you do not have the time to do so, then just curl the front of your hair with loose big curls, which will keep your blowout looking fresh and new.
3) On the last days, which I recommend be no more than eight days, tie your hair into a braid at night and it will have a nice soft crimp to it, which melds into flat loose curls, which will keep your hair looking natural and done up until you finally give your tresses a good wash after making a blowout last.
4) Last but not least, do not forget to add shine during the time of your blowout with a nice, shinny, finishing spray each day. Just a little will keep it looking like you just got your blowout done that day.
Born and raised in the DMV, Emma Blancovich has a big appreciation for discovering things to do around town, such as new restaurants to try and supporting the local music scene by attending live shows. During the week she is an editor for trade associations, but on the weekends you can find her hiking up trails with the latest fitness gadgets then getting ready for a night out using the latest beauty and health products.