How to Create a Straight Blow Dry

Sleek, straight styles are beautiful, but they look much more effortless than they truly are. You'll need a few premium products to achieve the straight hair of your dreams in as few steps as possible, letting you show off your style quicker. Here's what you need:

When spending your precious time straightening your hair to silky, smooth perfection, the last thing you want is for it to frizz or wave by lunchtime. To avoid the humidity, your hair texture, or product mishaps from ruining your good hair day, there are a few things you can do to keep your straight style perfect:

Prep your hair before styling

Smooth styles last longer on clean, well-conditioned hair. Using a smoothing shampoo and conditioner can give your hair the best foundation for styling. Use a lightweight heat protectant before styling to avoid dry hair seeking moisture from the air. The ghd Bodyguard uses a two-fold action to protect the hair as well as condition it, prioritizing smooth and silky hair all day long. 

Invest in a high-quality styling tool

Low-quality straighteners often distribute heat unevenly along the styling plate, giving you patchy results. This leads to repeat heat exposure on parts of your hair, increasing the risk of damage. Invest in a tool like ghd Duet Style Hot Air Style, which adapts to your hair’s needs for sleek, lasting results without compromising its health. With a premium blow dryer, you shouldn't need to double down on heat exposure and use a straightener, too.

Blow dry in small, even sections

When using a larger heat styling tool like the ghd Duet Style, it’s easy to grab bigger sections of hair because you think the tool can handle it. Smaller, even sections straighten faster and stay smooth longer, so you’ll save time in the long run without the touch-ups. Clip your hair up and work from the bottom up for the best results. 

Use the right heat settings

When straightening your hair, it’s easy to fall into the idea that hotter temperatures mean a better style. However, too much heat can damage your hair and leave it frizzy, which is the exact opposite of what you want. Using too little heat can damage the external structure of the hair, so stick to the optimal temperature of 185 degrees C for lasting, healthy shine. 

Seal your style with a finishing product

Seal your final look with a lightweight serum or anti-frizz spray. Focus on the mid-lengths to ends and avoid your roots to keep things sleek. Don’t spray too much either, as wetting the hair too much can cause it to wave. Here are a few of our favourite lightweight finishing products that won’t ruin your style:

Avoid touching your hair too much

Constantly touching your hair transfers oils from your hands to your hair, ruining the style and leaving it wavy or frizzy. Resist the urge to touch your hair as much as you can, and if you need to brush it through, use a wide-toothed comb to avoid it puffing up. 

Straight hair seems simple to master, but it’s surprisingly easy to slip up and end with frizz, flatness, or a style that doesn’t last. The good news is that with a few small tweaks, you can transform your results into perfection. Check out these common mistakes to watch out for, and how to fix them: 

Not drying hair completely before straightening

One of the biggest mistakes people make when straightening their hair is not waiting for it to dry completely before starting. Straightening damp or even slightly wet hair with a normal hair straightener causes it to sizzle, break, and frizz. Not only does this make your style fade faster, but it also leaves your hair irreversibly damaged. 

To avoid this, either make sure your hair is bone dry before straightening it, or use a 2-in-1 wet-to-dry styling tool like ghd Duet Style if you’re short on time. 

Styling dirty hair

Oily hair that’s already weighted down with product from previous days tends to look limp or greasy even faster after styling. Residue on your hair also creates build-up on your styling plates, leaving them less effective and more prone to damaging your hair. 

Start with clean, freshly washed hair for the best results. If you’re straightening second-day hair, refresh it with a lightweight dry shampoo at the roots before styling. This will remove some of the oil and give your hair an extra boost of volume. 

Ignoring the roots

Many people focus on the lengths and ends of their hair when straightening it, leaving the roots wavy or kinked. While this might be done to add volume, it can make your style look incomplete and throw off the entire finish.  

To fix this, use your styling tool to get as close to the root as possible and include as much hair as possible in the style. The ghd Mini is perfect for getting to the roots if your current styler won’t do it, but make sure your hair is completely dry before finishing off with this. To reintroduce volume, use a lightweight root-lifting finishing spray like ghd Pick Me Up. 

Going over the same section too many times

Repeatedly straightening the same pieces of hair causes unnecessary heat damage and makes the ends feel dry and brittle. Split ends can cause the hair to frizz prematurely after styling, leaving all your hard work forgotten about at the first sign of humidity. 

Make sure you section your hair properly into small pieces, using your styler to straighten each section completely before moving on to the next. This will prevent you from having to repeat passes on certain sections, avoiding needless heat damage. Comb through each pass to keep the strands tangle-free to avoid breakage. 

Using the wrong brush or comb

Brushing straightened hair with a rough or incorrect tool can cause static, frizz, and dents in the smooth finish. This requires extra heat to pass over sections to fix them, which can lead to extra damage, not just from the heat but also from the brush itself. 

