Clean hair, no product: how to prepare for your blow-dry

At M BRUSH, there is just one instruction before your appointment: arrive with clean hair, free of oil, serum or styling product. Shampoo + conditioning is available on site as an option; otherwise, the whole appointment goes into the blow-dry.

This rule is no whim: it shapes the result. Here is why it matters, and how to go about it without getting it wrong.

Why clean hair

Sebum, the fine oily layer the scalp produces naturally, is the quiet enemy of a blow-dry.

• It weighs down the roots. Greasy roots fall back against the head, even after work with a round brush. Volume collapses within hours.
• It dulls the shine. Light glides poorly over coated hair, which looks dull even when perfectly smoothed.
• It shortens the hold. Hair that is already greasy on arrival returns sooner to the state where you want to wash it again.

Freshly washed hair, by contrast, is light, lifts easily and accepts the shape it is given. It is the best possible base.

A beautiful blow-dry does not fix badly prepared hair: it reveals it.

Why no product

This is the part of the instruction that surprises most, because we are used to applying "a little something" after washing. On the day of a blow-dry, it is better to abstain.

Oil and serum

They are made to coat the hair and make it slippery. That is precisely the problem: a slippery strand sits poorly on the brush, and it holds the shape it is given less well. Oil also weighs down fine lengths and can give the roots a greasy look by the next day.

Styling products

Mousse, gel, hairspray, wax, styling cream: they are designed to set a shape. Applied before a blow-dry, they stiffen the strand, stick hairs together and work against the brush.

Dry shampoo

It is tempting to buy an extra day with a burst of dry shampoo. But it is a powder that stays in the hair: it mattifies the roots, dulls the lengths and does not replace a proper wash.

Save it for later, it is very useful for making a blow-dry last. We explain when and how in the article on dry shampoo after a blow-dry.

The right wash

Washing your hair seems obvious. Yet a few details make all the difference before a blow-dry.

1. I

   A shampoo suited to your scalp.Applied mainly to the roots: the lengths are cleaned by the lather that runs off during rinsing.

2. II

   A generous rinse.This is the step most often rushed, and leftover shampoo leaves hair rough and dull.

3. III

   A conditioner on the lengths.Never on the roots, then rinsed thoroughly: it makes detangling easier without weighing hair down.

4. IV

   A gentle towel dry.By pressing rather than rubbing, so as not to tangle or damage the fibre.

After that, apply nothing more. No leave-in treatment, no "just a drop" of oil on the ends.

The night before or in the morning?

What matters is arriving with clean hair. The closer the wash is to the appointment, the less time sebum has to return, especially if your scalp gets greasy quickly. If you wash the night before, avoid sleeping on hair that is still very wet, which creases and tangles.

The mistakes we see often

• The oil treatment "to nourish" the night before. The intention is good, the timing is bad. Do your deep treatments several days ahead, never just before a blow-dry.
• The mask not rinsed out. A mask left too generously on the lengths makes them heavy and sticky.
• Last weekend's hairspray. If your hair still carries traces of styling product, only a proper wash will remove it.
• "The blow-dry will sort it all out." It will sort out the shape, not the cleanliness. Dirty hair makes a blow-dry that lasts less long.
• The cap or tight hairband on the way. They mark the hair and break the roots. An umbrella protects better than a hood in the rain.

Depending on your hair

The instruction is the same for everyone, but every head of hair has its own small adjustment.

• Fine hair: a light shampoo and a conditioner only on the ends. Fine hair is the most sensitive to the slightest residue.
• Thick or dry hair: you are tempted to add a treatment. Put it in a well-rinsed conditioner, not in a leave-in product.
• Curly hair: it often calls for oils and creams every day. On the day of the blow-dry, make an exception, detangling will only be easier.
• Coloured hair: a gentle shampoo, designed for coloured hair, preserves the shine without leaving a film.

On the day of your appointment

Once your hair is ready, there is almost nothing left to do. The only effort of the day: sitting down.

The length is decided before we begin, with three reference points: the nape, the shoulders, the bottom of the ribs. Then the session follows its four stages, from detangling to setting, a light veil rather than a shell.

To know everything about how it unfolds, from booking to confirmation, read our article on the blow-dry in a private salon in Lausanne. And to enjoy your blow-dry for as long as possible, our guide how long a blow-dry lasts gathers the right gestures.

Is your hair clean and product-free? All that is left is to book your blow-dry.