Why does my hair look better after the salon than at home?

Because of the blow dry technique. We dry your hair in sections with tension on a round brush and aim the heat down the hair shaft, which sets it smooth and full. At home most people dry with one hand, no tension and heat going everywhere, so the same hair gives a different result.

Why does my blow dry go flat the next day?

Two things happen overnight. Oil from your scalp works down to the roots so the lift drops, and you sleep on the shape so the smooth finish creases. It does not mean the blow dry was bad. A blow dry is a style, not a permanent change, so it softens after a day or two.

How can I make my salon blow dry last longer?

Sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase, do not wash it the next morning out of habit, and use a light mist of dry shampoo at the roots on day two or three. Turn your home hairdryer down too, because high heat dries the style out faster and damages the hair.

Why Your Hair Looks Amazing When You Leave the Salon and Rubbish the Next Day

Q: How much is a blow dry at The Hair Collective?

A blow dry is 28 to 35 pounds and a curly blow dry is 30 to 38 pounds. It is booked as its own appointment so nobody is rushing it, and Klarna is available if you would rather spread the cost.

Tasha Meyerhoff
Jul 10
3 min read

Your salon hair looks better than your home hair for three reasons you cannot easily copy: a proper blow dry with the right brushwork, products picked for your hair and used in the right amount, and heat aimed with technique instead of guesswork. None of it is complicated once you know how. It just takes practice, which is most of what you are paying for.

The short version

• Salon hair lasts because of the blow dry technique, not a secret product.

• A round brush and directed heat set the shape into the hair.

• Most people use far too much product at home, so it goes flat.

• Day two flatness is usually root oil and slept on shape.

• Heat protectant, cooler settings and a silk pillowcase buy you extra days.

Why salon hair looks better than home hair

It comes down to time and hands. When Ashleigh or Keira blow dries your hair, she is working in sections, with tension on a round brush, aiming the heat down the hair shaft. That is what makes it sit smooth and full. At home you are usually drying one handed, no tension, heat going everywhere. Same hair, completely different result.

A salon blow dry is also dried properly dry, right down to the root. Half dry hair drops within the hour, which is why a lot of home blow dries have gone flat by lunchtime. We dry the root first for lift, then the lengths over the brush to set the shape. It takes years to get quick at it, and that is part of what you are paying for.

A blow dry with us is 28 to 35 pounds, or 30 to 38 pounds for a curly blow dry, and it is booked as its own appointment so nobody is rushing it around a colour.

What we put on your hair, and how much

Product is the other half of it. We use a heat protectant before any hot tool, then a small amount of the right finishing product for your hair type. Heat protectant matters more than people think. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends lower heat settings and a product to shield hair from heat, and a good blow dry is built around exactly that.

The amount is the bit most people get wrong at home. A blob of serum the size of a five pence piece is plenty for most heads. Pile on more and your hair goes greasy and flat by the next morning, which is the exact thing you were trying to avoid.

Why it falls flat the next day

Two things happen overnight. Oil from your scalp works its way down to the roots, so the lift you had goes. And you sleep on the shape, so the smooth finish creases and separates. Neither means the blow dry was bad.

It just means a blow dry is a style, not a permanent change. It was always going to soften after a day or two. Colour lasts weeks and a cut lasts weeks, but a blow dry is a finish. Knowing that stops you feeling like you wasted your money when day three rolls around.

How to make your salon hair last longer

You will not fully match a professional finish at home, but you can stretch it out. Sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase to stop the creasing. Do not wash it the next morning out of habit. When the roots go oily on day two or three, a light mist of dry shampoo at the root brings the lift back rather than a full wash.

Turn your hairdryer down as well. Most home dryers get run far too hot, and high heat both damages the hair and dries the style out faster. Cooler air, a bit more patience and a heat protectant will get you closer to what you walked out with. If you want to learn the brushwork properly, ask your stylist to talk you through it while she does yours. We are always happy to.

Book a blow dry in Stopsley

If you have a night out, a wedding, or you just want to feel put together, book a blow dry and let one of the girls do it properly. Ashleigh, Keira, Sabrina and Shree all do them, and Klarna is there if you would rather spread the cost.

We are at Shop 660, Jansel House, Hitchin Road, Stopsley, Luton LU2 7XH. Open Tuesday and Wednesday 10 to 8, Thursday 10 to 6, Friday 10 to 3, and Saturday 10 to 4:30. Call us on 01582 730381 or book online, and we will get you in.