I decided to find a new hairdresser late last year, after not having a hairdresser who I was really happy with for the past few years, and have been trying different stylists at local hair salons for around 4 years since I moved house to a new area of Melbourne.
Anyway, to cut a long story shortish, (and my hair), I found Mick (now of Cam’s Hairdressing in Mentone, in case you’re interested) and have been really happy with his cuts. Plus, he taught me this head wrap technique for blowdrying bob haircuts (and it would work on medium length haircuts where you want the hair to be smooth and straight, but have some body) which I love as it’s so quick and easy and it doesn’t break my hair.
It’s so easy, and takes me 3 minutes. I’ve made a quick little video (doing all the technical stuff myself, apologies for this) so you can see how I do it.
Interestingly, I was reading Nick Arrojo’s book Great Hair which also describes this technique.
Do you have any great blow dry techniques?
Thank you for the tutorial. It looks like something even I could do!
Nice to see and hear you on video!
Wow, impressive. I’m going to have to try that. I’m currently in “grow out” mode and hope to wind up with a chin-length layered bob.
Darn. I’ve tried that in the past and it’s never quite worked for me. I mean, my hair does get dry but not quite in the way that I want. You do a great job though.
Daisy – great to see you here – hope you can master it!
NotSupermum – I’m pretty shy and don’t love being in front of the camera!
Deja – Give it a go – let me know how you go.
WendyB – I’d guess that your hair would be too long for this technique.
You are AWESOME. This basically is what I was doing when you described it in words, but now that I see the video, it’s even clearer. I have three times as much hair than you, so I figure it’ll take a good nine minutes to get all dry. Then, because my ends in the back still tend to flip, I have to go over the hair with my flatiron.
I’m going to get in the shower right now and try it again! (No matter that my hair is perfectly clean)
Thanks for the tutorial! You did great with your first video!
Hi Imogen, I’ve just try on my daughter as she’s got a longish bob and straight hair and it worked very well. I canno do it with my because I need hair straighteners, but I might try to see what it looks like without. Thanks. Ciao.A.
Fantastic video!!
The only thing I would add for those with very curly, frizzy or thickish hair is if you are using a hairdryer only, use one with a nozzle attachment as it directs the heat more evenly without resulting in flyaways and also an ionic style hairdryer helps a lot to stop hair frizzing too.
Thanks Imogen. I have been toying with the idea of getting my curly hair cut into a long bob and seeing you in this tutorial I am even tempted straighten it. Will see how this goes. Thanks again!
Karen – I sometimes get out the flat irons, my hair has a bit of a kink and sometimes it need the extra straightening, but it does pretty well without most of the time. I actually have a lot of hair but it’s fine and has NO body at all!
Antonella – great that it works for your daughter. It was a technique I’d never heard of before, and had always been drying using a round brush, which was breaking off my hair. This is actually quicker and easier for me.
Zizzy – thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. You’re right – the nozzle would make it even easier (I’ve lost mine in the bathroom cupboard somewhere!).
Mervat – my hair is only kinky/wavy not curly – not sure how well it would work on curly hair.
I just tried it the exact way you showed it and Imogen, I want to jump for joy!!! It came out PERFECT–no need for the iron at all with this technique. You get lift at the roots for going in all those opposite directions, but it’s smooth and in control everywhere else! It looks soo good, just as good as when the stylist takes 15 minutes to do it with all the hair clips and all!
Now I know I can travel without my iron next week!!
Thank you for showing us the WRAP technique!! I’m going to kiss you when you get here!!!
PS. even my ends in the back are in control, and that’s usually the trouble spot!!!! I love this. Can you tell I’m excited??? It’s because my thick wavy hair has always been too hard to control. I wish I knew how to post videos, because I’d show you how great it works on me too.
This video was so helpful! I hope you’ll consider doing more vids in the future. You’re great on camera!
My hair is fine and has no body on its own. It’s a bit longer than yours right now — about shoulder-length, but I’m due for a cut soon.
I will definitely give this technique a try once I get that cut!
Karen – you post a video like you post a picture (it’s the icon that looks like a piece of old fashioned film) give it a go! I’m still looking for some good video editing software so I can add titles etc.
Kate – give it a go – let me know how you go with it. And thanks so much for the compliment!
That is so great, that’s it, I need to go out tomorrow and buy a new hairbrush! thanks a lot for this.
Imogen your hair looks fabulous! I’m going to wash my hair right now, and give your method a go. I have a shortish Louise Brooks do, and have been using a round brush. This works pretty well, but I sometimes get nasty bumps and kinks, instead of that lovely sleek look.
I’m going to have to invest in a paddle brush though!
Jamtart – thanks so much for coming by my blog and commenting. If you have the Louise Brooks you should find this technique works well. Let me know how you go!
