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Blow Drying 101

“My hair is so flat.” “I have this cowlick…” “My style just seems, I don’t know, frumpy.” These are common problems that a stylist hears about. One answer can be that you need to learn how to blowdry.

Let us start with your hair and the style you are looking to achieve. Of course, we are assuming that you already have some product in your hair. If not, then you will have to wait for that topic in another article. Or make an appointment today to talk to your stylist at AK Haircolor & Design to get you in the know!

Your hair is curly and you want to keep it curly in your finished look. So, set your dryer on cool and use the low setting. Also, get out your diffuser. This attaches to the end of your dryer and keeps the airflow from pushing the curl right out the door. Curls need to be treated as if they are fragile. Do not run your fingers through them. Do not use a brush on them while blowing them dry. You may use your fingers to help the drying process and feel how damp your hair is. Here is how. Hold out your hand, palm up. Now pretend I just set a glass on your palm and you curl your fingers up around it. This is the position for your hand to gently move the curls while your diffused, on low, blow dryer is working on your curly locks! Do this while holding your head so your hair hangs away from the scalp. You may even be right upside down. This helps get some volume in there. Dry until your hair is starting to “fuzz” or it is completely dry, whichever comes first. Now you can finish off the style with taming the banges, fixing the part, or spraying into place. Again, do NOT run your fingers through the finished look. Try to keep scarfs from flattening it.

Consider having some haircolor while thinking of ways to change your look or add fullness. Color often changes the texture of your hair so that there is more life in your style even before you blow dry. The variations of colors will create depth and shine and can actually give the illusion of fullness even when it is not there. Like an artist paints lights and darks to create a lifelike picture, so the stylists do at AK Haircolor & Design.

Your hair is straight and you want more fullness in there. Here are a couple options to try. You will want a root lifting product . After it is applied, flop your head upside down and blow dry. Use your hands or a brush to pull the hair away from the scalp. The settings can be on whatever is most comfortable for you. The hotter and higher the settings are, the faster your hair will dry. If you prefer not to put your head upside down, then get a good metal round brush. The shorter your hair is, the smaller your round brush should be. Section your hair either with clips or mentally into four corners and work from the bottom up. Holding wet hair out of the way with a clip, put your brush under your hair section that you are working on and turn the brush so that the hair is going under. The brush may have to be pulled out a bit from the scalp if your hair is very long. Turning, pulling, blowing all at once. And lifting. The brush should be lifting the hair up to get the maximum fullness. Once a section is done, let the next section down and start again until the whole head is finished. If these instructions seem hard to picture, have it done professionally at AK Haircolor & Design first and take note of what the stylist is doing so you can do the same at home. Ask her/him about the products they are using. The right product can make your goals achievable.Your dryer may have come with an attachment that goes on the end and has a small slit where the air comes out. This is for straight looks. You may see a difference using it, but where your hair is already straight, you may not.

Your hair is curly and you want it to be straight. Or straighter. If you have tried very much in styling your hair you already know that it tends to be frizzy. Blow drying right can straighten it a lot, but product will be your best friend. See your stylist at AK Haircolor & Design for recommendations. You can use the same instructions at the paragraph for straight hair, but be sure to use the attachment for straightening. You will get volume pretty easy if your hair isn’t too fine, so you will not have to worry so much about the lifting of the brush. If your hair is frizzy when you are done, you may want to use a straightening iron as well to finish off the look. And use the right product. If you are not sure what that may be, then call the salon. A consultation is free and the stylist recommendation is priceless.

Sometimes, a dryer has a “cool shot” button. It will usually be right where your pointer finger can hit it. This button changes the temperature of the air blowing through to cool no matter what the setting. It only lasts as long as the button is pressed. This is a neat addition that allows you to shoot some cool air on a problem spot. It can be used to correct the cowlick-y area, or get a little more volume. Do your regular blow drying and when you are at that spot, concentrate a little longer on it after the heat with some cold air. Once that spot has cooled, then move the air and brush away and you should have more obedient hair in that spot.

