It’s easy to look fabulous on day one of a new blow-dry. But whether you do it yourself or get it done professionally, can you make it last for a full five days?
Hair stylist Michael Douglas has more than 35 years of experience in hairstyling and has developed a series of techniques which he has tried and tested to help his clients to make their blow-dries look great for as long as possible. He is on a mission to show us how it’s done. Douglas has enlisted his wife, Davina McCall to show how she keeps her blow-dry looking fresh for a five-day work week which throws up challenges ranging from frizz to night sweats.
Michael and Davina first met in the early Noughties when he was styling her hair for Big Brother . They first became close friends, then announced their relationship in 2019 and got married last year. As you might expect, Davina’s not exactly used to having to do her own hair as, where possible, she gets Michael to do it for her TV shows and appearances. As for when she’s at home, well, why would you bother DIYing when you’ve got a live-in stylist? As she says: “I hate doing my hair when Michael’s around, as I always think he’s going to do it better.”
For this five-day challenge of no hair-washing, Michael, who’s just launched his own range of styling products, The Numbers , says to trust the process. “Think of it as resetting your style every 24 hours, not starting from scratch. Each day just builds on the last, a little more texture, a little more character.”
Day 1: The polished base
“Whether you’re blow-drying yourself or getting it done in a salon, you want to start with the cleanest, most polished blow-dry possible, with as much volume as you can get into it, as the hair is going to drop throughout the week,” says Michael. If it’s DIY, he says you want to be using a bristle brush to get lots of tension on the hair, with a narrow nozzle to direct the air flow of the dryer. “The hair should be hot to the touch when you take the brush out.” But don’t bother with straightening irons or curling tongs at this stage – they’ll come later.
While some people suggest putting hair up while you sleep, so any flatness or tangles happen underneath, Michael is less of a fan. “You tend to get a line from the band. If you must tie it up, use a loose silk scrunchie.”
Day 2: Extend and refresh
“You don’t want to – and shouldn’t have to – do too much on day two,” says Michael. As Davina says, “I’ve slept on it, and I want a bit of oomph, but it’s in quite good shape.”
For Michael, day two is about extending the blow-dry without over-styling it. “Some of the body will naturally have dropped out, but the shine should still be there .”
The hair might be looking a little flatter than yesterday so that’s where dry shampoo comes in. “Tip your head upside down, spray the roots and ends, and brush it through – a vent brush works well for this. It won’t look a million miles away from yesterday, just a bit more relaxed.”
Day 3: Add waves and texture
This was the day that Davina used a heated styling brush to “get the frizz out” of her fringe. “I can’t believe I haven’t washed my hair for three days,” she says. But even if you don’t have a fringe, today is the day to get out your tools and “lean into the texture that your hair is naturally starting to show” as Michael puts it.
“Using a tong , wrap your hair around the barrel to give it a soft wave or a bit of curl,” he recommends. If you need more volume at the roots, add a bit more dry shampoo, and use a serum or pomade to give the tips more shine or definition. “I just rub it between my hands and put it into the ends,” adds Davina.
Day 4: The beachy look
“Because I get the night sweats, what normally happens to me is that I get ringlets underneath,” says Davina. She used a bit more dry shampoo and volumising spray on hers, and, Michael says that’s a great option. “Wear it down and again, work with the texture, maybe those soft waves or curls from yesterday are starting to drop so you could use a product with a bit of texture to give yourself more of a beach wave. And if the roots need a bit more dry shampoo, add some of that too.”
Day 5: Smooth it out – or pin it up
“By this point there’s so much product in the hair, as long as you’ve been using something with heat protection in it, you can use straighteners to smooth it out without worrying about damaging it.”
That’s what Davina did, using wide straightening irons and dividing the hair into five or six sections on each side. The other option is embracing the messy texture. “Throw your hair into a messy bun, top knot, loose braid, or side ponytail,” says Michael. “And, if you need to, use a straightener or blow-dryer to briefly smooth out your fringe.”
“Everyone is going to have one day that they like better than any other,” says Michael. “For some it’s that day one perfectly done blow-dry, but for other people it might be when the hair looks a bit more lived in. When they look in the mirror and just think ‘Okay, I look like me. I don’t look over styled, I don’t look under styled. I just look great.’ And that’s the lovely thing about doing something like this – which I’d recommend everyone tries at least once.”
“If you consider the average time of washing, drying and styling is an hour, and say you wash your hair three times a week, you would save at least three hours a week. But you also get to master the art of effortless hair – and figure out what style suits you best.”
Davina’s verdict? “I’ve really enjoyed this week.”
