Should Men Blow Dry Their Hair? When It Helps and How to Do It

Yes, if your hair is longer than about two or three centimetres on top and you want it to hold a shape. A quick blow dry on medium heat sets the direction of the hair before product goes in, which is why your hair looks better when the barber styles it. Quiffs, pompadours, side partings, slick-backs and anything with volume all benefit. Very short cuts such as buzz cuts and crops, and curly or coily hair that you want defined, usually do better air dried or diffused. It takes about three to five minutes once you know the method, and done at sensible heat it is not the hair-wrecker people fear.

Why a hairdryer changes the result

Hair takes its shape as it dries. Whatever direction it is in when the water leaves is roughly the direction it will stay in for the day. Air drying lets gravity, your pillow and your natural cowlicks decide. A hairdryer lets you decide. Product then holds a shape that already exists, instead of fighting hair that has dried flat or sideways.

That is the main reason a cut looks so good leaving the barber’s and so ordinary the next morning. The cut has not changed; the drying has. We explain the full gap in our post on why your hair looks better when the barber styles it.

Which haircuts benefit, and which do not

Hair or style	Blow dry?	Why
Quiff, pompadour, brush-up	Yes, essential	Volume comes from lifting at the root while drying
Side parting, comb-over, slick-back	Yes	Sets the direction so the parting stays put
Medium length, curtains, flow	Usually	Controls puffiness and gives a smoother fall
Textured crop, French crop	Optional	A quick rough dry forward helps; not essential
Buzz cut, crew cut, very short	No	A towel does the job in seconds
Curly or coily hair worn natural	Diffuse or air dry	Direct airflow breaks up curl and causes frizz

Fine or thinning hair is a special case: a blow dry with lift at the root is one of the best ways to make it look fuller. Very thick, coarse hair also benefits, because drying it in the right direction stops it puffing out at the sides.

What you need

• A hairdryer with at least two heat settings and a cool shot button. You do not need anything expensive.
• The nozzle attachment. The flat concentrator that came in the box and that most men throw away. It directs air precisely and stops the hair blowing everywhere.
• A vent brush or a wide-tooth comb. A round brush helps for volume at the front, but fingers do surprisingly well.
• A pre-styler, optional. A light spray, tonic or a little sea salt spray applied to damp hair gives grip and helps the shape last. See why the first product matters.

How to blow dry men’s hair in five minutes

1. Towel dry first, gently. Press and squeeze rather than rubbing hard. You want the hair damp, not dripping. Drying soaking-wet hair just means more time under heat.
2. Apply pre-styler if using one. A small amount, worked through to the roots.
3. Rough dry to about 70 per cent. Medium heat, medium speed, nozzle off, moving the dryer constantly. Use your fingers to push the hair roughly in the direction you want it. This is about removing water, not styling.
4. Put the nozzle on and style the rest. Now direct the air from the root to the tip in the direction of the style. For volume at the front, lift the hair up and back with a brush or fingers and aim the air at the root from underneath. For a side parting, dry the parting line first, pushing hair away from it.
5. Keep the dryer moving and a hand’s width away. Holding heat in one spot is what causes damage and that crisp, frazzled feel.
6. Finish with the cool shot. Hair sets as it cools. Ten seconds of cool air over the shape you have made locks it in far better than more heat.
7. Then add product. A small amount, warmed in your palms, worked from the back forward. Our post on how much hair product to use gives a sense of quantity.

Does blow drying damage hair?

Heat can damage hair if it is too hot, too close or applied for too long, which shows up as dryness, frizz and split ends over time. For most men, with short hair dried for a few minutes a day, the risk is small if you follow three rules: medium heat rather than maximum, keep the dryer moving, and stop when the hair is dry. A heat protection spray is worth it if your hair is long, coloured or already dry.

Air drying is not automatically gentler, by the way. Hair is at its weakest when wet, so long periods damp, especially rubbed with a towel or slept on, carry their own wear. Our guide on drying your hair without damaging it compares the options.

Common mistakes

• Drying downwards on a quiff. The hair dries flat, then you try to lift it with product. Always dry against the direction you want the volume.
• Skipping the nozzle. Without it, air goes everywhere and the hair goes everywhere with it.
• Product first, then drying. Heavy waxes and clays go on dry hair. Only light pre-stylers go on damp hair.
• Full heat, full speed, the whole time. Faster is not better. It gives frizz and a fluffy finish.
• Fighting a cowlick with heat alone. Dry the cowlick first while it is still wettest, pushing it in the opposite direction, then the other way, then the way you want it. Some cowlicks need to be cut for, not styled against.

Ask your barber to show you

The fastest way to learn is to watch it done on your own hair. At the end of your cut, ask the barber to talk you through how they are drying it: which direction, where they lift, what product. Then ask what you would do differently at home with a normal dryer. It takes a minute and saves weeks of trial and error. Every visit at Highgate Cuts starts with an assessment, so mention then that you want to learn the styling as well as get the cut.

If your style needs a blow dry every morning and you do not want that, say so. A good barber can often adjust the cut, with more texture, less length or a different direction, so it sits well when air dried. Find out more on our barber page, or start with a conversation with the Highgate Cuts team.

Questions we get asked

Is it unmanly to blow dry your hair?

No. Every barber does it to finish a cut. It is simply the step that makes most styles hold.

Can I blow dry short hair?

If it is long enough to move, a minute with the dryer helps it sit in the right direction. Very short cuts do not need it.

Should I blow dry curly hair?

Only with a diffuser on low speed if you want defined curls. Direct airflow tends to cause frizz.

Hot or cool air?

Medium heat to shape, cool air to set. Avoid maximum heat.

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