The Hairdryer Designed To Give You A Salon Quality Blow Dry
Jo is a former Adore Beauty staffer and qualified dermal therapist with over decade of experience in the beauty industry.
She co-hosted our award-winning podcast Beauty IQ Uncensored for 4 years, interviewing names like Caroline Hirons, Katie Jane Hughes and Chris Appleton to name a few.
I'm ashamed to admit as someone with 8 years in the beauty industry, that I cannot do two things. Firstly, I can't curl my hair with a straightener (despite many professionals trying to teach me) and secondly, I can't blow dry my own hair.
It's something about the technique that I just can't seem to master - I have a feeling it's the round brush that's the issue, not the hairdryer, so I usually resort to a quick dry-off and dealing with super flat roots and limp ends.
Despite my indifference to blow drying, I decided to try ghd's new helios hairdryer. All of the features should, in theory, produce a salon-quality result.
What Can You Expect From the ghd helios Hairdryer?
You're still gonna need some kind of blowdrying skills to get that just-had-my-hair-did shine and volume, but I tell you what, it's certainly easier to achieve. Oh, and you can choose out of four stylish colours.
- It's quieter than your standard hairdryer thanks to a bespoke acoustic system
- The 2200W brushless motor directs airflow at 120km/h (yep, that's powerful)
- It's been ergonomically designed, so it feels lighter to hold & reduces strain
- You can customise your power & temperature controls depending on your preferences
- Internal aerodynamics plus a contoured nozzle gives you more precise styling control
- Ionic technology means less frizz & flyaways after blowdrying
- You might find your drying & styling time is sped up (I certainly did)
How Can I Achieve A Salon Finish?
I always wonder why I can never recreate the style my hairdresser does on me - I bet you've wondered the same thing before, too. But as I learned from celeb hair stylist Joey Scandizzo, it's alll about the prep. And the finish. And all the bits in between.
But to make it easier to achieve a salon finish at home, here are some products to incorporate into your blow drying routine according to your hair type/texture.
I've got naturally straight, fine hair that lacks volume and texture...
Try prepping your hair with evo mister fantastic blowout spray prior to styling for added body and texture, then rough dry your hair flipped upside down. Add a dusting of ELEVEN I Want Body Volume Powder to your roots once dry, and piece through the mid lengths for lived in texture (and the opposite of flatness).
I've got thick, frizzy hair that behaves badly in humidity...
Drench your hair with Color WOW Dream Coat Supernatural Spray in sections, and blow dry into your hair using a round brush. This unique formula protects your hair from humidity and will give you the smoothest, shiniest finish you've ever had.
I've got dry, dull hair that isn't curly, but isn't straight...
For added moisture, softness and shine (plus heat protection during blowdrying), apply VIRTUE 6-in-1 Styler in damp hair before either rough drying or blow drying. For even more shine, finish with KEVIN.MURPHY Shimmer.Shine.
So, Did I Learn To Blowdry?
I can't say my skills with a round brush have improved from this experiment (I'll work on that), but I certainly did find drying my hair with the helios a real treat. The nozzle is super thin and really helps to concentrate airflow, meaning I could dry sections of my hair much quicker, and bring the heat down while drying the blonder, more damaged sections of my hair.
It's not deafening loud like some hairdryers (in fact, I could still hear MAFS quite clearly on the TV in the background), and I didn't feel like I was straining my shoulder or wrist while drying. This is a big plus for hairdressers.
If you're looking for a really high quality, professional-grade hairdryer for under $300, the ghd helios is your girl.