Thanks so much for this video. I have never had much success at blow drying my hair and figured I would never learn. But I think I can do it now and am going to run out to the drug store to buy a flat brush. Posting the video was a very clever idea.
I love a Coco Chanel bob! Maybe I will get the courage…do you think I should do it…see my pic and advise…..
So motivated now I went and got a topnotch hair dryer–ionic, has great attachments. So nice to have fun with my hair for once.
Ingrid – how did you go with this technique?
Kelee – thanks so much for coming by and commenting. You have gorgeous bone structure and could absolutely wear a Chanel style bob – it would be a very different look for you – more dramatic, much less small town Kansas!
Are you sure its Biba? There is no Biba hair salon at Doncaster Shoppingtown.
Lady Jicky – Yes definitely Biba – it opened last September, is on the ground floor between David Jones and Target, opposite Diana Ferrari (in Melbourne Australia, not Doncaster UK)
Oh hell Imogen ! LOL
I have walked past that shop many times and never knew it was Biba!!
They have always had shops that were dark and very retro 70’s! This is so different to their old look!
have you checked out “Oscar” on the higher level? My daughter got quoted some incredible amount for Oscar to cut her hair !
She had the guts to ask the po faced girl if she gets lunch with that! LOL
Nuh, she did not get her hair done there!
I did have Edward Beale do my hair once and that was a waste of money. He was uninterested and the cut was very “ordinary”. His price wasn’t!
Lady Jicky – I’ve walked past Oscar on the top level but not gone in.
Biba aren’t cheap (I think it costs me $75) but he’s the best cutter I’ve found in a long time, so it’s worth it. I actually found him on the Vogue forums when I searched for recommended hairdressers in Melbourne.
We’ll have to meet up for coffee sometime if you’re local.
Many of those celebrity stylists are only interested in celebrity clients I think!
Imogen – Biba is positivly a bargain!!!
I was just on the phone to my daughter and asked – it was $500 with Oscar but… after that its only $300 as you are not a new client I guess! LOL
They said it would be cheaper if you had one of the “less experienced” hairdressers there and my daughter said – ” Well, I might as well go to Just Cuts” and walked out pronto!
I am local and would love to have a coffee one day but at the moment I am holded up in bed with this shocking flu going around!
Keep away from anyone sneezing , its a shocker!
Thanks for sharing it to us…But i think that’s not for me..=(
But that was a great info for all the girls out there..;D Have a nice day..
Thanks for sharing it to us friend.;D
I love your post,hope to see you on my blog too.;D
Imogen,
I just want to tell you that I’ve tried your technique twice now (even without the proper brush) and my hair looks about a thousand times better than it did before. I am ever so grateful for your video and your tips. Thanks again!
Hi! I came across your blog via Karen's blog (Of A Certain Age), & I love it!
I also have a lot of very fine hair with next to no body. While I don't exactly have a bob, & my hair is a little bit longer than yours, I'm betting that this technique will work better than the round brush I've been using (& not very well, I might add). Thanks for the demo!
This is AMAZING. I’ve been doing it like this for the last two days, and my hair has come out PERFECTLY. And it’s almost due for a trim so it’s at that tricky stage! Thank you so much for the tutorial!
I had to send a follow-up comment. I have been using your technique for several days now and my husband actually noticed something was quite different about my hair. He asked if I had been to the hairdresser. Thank you for this tip. My hair has never looked better.
Imogen, this is great. I think I have the same hair type as you (fine, lots of it, tends to lie flat with a bunch of random kinks) cut into a bob. My haircut is manageable, but I’ve mostly been relying on volumizing products to get lift. I’ll try this technique next time I blow dry my hair to see how it turns out. Thank you for posting this tutorial!
You have saved my sanity. I’ve always had really long hair. I recently lost 125 pounds so I wanted a fresh hair style and decided with a layered bob. Once I got home, I could never achieve the look on my own but thanks to your video, I just did. You are awesome!!
Hugs
Michelle
I've tried this technique for a month now and love it. My favorite part (ha! ha!)? No sectioning!!!!
it's works so well that I was able to keep it smooth at the beach, absolutely impossible before! Thank you, thank you!
i'm so impressed with this technique; may i share a link to your video on my face book and blog page?
Hello Imogen!
I just came across your blog from a post on twitter…and I have to say I love what you have in here!! I have exactly the same type of hair as you. So can't tell you how excited I am to find this blow-drying video. I have a very short hair cut right now, but I am sure I will go back to my usual bob in less than a year. Will definitely try this then. Thanks a ton for sharing!
I just got my hair cut in a bob for the first time and was lamenting how impossible it was to make it look like the stylist did. You have given me hope! Thank you!
