The Sunday Blowout

Because Monday morning has enough problems already.

Sunday has a particular mood.

The weekend is not quite over, but Monday has begun making small, unnecessary appearances in your thoughts. Emails. Meetings. Things you promised to remember.

You cannot control all of it. But you can wash your hair.

The Sunday blowout is less about looking perfect and more about beginning the week with one thing already handled. Done properly, it should take you through Monday, improve by Tuesday and, with Dryclean and reasonable expectations, remain socially acceptable well beyond that.

Start before you are in a hurry

The best time to wash your hair is when nothing is happening immediately afterwards.

Choose the shampoo and conditioner your hair actually needs, rather than the bottles closest to your hand. If the lengths feel dry or tired, use a mask.

Squeeze out excess water first and apply it properly through the mid-lengths and ends. Then leave it alone.

Make coffee. Choose the week’s music. Stare into the middle distance. A hair mask works remarkably well when given the chance.

Prepare with intention

Gently towel-dry the hair. Do not rub it as though something has gone wrong.

Apply heat protection through the lengths, followed by the styling product that suits the result you want. Volume at the roots. Control through the lengths. A little softness at the ends.

Not every product needs to be invited.

Comb everything through so the product is evenly distributed, then rough-dry with your fingers until the hair is approximately 70–80 per cent dry.

This is where many people begin using the round brush. This is also where many people begin regretting the round brush.

Make the roots your priority

If you want the blowout to last, dry the roots properly.

Lift them away from the scalp and direct them against the way they naturally fall. Move the hair from side to side before settling the parting into place.

Once the roots are dry, divide the hair into manageable sections. They do not need to be mathematically perfect. They need to be small enough for the brush to control.

Begin at the back. The front will receive your full attention later. It always does.

Let the hair cool

Shape each section with the brush while directing the airflow from roots to ends.

When the section is dry, finish with cool air and allow it to set before releasing it. If you want more movement, loosely pin the warm section into a curl while it cools.

This is the difference between hair that looks good in the bathroom and hair that still looks good at dinner. Heat creates the shape. Cooling persuades it to stay.

Don’t finish it too perfectly

Once the hair is completely dry, leave it alone for a few minutes.

Then use your fingers to loosen the shape. Brush through only if you want something softer and more polished. Add a tiny amount of hair oil to the ends if needed.

The result should move. A blowout that looks slightly better after an hour is usually the right blowout.

Make it last

Sleep with the hair loosely gathered at the top of the head or use a soft scrunchie to prevent unnecessary flattening. In the morning, shake it out and reposition the parting.

On day two or three, use Dryclean at the roots before the hair looks as if it needs rescuing. Prevention is more elegant than panic.

Then continue with your life. The week may still be disorganised. Your hair doesn’t have to be.