The best thing to do here is either use a wide-toothed comb or a soft paddle brush, such as the ghd The All-Rounder Paddle Brush, when straightening and post-styling touch-ups. Avoid small, stiff brushes that snag and cause friction to keep your hair pristine. 

Want salon-smooth, straight hair that actually lasts? We asked our stylists what tips they swear by for creating effortless, lasting straight blow dried hair:

Cool your hair before touching it: Let each section cool down for a few seconds after straightening to set the style and prevent dents.

Use the ghd Duet Style when short on time: Save yourself half the time of using a hair dryer and straightener with the ghd Duet Style, which does all the hard work for you.

Use the comb-chase method for extra sleekness: Run a fine-tooth comb ahead of your straightener as you glide down the hair for maximum smoothness and shine.

Avoid heavy oils after straightening: Thick products can weigh down your style and make it look greasy faster, so stick to light serums or anti-frizz sprays.

Always straighten on clean, dry hair: Dirt, oil, or moisture can stop your straightener from gliding smoothly and ruin your finish.

Angle your straightener slightly downward: This helps keep ends tidy and prevents them from flicking out awkwardly at the bottom.

Chloe B, one of ghd’s senior stylists, says, “The trick to long-lasting straight hair is precision. Small sections, slow passes, and always, always use heat protection - it makes all the difference when perfecting your gorgeously sleek style.”

Q: How can I make my straight hair last all day? 

A: The secret to keeping your hair perfectly straight all day is in your prep, tools, and finishing touches. Always start with a good heat protectant like ghd Sleek Talker, which works perfectly with the ghd Duet Style Hot Air Styler to maximise longevity with 72 hours of hair softness and smoothness* and 25% longer-lasting frizz control**. Style your hair with small, even sections to avoid too much heat on parts of the hair. Finish with a lightweight smoothing serum or anti-humidity spray, and avoid over-touching your hair throughout the day. 

*when used with ghd duet style, vs untreated naturally dried hair

**vs duet style alone

Q: What temperature should I use to straighten my hair? 

A: Our team of haircare experts have found that the optimal temperature for styling hair is 185 degrees. Any hotter can damage the internal structure of the hair, causing irreversible damage, dryness, and breakage. On the other hand, colder temperatures can cause damage to the external structure of your hair, which causes split ends and frizz. Our tools use the optimal styling temperature of 185 degrees to keep your hair safe and happy while looking its best. 

Q: Why won’t my hair stay straight? 

A: A few factors might be causing your hair to have trouble staying straight, including leftover moisture, product build-up, using a poor-quality straightener, or skipping your prep work. Humidity also plays a big role in how long your hairstyle lasts. Investing in products that make styling your hair as easy as possible is essential, such as the ghd Duet Style, which straightens your hair at the same time as drying it. Using a lightweight holding spray, like ghd Straight On, can also help protect your super sleek finish and healthy-looking results. 

Q: Can I straighten my hair every day? 

A: While there’s no one to stop you from straightening your hair every day, per se, it’s not recommended. Daily heat exposure can cause breakage, dryness, and dullness over time, which can lead to frizz ruining your style at the first hint of humidity. However, if you need to touch up your straight style every day, we recommend using the optimal temperature of 185 degrees. This avoids heat damage as much as possible.

Q: How do I keep my straightened hair smooth overnight?

A: There’s nothing better than straightening your hair and knowing the results are going to last you a few days, so tomorrow, you can wake up a few minutes later and still enjoy salon-worthy style. The key to doing this is reducing friction while you sleep, so we recommend swapping your cotton pillowcase for a silk or satin one. These materials are gentler on your hair and help prevent kinks, frizz, and dryness. You can also loosely wrap your hair in a silk scarf or tie it in a low, loose ponytail to preserve its sleekness. 

Q: Why do my ends flick out after straightening?

A: People usually find that their hair starts to flick out at the ends when they clamp their straightener at the wrong angle or rush the styling process, as this can leave the hair treated unevenly. When straightening your hair, angle your straightener slightly downward as you reach the ends. Go slow and steady to smooth them into place.

Excess heat damage can also cause flicks, as split ends might hold style less effectively. A precision tool like the ghd Duet Style can help you get cleaner, neater finishes with minimal passes. 

Q: Why should I blow dry my hair straight instead of using a straightener?

A: Many people find it more convenient to blow dry their hair straight from wet, so they don't need to wait for it to air dry or use excess heat from both a blow dryer and a hair straightener. Blow-drying your hair straight can help it remain smooth and silky for multiple days, and thanks to using lower heat temperatures, it can leave your hair healthier and less susceptible to damage. If you're running short on time, many people swear by wet to dry styling products like the ghd Duet Style.