Thank you for posting this tutorial! I've been wearing a version of the bob – long bangs, short nape (clean neckline, no real length there) and sides that angle to the chin. Anyhoo, I'm trying to grow it out (9 weeks since last trim, goal being wavy, shoulder length) and some days feel like I've gone from Posh Spice to Mrs. Dash. 🙁 I'm buying a paddle brush this week! Agreed on the round brush tugging and pulling too much, be it boar bristle or metal. Thanks again.
I have had the same problem trying to find a stylist, and I finally have one I love! I love her so much that the last time I went to her I told her she had creative freedom to do anything she wanted…and I left with a bob! I loved how it looked! And everyone has told me how much they like it…but, it's been taking me 30-40 minutes every day to blow it dry…you have shown me just how easy it can be and I cannot wait until tomorrow when I get to try it!
Thank you!!
Thanks for the tutorial and the video for suggesting very quick process for drying the hair in a very short time. I hope it will be useful for everyone who are using hair drier.
Thank you thank you thank you! Now I can do my hair in 10 min instead of 15 to 20… I have a very thick hair and it's a longer bob (shoulder length), so it takes me a bit longer and I still need to discipline some of the most rebellious ends with my roller brush, but it's sooo much easier and quicker… 🙂
Thanks for the video of blowdrying hair. Your hair is beautifully shiny. Think I may try the Moroccanoil. As I have white/grey hair, would the Moroccan lite oil be best? Grey hair is very brittle and needs moisture. It doesn’t seem to shine as when my hair had colour years ago! I use hair masques every so often to help, and they make a difference. However the products I use to stop frizz (even tho my hair is straight) don’t seem to work – look great before I go out, but when I come in from outside in the weather, the shine has gone and the frizz seems to be back. I love your posts and have learned so much. Thanks
Maroccan oil is moisturising so your hair may become less brittle Unfortunately darker hair is shiny, grey hair (and even blonde hair) doesn’t reflect light in the same way so never looks as shiny – partly why I dye my hair brown!
I would love to see how it looked in the back. That’s my problem.
It looks great at the back. That’s why you brush it forwards before brushing it back
what you do looks super easy. will it work thick wavy hair? no matter what i do, i cant get the wave out of my hair. its not wavy nice but just wavy enough that straight is never straight. i just got an angled bob and now i wish i didnt cuz styling it takes so much time that i dont have..
The most important thing we want to consider when choosing a haircut is to find one that works with the natural texture of your hair.
You are amazing. I have been growing my hair from a pixie to loooong, and havent been able to figure out how to dry my hair properly. I have looked like such a mess, and felt so ugly, and fighting the urge to cut it all off again. As much a video about hair can, this has changed my fucking world. Thank you so much.
Imogen great video (I’m late to the party). A long time bob wearer I have just had my hair cut short but with longer lengths on top…I’m off to see if this works for me…thank you.
Thanks for the video. I’m getting my shoulder length cut back up to chin and heavily razored to take much of my super thick hair down. Your technique will be great. What hair dryer do you recommend or what features? Or is this pretty much the same time no matter what dryer?
A powerful dryer helps – my hairdresser recommends Parlux.
Comment 53!!!! Stumbled over this blog entry a couple of days ago. I had a go this morning on drying my hair with the head wrap technique. Yeap it certainly does give my exceptionally fine hair some curvature. My fringe is a bit fly away (but nice) but the rest of the hair just has a slight body and gently curved. Thanks again.
Glad you found it – it was a revelation to me and has made my hair ‘doing’ process so much easier and faster over the years!
THANK YOU so much for this! I just tried it this morning and it worked so well! My hair looks like I came out of the salon! I got my hair cut in a bob 4 months ago and I have hated it! You have given me hope that I can finally style it. Thank you!
PS I have a padle brush and it looks exactly like yours right down to the worn off silver areas 🙂
Thank you for showing how to do the wrap! I’ve had my hair in the bob for several years now and was seriously considering something else because of the styling problems and length of time it took me. I just was tired of all the trouble! I appreciate your video immensely !! I may keep my style now for awhile!
I can’t see the video on this page. What might I be missing? I recently got an angled bob after having easy-to-wrap-in-a-bun long hair – I really need a quick tutorial for this unknown territory I find myself in!
Thank you in advance!
Hi Hina – video fixed!
This is only if you want newscaster hair.
What do you mean by newscaster hair? I’ve been blowdrying my hair this way for years and it’s fast and easy.
What about the next morning styling? I wash my hair at night.
I’m not sure – I’d advise you to ask your hairdresser.
Thank you so much! I just got my hair bobbed and after my first attempt at blow drying, I found this post, wet my hair and tried again and it looks wonderful!
This is so easy and looks much better and is far quicker than sectioning hair and using round brushes!
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you
Isn’t it! Glad it’s good for you too.