The Hair-Drying Mistake That’s Stealing Your Shine

If your hair never looks quite as glossy at home as it does when you leave the salon, your hairdryer technique could be to blame.

One of the simplest rules for shiny hair is to keep the hair cuticle – the overlapping outer layer of each strand – as smooth as possible. A smooth surface reflects light more evenly, which gives hair a glossy, healthy-looking finish. Rough it up and hair can quickly look duller and fluffier.

The mistake many of us make? Blasting the hairdryer in every direction. While there’s something undeniably satisfying about tipping your head upside down and going at it with abandon, directing hot air up and against the hair shaft can encourage the cuticle to lift, rather than lie flat.

Instead, keep the nozzle pointing down the hair shaft as you dry, working from roots towards ends. You don’t have to painstakingly blow-dry every section with a round brush – even when rough-drying, being mindful of the direction of the airflow can help create a smoother-looking finish. Finish with a shot of cool air to help reduce flyaways and leave hair looking polished.

And for the final touch? Smooth a tiny amount of Almost Everything Cream through mid-lengths and ends. It helps tame fluff and flyaways while adding that all-important polished finish – and, conveniently, the supersized 200ml Almost Everything Cream is now back in stock.

Shiny hair, it turns out, is as much about how you dry it as what you put on it.