Genre: Instruction

Now that the days of painfully straight-looking hair are over and more relaxed, voluminous-looking styles are in, it's time to put your flat iron on the backburner and brush up on your blow-drying skills. To find out more, we hit up hairdresser Phillip Gallo for some styling shortcuts. STEP ONE: KEEP IT REAL "Begin by detangling the hair using a wide-tooth comb before towel-drying the hair and applying a heat protection or volumising product," advises Gallo. To speed up the drying process, He recommends blow-drying your hair upside down, using your hands to create body and texture in at the roots as you dry off excess moisture. STEP TWO: DIVIDE AND CONQUER Once the hair feels close to dry, that's your cue to separate the hair into two sections from ear to ear. Then all you need to do is secure the first section into a hair clip before tackling the bottom section with a barrel brush. "As you grab each section, you want to pull the hair in an upward direction from the roots so that it feels like you're gently stretching the strands against the downward pressure of the hot air." STEP THREE: SEAL THE DEAL "Once you're satisfied with the amount of volume and movement in the hair, give each section a quick once over with the cold air button to seal the hair cuticle and add shine," Gallo says. And if you're thinking of adding a finishing product or hairspray to the routine, it's best to wait until the hair has cooled down as the heat will only cause the product to set looking stiff and crunchy. STEP FOUR: DON'T OVERDO IT "The biggest mistake most women make when it comes to at-home styling is overloading the hair with too much product," says Gallo. "The roots produce enough oil as it is, so aim to keep the product concentrated on the lengths and ends where you need the protection and shine the most." TOOL TIME Owning the right styling tools is half the battle when it comes to perfecting a professional blow-dry at home. When it comes to creating shiny, smooth-looking hair, you can't go past a thick-bristled, round brush. Unlike a flat paddle brush that slips through the hair, the thicker, the more concentrated the bristles, the more hair it means you can collect at once to cut down on styling time. Aside from boasting ionic and ceramic technology that's designed to minimise heat damage and frizz, salon-grade dryers are built to handle heavy-duty use. Plus, the powerful motor means you can get away with using the medium heat settings for the majority of your styling needs.