What Is a Blow Out?
A colleague recently sent me a video of a woman who went to Ulta for a “Blow Out” and left thoroughly disappointed. The service wasn’t what she had in mind—she thought she would be getting hair cleansed, conditioned, blow dried, pressed and curled for $45.
Somewhere online she had come across someone who said that Ulta Beauty Salon was offering $45 dollar blow outs.
Well to her surprise the service she desired required a few adds ons that left her with a $200 bill.
To help you avoid being sent off (Chicago saying for lead astray) I want to help y’all out by explaining what a blow out actually is.
A blow out is a service done on freshly shampooed and conditioned hair that includes the use of a blow dryer. The hair is dried, smoothed, and stretched using either:
a blow dryer with a comb attachment
a blow dryer with a concentrator and paddle or round brush
the tension method (where the blow dryer is held in one hand while the other stretches the hair)
The method chosen depends on the stylist’s skill set, the condition of the hair, the desired results, and the tools available.
Once the hair is blown out, you can decide whether to wear it as-is or go a step further with heat styling.
The Gentle Heat Route
If you want to avoid more direct heat, you can style your hair without adding additional thermal tools.
Wear it Blown Out
I don’t know about y’all, but I love big, voluminous hair—always have and always will. It’s such a fun and bold way to wear your natural hair. Just make sure you braid or two-strand twist your hair nightly to minimize tangles and keep your hair organized.
Two-Strand Twist or Braid-Out
Flat Twist Styled by @curlologist
Using a foam like The Doux Crazy Sexy Curl, you can flat twist, two-strand twist, or braid your hair to create texture and minimize tangles.
Flexi-Rod or Rod Set
Flexi-Rod set Styled by @curlologist
With a styling foam, set your hair on flexi-rods or perm rods for uniform ringlets and a soft, stretched shape.
Bantu Knot-Out
You can use a light hair spray or even a styling puddy (I saw @naturalbybria experimenting with one recently—it looked ✨promosing!). The hair spray method will only last a day, so this approach may need to be refreshed daily.
The Direct Heat Route
If you decide to add heat, there are still ways to keep your curls protected and cute.
Wand Curls
Wand curls styled by Aishia
Using a wand or curling iron, you can create full, bouncy curls on blown-out natural hair. I can’t begin to tell y’all how obsessed I am with wand curls—the volume, the bounce, the beautiful croissant-like shape (yes, I said croissant—they’re fluffy and ✨delishious just like wand curls!). Depending on your hair type and frizz factor, you can usually get 3–5 days out of this look.
Press
While many call this a silk press, I prefer to just say press. Not everyone’s hair will look silky—and that’s perfectly fine. Pressing simply means using a pressing comb or flat iron to smooth the strands. Depending on your desired result, the finish can range from soft and full to sleek and smooth. You can also curl with a curling iron, flat iron or wand curl from here.
A Few Important Things to Remember
No matter how much heat protectant you use, there’s always a chance of heat damage.
Blowing out dehydrated hair will lead to frizz. (Dehydration often happens when you go too long between shampoos or use products that don’t meet your hair’s needs.)
The tools you use are only as good as the person using them.
Proper prep is essential when working with heat.
Let’s Chat 💬
Have you ever had a blow out that surprised you—good or bad?
What did you expect versus what you got?
Drop a comment below and share your experience—I’d love to hear your thoughts!
If you want to learn how to blow out your own hair, discover which products actually work, and watch step-by-step styling tutorials, subscribe to For The Curls & Culture — your go-to digital guide for understanding and mastering healthy, beautiful curls. 💛