Don’t be afraid to spend some time trying out some new things. Blow dry it all to one side, then the other while brushing the whole time. Or try getting the roots dried and then let the ends dry naturally. Go with that wild look and see if you could get used to it.

More than once in this article I have mentioned product. At AK Haircolor & Design, Angie has handpicked some of her favorite product lines for particular reasons. Almost everyone could use some product, so come get her help to decide which ones you need. 798 Main Rd. North in Hampden. ( Almost all the way into Bangor on Rt. 1) Call ahead and we can set aside your products. 992-9049

Have a beautiful day!

Angie's professional expertise transformed my hair color from dull, dry, and brassy to bright, blonde, and beyond breathtaking, but it also it transformed my total confidence right from my first appointment! The atmosphere was classy and sophisticated, yet relaxing and peaceful! A perfect experience, and a perfect result!

-Bethany Noel Verrill

Angie's education in the field shines through each and every visit -- she is well versed in the science of color and hair care and happy to share her knowledge with her clients. Her professionalism in her work is always evident. She loves her work and it shows.

-Christine Lutz-Garrity

I have been trusting AK Haircolor & Design with my hair for the past seven years and every seven weeks. I am impressed again and again with how my hair is cared for. You will not find another salon that knows color and style like AK Haircolor & Design.

-Heather Lynn Bass

I have been a consistent client of A.K. Haircolor & Design for many years. I’m truly thankful that I was referred to this amazing salon and to the talented Angela Kirk and her experience in the art of coloring.

-Rebecca Blanchard

I have been a client of Angie's since before she opened AK Haircolor & Design. The best description of all my experiences with AK Haircolor & Design is "Professional and Personal care with an artistic flair."

-Kathleen Kazmierczak

I love going to AK Haircolor & Design. The environment is beautiful and very professional! They know hair and color and their outstanding training shows in what they can do with hair like mine that needs extra care! They make certain that I'm pleased and offer sound advice about hair products as well.

-Jan Kristo

I am so impressed by the talent of all the stylists at AK Haircolor & Design. I have been going to AK Haircolor for years and would not trade my stylist if I was paid. The atmosphere is great and all the stylists are extremely friendly. The wonderful thing about AK Haircolor is you are not treated as another number sitting in the chair but treated like the first client of the day happy to see me with a smile on their face. I love walking into a place and being greeted with a big smile it makes my day that much better. Not only is the experience great, but I have never had so many compliments on my hair cut or color since being with you. Thank you AK Haircolor & Design for all that you do for your clients - We appreciate you!

-Ginger Hegstrom

Our whole family loves AK Haircolor & Design! My two daughters and I were looking for a new salon, after our long-term hairdresser moved away and we were fortunate enough to find AK. The stylists at AK Haircolor love what they do, and are very attentive and detail-oriented; the atmosphere at AK is cheerful and upbeat (and the music is great!). Visiting AK Haircolor is like visiting a spa.....whether we’re getting color, a perm, waxing, or cuts and styling.......we leave feeling pampered and happy!

-Mary Bilodeau

This salon’s hair care knowledge has transformed my dull, thin and damaged hair into a beautiful and healthy look. I live about one hour away and refuse to go anywhere else. It’s worth the drive!

-Rebecca Blanchard

I always know that when I leave AK Hair Salon my hair will be beautiful. Angie and her team are never inconsistent. They listen, and they understand hair. They understand my hair. I always leave the AK Hair Salon feeling beautiful.I get so many compliments on my hair. Angie and her team color and cut my hair so that it is somehow professional, classy, and sexy!

Angie loves her job. She loves hair. She loves to color it. She loves to cut it. She loves to understand what her customers want and how she can give that to each one of them. It is a total pleasure to go to AK Hair Salon. The ambiance at AK Hair Salon is wonderful. It’s funky and fancy. Angie and her team treat their customers like royalty!

