Thick hair: the blow-dry that tames the mass
The same hair, but taking up less space and shining.
By Manel, M BRUSH5 min read
N° 01
Choose your finish
The essentials
On thick hair, a blow-dry tightens the mass by smoothing the surface of each strand, which makes it more disciplined and shinier. Soft keeps movement without swelling, sleek tightens further. You need fine sections and a complete drying right through to the heart of the hair.
Having a lot of hair is a stroke of luck we don't always appreciate. Day to day, it is above all a mass that swells, dries slowly and goes off in every direction.
The blow-dry is one of the best answers to that excess volume: it removes no hair, but it changes the way the mass holds itself. Done well, it also lasts longer than on most heads of hair.
Thick, dense or both?
As with fine hair, two notions get mixed up.
- Thick describes the diameter of each hair: a wide, strong fibre with body.
- Dense describes the number of hairs on the head.
Many heads of hair we call "thick" are both at once: wide hairs, and plenty of them.
That is what gives this impression of mass, and it is also what makes it so reactive to humidity: the more fibres there are, the more surface there is to catch the water in the air.
What the blow-dry does to the mass
Thick hair looks voluminous largely because its strands are not aligned. Each hair sets off a little in its own direction, the surface is uneven and the light gets lost in it.
The blow-dry aligns the strands one by one, from root to tip, and smooths their surface. The result: the same quantity of hair takes up less space, and it shines.
Fine sections, always.Working in big strands to go faster is the classic mistake: the brush only catches the outside, the heart stays damp. Fine, numerous sections give a clean result.
Dry right through to the heart.Thick hair is the last to dry in the fuller areas: the nape, the back of the head, under the lengths. A single damp patch makes the style swell up again within the hour.
The cooling.Cold air, passed over each strand while still taut, sets the shape. On thick hair with memory, this is the moment that stops the mass from taking back its freedom.
That is why a blow-dry on thick hair takes longer than elsewhere, at equal length.
Soft or sleek: which finish for thick hair
Both work, with different effects.
| Finish | The mass | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Soft | Relaxed, without swelling | A first time |
| Sleek | Tightened, lighter | A clean, shiny result |
| Volume | Rarely useful | Flat roots, heavy lengths |
Soft, our starting point
The soft blow-dry disciplines the lengths and simply rounds the ends: the hair keeps its movement, but it holds. It is the safest choice, because it respects the character of the hair.
Sleek, to tighten further
Sleek stretches the strand right to the end. With the iron option to tick at booking, the result becomes very clean: that even, shiny surface you can hardly achieve yourself on a full head of hair.
Our guide sleek or soft blow-dry compares the two in more detail.
A blow-dry on thick hair removes nothing: it teaches the mass to hold itself.
Blow-dry or cut: what really lightens
To lighten a thick mass for good, hairdressers often work on the cut itself, with layers or by thinning the inside. The cut is not on the M BRUSH menu.
The good news is that the blow-dry already lightens a great deal visually, without touching your lengths, and that it commits you to nothing after the next shampoo.
What makes thick hair swell up again
Thick hair is often the hair that holds a blow-dry best, provided you protect it from what wakes it up.
- Humidity. Rain, fog, lake air: the mass catches the water and swells first at the surface. On grey days, a roomy hood and an umbrella make a real difference. We devote a whole article to it, on the blow-dry facing rain and humidity.
- Perspiration at the nape, where the mass is fullest.
- Tight ties. A tight elastic on thick hair leaves a kink that is hard to erase. Go for a claw clip or a silk scrunchie.
At night and in the days after
Thick hair gets flattened and creased while you sleep. To preserve the soft finish:
- braid the lengths into a very loose plait, or gather them into a soft bun;
- sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase, which limits friction and static;
- in the morning, undo, run your fingers through, and let the mass fall back on its own for a few minutes before touching it.
All these gestures are set out in our article on making your blow-dry last overnight.
Book your soft blow-dry
Booking is done online: your length, using three markers (the nape, the shoulders, the bottom of the ribs), the finish, then a free slot.
Nothing is paid online, and no deposit is asked for: everything is settled on the day of the appointment.
Come with clean hair, without oil, serum or styling product, or add the shampoo + treatment option on site. Otherwise, the whole appointment goes into the blow-dry. The only effort of the day: sitting down.
Fancy thick hair that is finally disciplined? Book your soft blow-dry.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does my thick hair swell up after the blow-dry?
- Most often, because one area has not dried right through to the heart, or because the humidity in the air has taken over again. Fine sections, a complete drying and a good cooling limit this return.
- Does a blow-dry last longer on thick hair?
- Often yes: a thick fibre holds the shape it is given well and gets greasy less quickly than fine hair. It remains, however, sensitive to humidity.
- Which brush should I choose for thick hair?
- For the blow-dry, a round brush with mixed bristles (boar and nylon) grips a thick strand well and smooths it. For everyday detangling, a brush with widely spaced pins pulls less on the mass.
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