How to Blow Dry Bangs

Achieve effortless style with this simple guide to blow-drying bangs

Co-authored by Noël Reid-Killings

VIDEO

From blunt to side to fringe, it's easy to style your bangs with a blow dryer. Follow these steps to learn how to heat-style the perfect bangs.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

1
Wash your hair as normal. Always use warm water, as hot water can dry out your scalp and also cause color to fade. You should only shampoo and condition your hair every few days. A conditioner is usually necessary only if you blow dry your hair often and need extra protection from heat damage.
- Towel dry your hair. It will be much easier to blow dry your bangs if they are already somewhat dry. You don't want water to be dripping off of your hair--try using your fingers and towel to get it about 75% dry.
2
Apply a heat protectant serum to your hair. You should only need a tiny bit, less than a dime-size drop. This little drop should be enough product to run through all your hair, and you should only use a tiny fraction of it on your bangs. Too much product in your bangs--whether it's a volumizing serum or styling spray--can weigh your bangs down and make your hair look greasy.^{[1]
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- If you have curly hair, you may want to apply an anti-frizz serum so the heat from the blow dryer doesn't make your hair frizzy.
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3
Comb your hair with a wide-tooth comb to make sure you remove any tangles. Your hair is at its most fragile when it's wet, and you risk damaging and breaking the strands if you're trying to yank through knots and tangles as you dry.
- Use a clip to section your hair away from your bangs.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

1
Hold the blow dryer above your head, with the nozzle pointed down toward your face.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Noël Reid-Killings
Celebrity Hair Stylist

Expert Interview. 25 November 2020.} Use a warm (but not hot) heat setting so you don't damage your hair or your face.
- Always dry your bangs first. Don't mess around putting on your moisturizing lotion or make up or start drying the rest of your hair. Your bangs are shorter and thinner than the rest of your hair and will dry quickly. Once they are dry, they will be set and it will be difficult to style them.
Angle the dryer so that the warm air shoots over the hair. Don't dry your hair all the way--focus instead on getting the roots dry so that you don't have cowlicks messing up your fringe.
3
Brush your bangs in the opposite direction across your forehead. Make sure the air from the blow dryer is always following the movement of your brush. If you are working with a lot of hair, try drying it in smaller sections, moving it gradually across your brow.
- Keep brushing your hair back and forth across your forehead until your roots are dry.
Your bangs should be completely dry after a few seconds.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

1
Hold a round brush under your bangs, against the roots.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Noël Reid-Killings
Celebrity Hair Stylist

Expert Interview. 25 November 2020.} Hold the blowdryer above your head, pointing the warm air down so hit hits your roots.^{[4]
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Research source}
- Don't hold the blowdryer too close to your hair--you could burn your forehead and damage your hair. Keep it at least a few inches away from your hair.
2
Twist the brush under your bangs to curl the hair on the brush.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Noël Reid-Killings
Celebrity Hair Stylist

Expert Interview. 25 November 2020.} Move the blowdryer up and down vertically, from the root of your bangs to the ends of your hair. Focus mostly on the roots, as they take longer to dry than the ends. ^{[6]
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- Make sure the blow dryer is always blowing air down, away from your roots.^{[7]
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If you feel your bangs are a little too poofy, brush them downwards while hitting them with another blast from the blow dryer.

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