-Robin Barstow

I've benefited from Angie's expertise; I only wish I had found her sooner! The addition of Heather to the salon complements Angie's professionalism as she too has a wealth of experience and eye for great design.

-Christine Lutz-Garrity

I get compliments on my highlights all the time. My hair is healthy and very natural-looking because of her knowledge and experience. When I travel back and forth to Florida, I make sure to schedule my travel plans around my hair appointments.

-Heather Lynn Bass

My husband and I just moved to the Bangor area last summer from South Florida and I was looking for a competent hair stylist to be as good as the stylist I had in Florida. I found someone reputable who referred me to AK Haircolor & Design in Hamden. The owner, Angie, is very well known and is the only board certified hair colorist in the Bangor area. I made an appointment and have been so happy with the results! My cut and color works, my husband loves my hair and the environment is relaxing and pleasant. What a great discovery!

-Charlene Spolan

I receive many compliments on my hair, and am often asked who colors and styles it. I am happy to recommend AK Haircolor & Design because of the wonderful service, experience and expertise they provide to their customers!

-Sarah Quirk

I've been a client of AK Haircolor & Design for over 10 years and can't imagine anyone else doing my hair. Their expertise in coloring has made my dull hair color come to life. I get so many compliments on my hair and I'm so proud to say Angie is the best!

-Sandy Woodward

People ask me often where I get my hair done and I’m proud to say A.K. Haircolor & Design. Their professional mannerism and trendy salon is perfect for everyone!

-Rebecca Blanchard

I was referred to AK Haircolor & Design just after I relocated to Maine. I've always been very picky about who touches my hair and was looking for "the best" in the area. Well, lucky me... I found her! This salon does great hair, but they are friendly and warm. I recommend AK Haircolor & Design to anyone who's looking to have the best looking hair in Bangor.

-Sarah Stein

1 year ago I came here from the DC area. I brought with me a certain level of expectation for my stylist. Before finding Angie, I visited 3 other salons in the Bangor area, all of whom disappointed me with their undelivered promises, lack of professionalism and unwillingness to listen. Upon my first visit with Angie, listened as I explained that I knew my hair was blond, but my DC stylists had always told me I had "a lot of red" in my color. Angie explained that my combination of blond hair and green eyes make a genetic combination that if not treated properly result in that horrible brassy look. Angie covered my incoming gray, gave me the cool blond I yearned for and brought out my natural curls. I wouldn't even consider going to anyone else. This fall, I decided that I trusted Angie so much that for the first time in my 56 years, I really did go all red and had Angie give me copper locks along with a short pixie doo. It looks more natural on me than my natural blond! I love this woman.

-Kathy Williams

"Angie is very welcoming and professional; she exudes confidence in her ability to transform your haircolor and cut, while allowing you the opportunity to relax during your salon visit. It's a drive for me, but I can't imagine going anywhere else !!!"

-Rose Davis

I have been going to AK Haircolor & Design for many years for my hair coloring and cuts. She is fabulous! When it is my hair appointment, I know it is my time to relax and put all trust in Angie to get the color and cut perfect. Have no worries! That is important to me.

-Rhonda Huff

I truly look forward to visiting Angie’s salon! She is a wonderful stylist who offers personalized service in a clean, professional and relaxing environment. Her warm demeanor combined with her extensive knowledge makes for a wonderful experience. I would recommend AK Haircolor & Design to anyone looking for great service in a lovely salon!

-Mary Dyer

If you are looking for a stylist who will work with you to help you look and feel your best, Angie is the person to see. I am frequently stopped by women in the community who tell me how beautiful my hair is, and they all want to know who cuts and styles it – a sure sign of Angie’s talent and skill with helping people feel good about their hair. . . Even though my hair is VERY straight, has now gone silver, and tends to be difficult to manage, Angie keeps my hair looking great and works with me to make sure I know what to do to keep it looking good in between appointments. I always look forward to seeing Angie, and encourage you to go in and find out for yourself what she can do to help you look your best.

-Ginger Ward-Green