How many of you are guilty of cranking the heat and airflow on the hair dryer to the maximum when you’re drying your hair? Well, you really should stop doing that, according to celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin. Her clients include the Kardashians, Chrissy Teigen, Bella Hadid and Lorde, so we don’t know about you, but we are going to heed her advice with immediate effect.
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“You’d think that’s going to dry your hair faster, but not everyone has the kind of hair type for that much power and that much heat,” says Jen. She added that too much heat can be damaging to your locks. “I always tell my client to start at one and one (the lowest heat and airflow settings). If you have thicker hair, you can go to two and two. But if you have really thick hair that you want to dry quickly, I’d say to turn it up all the way and get it about 65 per cent dry, then turn the settings down and use a brush to finish.”
Jen, who is also the ambassador for Dyson Supersonic, was recently in town to promote her haircare line OUAI. And when you’ve got the Kardashian’s hairstylist’s undivided attention for half an hour, you bombard her with as many hair questions as you can. Here are three other tips that we’ve gleaned from her, because hair styling – even at the most basic level – is both a science and an art form.
Jen says that hair care starts in the shower, with the products that you use. For battling Singapore’s humidity, she suggests using either the Smooth or Repair shampoo from OUAI. “I noticed that if you use the right shampoo and conditioner, your hair actually has this extra hydration after you’ve stepped out of the shower. So when you blow dry your hair, it’s going to look so smooth and amazing,” she explains.
Shampoo, $42, from OUAI
Again, because we deal with so much humidity here, Jen gave us a little tip on how to tame the frizz. Use a leave-in treatment like OUAI’s Smooth Spray (launching here next Feb), then blow-dry it section by section with a boar bristle brush. Finish off with a burst of cool air from the hair dryer, and if you’re using a Dyson Supersonic, use the styling concentrator nozzle. “No one thinks about that, but the cold air is going to help lay your cuticle down smooth,” says Jen.
Smooth Spray, US$26, from TheOUAI.com
You already know that Dyson’s Supersonic is a game-changer. Yes, it comes with a $599 price tag, but you’re really paying for the technology behind the hairdryer. It cuts down drying time with the patented Dyson digital motor V9, which is up to eight times faster than any other hair dryer motors. It also has intelligent heat control, which protects your hair from damage due to excessive temperatures. Think of it as an investment piece.
“I mean, how many hair dryers can you buy in your life? You’re going to have it for a while, so why not have the best of the best? And also, just like aesthetically, I think its design so beautiful,” says Jen.
And when you have the right hair dryer, it’s easier to make your tresses look like they were professionally-done. That, and not cranking the heat to the maximum.
“If I did that, my clients’ hair would all be flat!” she says with a chuckle. “I usually have it at a one or a two, and then I work with a brush to get all the angles I need.”
“But it’s easy to do on your own. It really is,” she assures.
Text: Sophie Hong/CLEO