The blow-dry is the cherry on top of each salon appointment. But it's a service that tends to create bad habits that can lead to common repetitive stress injuries for stylists.
That's according to award-winning industry educator Sam Villa, co-founder and chief creative officer of Sam Villa and Global Artistic ambassador for Redken.
Villa says stylists should reassess their technique and tools periodically to make sure they're giving a great blow-dry service while preventing wear and tear on their bodies.
Here are Villa's top tips for blow drying, including self-checks stylists can make to ensure their finishing looks are fabulous without compromise:
7 Do's and Don’ts of Blow Drying
1. DON'T forget to redirect the nozzle whenever your body position changes. "Blow dryers are designed to hear and direct air, yet you still have to concentrate that air flow to work with you, and that's where the nozzle comes in," Villa says.
"As you style each side of the head, your body angle will change, so the nozzle direction should too in order to prevent working in awkward positions."
2. Styles have more movement this season, so DO use a vertical or diagonal brush angle versus a horizontal angle, which is better for geometric shapes.
3. DO learn to be ambidextrous when working with hair. Being able to swap hands that are holding the brush and dryer both forces the body position to change, and lets the body continue to work in a natural position while maintaining control of tools.
Villa suggests practicing switching hands with tools while at home every evening, and eventually it will become habit.
Here's Sam Villa Ambassador Justin Michael Parra with a tutorial on maintaining the right ergonomic body position for a blow-dry:
4. No matter who makes the brush: DON'T put the nozzle directly on its bristles! Sooner or later, that will destroy it. But DO heat up thermal brushes with the blow dryer before you apply them to the hair section. The heated brush will affect the hair immediately to the touch, while the dryer will focus on the outside of the section.
5. DON'T forget the brush makes the blow-dry. Round brushes are for stretching, smoothing, heat control and polish; flat paddle brushes are for straighter hair that just needs a bend. Thermal brushes grab hair with more tension to stretch and smooth, creating beautiful polish. A thermal brush with a metal core (like this one from Sam Villa) conducts more heat for added control and should be used on the mid-shaft and ends.
If you're using a paddle brush, piggyback it with a finishing brush (like this one from Sam Villa) for best results. Midway down the hair strand, flip the brush to twist the section, let cool, and continue wrapping until the ends.
6. DON'T lose control of your sections: Use the length of dryer and your pinky that's holding the dryer to maintain sections when repositioning the brush.
7. And finally, DO let sections cool to lock in the style before moving on — this is non-negotiable!
“I’m on a mission this year to expand awareness of ergonomics," Villa says, "to help stylists use tools that create seasonally relevant looks without sacrificing the health of their bodies."
Watch his full tutorial below. Learn more ergonomic tips and tricks from Sam Villa and his team on YouTube and book customized education here.