Turns Out You're Using The Wrong Brush When Blow Drying Your Hair

While not exactly rocket science, blow drying your hair does have various cardinal rules to follow for a healthy, manicured blow out. If you've ever finished your blow dry session with frizzy, dry hair, you'll know that there are a few things to avoid when using your tool. Aside from classic rules like blow drying from top to bottom and using heat protectant, an unexpected mistake may be costing you your blowout.

Even though your hair stylist might use one, a paddle brush may wreak havoc on your strands when you're pulling on your hair while it's wet. Celebrity hairstylist Michael Dueñas tells Insider, "When it is too wet, the hair gets stretched too much and loses too much moisture, making it impossible for your hair to hold onto curl," he said. "It will lay lifeless and flat."

If you've been using a round brush to style your blowouts while your strands are soaked, you're likely making a key mistake by using it too early. According to Byrdie, before your hair is 80-90 percent dry, trying to style it will make no difference. Plus, using a round brush and pulling at weakened strands can be a recipe for breakage. If you use a round brush, wait until your hair is nearly dry to style for more volume and less damage.

Anyone who's attempted to use a metal round brush on sopping wet hair will attest to how badly this hurts and ultimately doesn't work. Instead of using metal bristles, make the switch to nylon and boar-based options, the HuffPost recommends. Since metal heats up extremely quickly, using these can lead to fraying and heat damage, especially if you haven't used a heat protectant. Plus, boar bristles are more dense, which can create greater volume and lift, Byrdie explains. If you like the idea of metal, use a vented-metal option. 

Steer clear of round brushes with a small diameter barrel as well, these can be difficult to use and thus difficult to untangle from your hair. Remember to section your hair off into two-inch parts, making your mane more manageable and less susceptible to pulling.

Before you give yourself an at-home blow out, make sure you have a brush that you can depend on and isn't leaving you with fried ends!