Blow Wave at Home: How to Blow Dry Hair Like a Salon Blowout (NZ)

Updated November 2026. Prices are our live online prices.

A blow wave (most of the world calls it a blowout) is the smooth, bouncy, just-left-the-salon finish. It's the service we do most at UKIYO before weddings, balls and Christmas parties, and the one people most want to copy at home. You won't get it perfect the first time. You will get close with the right prep and a bit of patience.

What you need

• A hair dryer with a nozzle. The nozzle is the most important part. Without it, air goes everywhere and so does your hair.
• A round brush. Medium barrel for shoulder length, larger for long hair. Smaller barrels make more curl at the ends.
• Sectioning clips. Four is plenty.
• A heat protectant and a volume or smoothing product. More on these below.

How to blow dry hair: the salon blow wave, step by step

1. Wash and condition. Use a lighter conditioner at the roots, or none, if you want volume.
2. Towel-dry gently. Squeeze, don't rub.
3. Prep. Heat protectant through the lengths, volume product at the roots.
4. Rough-dry to 80 percent. No brush yet. Use your fingers, lift at the roots, and point the air downwards. This is where most of the time goes.
5. Section. Clip the top away and start at the nape. Sections no wider than your brush.
6. Brush and dry. Put the brush under the section at the root, hold the hair taut, and move the brush slowly down while the nozzle follows on top, pointing down the hair shaft.
7. Roll the ends. At the bottom, roll the brush under (or out for a flick), heat for a few seconds, then hit the cool shot before you let go.
8. Volume at the crown. For the top sections, lift the brush straight up from the scalp and dry the root first.
9. Finish. A drop of oil on the ends and a light mist of hairspray if you need it to last the night.

Two ways to prep a blow wave: Sebastian or Kérastase

Fine hair: mousse at the roots and Potion 9 Lite through the lengths. Thick or dry hair: Nectar Thermique through the lengths gives slip for the brush and protects from heat. Our heat protectant guide compares every option, and the mousse guide goes deeper on volume.

Which hair dryer for a blow wave?

Power and a good nozzle make a bigger difference than any setting. The ghd helios ($317.97) is what we use in the salon. It has a 2200W motor, multiple heat and speed settings, a cool shot and a smoothing nozzle in the box. If round-brushing is the part you can't master, the ghd duet blowdry ($478.07) dries and smooths from wet in one tool. Our hair dryer guide and ghd duet review go through both. A hot brush is the other shortcut for second-day touch-ups.

Why won't my blow wave hold?

• Hair wasn't fully dry. Even a little damp at the root drops by lunchtime. Dry the roots first and last.
• No cool shot. Hair sets as it cools. Cool each section before letting go of the brush.
• Too much conditioner or oil. Keep heavy products to the ends.
• Humidity. Damp air undoes a blow-dry. Finish with a smoothing product and a light hairspray on humid days. See our frizz guide.
• Sections too wide. If the brush can't hold the whole section with tension, it won't smooth it.

Blow wave for fine hair vs thick hair

Fine hair needs lift more than smoothing. Use a smaller brush at the crown, dry the roots against the direction they fall, and skip heavy creams. A light mist of Volupt Max Spray Gel ($49.24) at the root holds the shape longer than mousse alone.

Thick or coarse hair takes longer and needs more tension. Rough-dry thoroughly first, use smaller sections, and a smoothing cream through the lengths. Expect 30 to 45 minutes for long thick hair, which is exactly why a lot of our clients book a salon blow wave before a wedding or a night out and do their own on normal days.

Blow wave on short hair

Short hair and bobs don't need a round brush for every section. Rough-dry most of it with your fingers, then use a medium round brush only on the top layer and the ends, rolling under for a bob or out for a flick. A paddle brush is quicker for smoothing the back. Finish with a touch of oil so the ends don't look puffy.

How to make a blowout last longer

Sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase, or put long hair in a loose high bun with a soft scrunchie. Use dry shampoo on day two at the roots before they look oily, not after. Our dry shampoo guide covers which one. A blow wave on healthy hair will usually last two to four days.

Is blow drying every day bad for your hair?

Heat dries hair out over time, so daily blow-drying needs a heat protectant every time and a weekly mask. Rough-drying with your fingers before the brush saves a lot of heat, and so does starting on hair that's already 80 percent dry. If your ends are getting rough, our split ends guide has the fix.

Getting ready for something special? You can always book a blow wave with us at the salon on Helwick Street, or book online.

Questions we get asked

How do you do a blow wave at home?

Apply heat protectant and a volume product to damp hair, rough-dry to about 80 percent, then section and dry each piece over a round brush with the nozzle pointing down the hair. Roll the ends, cool each section with the cool shot, and finish with a drop of oil.

What is the difference between a blow wave and a blowout?

Nothing. Blow wave is the New Zealand and Australian name, blowout is the American one. Both mean a smooth, bouncy blow-dry done with a round brush.

What should I put in my hair before blow drying?

A heat protectant through the lengths, such as Kérastase Nectar Thermique or Sebastian Potion 9 Lite, and a volume product at the roots like Sebastian Volupt Thickify Mousse if you want lift.

Why does my blow dry go frizzy?

Usually the nozzle isn't pointing down the hair shaft, the hair wasn't fully dried at the root, or the air is humid. Keep the nozzle on, point it downwards, and finish with a smoothing product.

How long does a blowout last?

Two to four days on most hair if you sleep on silk, avoid humidity and use dry shampoo early on day two.

What size round brush should I use?

A medium barrel for shoulder-length hair and a larger barrel for long hair. Smaller brushes give more curl at the ends; larger ones give smoother, straighter results.

Is it bad to blow dry your hair every day?

Daily heat dries hair over time. Use a heat protectant every time, rough-dry with your fingers first to cut down brush time, and use a mask once a week.

Everything we sell is genuine salon stock, bought direct from the brands' New Zealand distributors and shipped from our salon on Helwick Street in Wānaka. Free NZ shipping over $75.