How to Blow Dry Hair With a Round Brush (Blowout Brush Tips for a Smooth Finish)

A frizzy, puffy DIY blowout usually comes down to two things: starting with hair that's too wet, and pointing the dryer the wrong way. Fix those and a round brush starts to make sense. The rest is patience and small sections.

What you need before you start

• A round brush. Ceramic or metal barrels heat up and act a little like a curling iron. Vented barrels let the air through so hair dries faster.
• A dryer with a nozzle. The flat concentrator nozzle that came in the box. L'Oréal Paris says to "make sure your blow-dryer has a nozzle attached," because it helps cut frizz.
• Clips. Three or four big ones.
• Heat protectant. "Anytime you're going to use heat on your hair, you need to use a heat protectant first," L'Oréal says. Our heat protectant guide covers which type suits your hair.

What size round brush should you use?

Pick by length and by the finish you want. Olivia Garden's sizing guide on its listing says small barrels (0.875 to 1.5 inches) "create tight curls for short hair," medium barrels (2 to 3 inches) "add loose waves to medium hair," and large barrels (3.5 to 4.25 inches) "boost volume for long hair."

For most people, one medium brush around 2 inches is the one to own. It's big enough to smooth and small enough to bend the ends. If you have short or fine hair and want root lift, a smaller one helps.

Thermal blowout brush vs a boar bristle round brush

A thermal blowout brush has a ceramic or metal barrel that holds heat, so it dries and shapes faster. A boar bristle round brush grips and smooths more but doesn't heat up the same way, and it's slower on thick hair. (If you want a boar bristle brush that lasts for years, our luxury hair brush picks cover the best-made ones.) At home, a vented ceramic brush is the easier start.

How to blow dry hair with a round brush: 7 steps

1. Rough-dry to about 80 percent first

Don't start with a round brush on soaking hair. L'Oréal says "you're actually supposed to wait until your hair is partially dry." The AAD also suggests letting hair "partially air dry" before you style it. Blast it with the dryer and your fingers until it's damp, not wet, with no brush yet. This is where you save the most time.

2. Put on heat protectant and smoothing cream

Spray heat protectant all over. If you're fighting frizz, rub a small amount of smoothing cream through the mid-lengths and ends. A dime-sized amount is enough for shoulder-length hair; more makes it limp. Our frizzy hair guide explains why damp hair puffs up as it dries.

3. Section your hair

Clip the top and sides out of the way and start at the nape. Each section should be no wider than your brush and about as thick as two fingers. L'Oréal says to "separate your hair into small sections." Big sections are the most common reason a blowout looks half-done.

4. Get the brush under the hair at the root

Slide the brush under the section, close to your scalp. Pull it a little away from your head so there's light tension on the hair. You want the hair wrapped against the bristles, not sitting loosely on top of them.

5. Point the nozzle down the hair, and follow the brush

This is the step that makes it smooth. Aim the nozzle along the hair from root to ends, on top of the section, never blowing up toward the roots. L'Oréal says to "direct it at the top side of the section," then move the dryer slowly down. Keep the dryer an inch or two from the brush and keep it moving.

Pull the brush down slowly, rotating it as you go. Repeat two or three times until the section feels completely dry and warm. Damp sections left behind turn frizzy within an hour.

6. Lift at the crown, curve at the ends

For volume on top, pull the brush "up and away from your head," as L'Oréal puts it, and hold the dryer on the root for a few seconds. For a bend at the ends, roll the brush under (or out, for a flick) and give the curl a moment of heat.

7. Cool each section before you let it go

Switch to the cool button while the hair is still wrapped around the brush. L'Oréal says cool air "will set your style in place." Roll the brush out, clip the curl up if you want more bounce, and move on.

Why your blowout is still frizzy

Usually one of these:

• You started too wet. The brush stage takes forever and you rush the end.
• Air is blowing up the hair. That lifts the cuticle. Aim down, along the strand.
• Sections are too thick. The middle stays damp and frizzes later.
• No nozzle. Without it the air goes everywhere.
• Humidity. Even a perfect blowout reacts to a humid day. A light anti-humidity spray at the end helps; our best products for frizzy hair roundup has some.

If you'd rather skip heat on some days, our guide to straightening hair without heat has gentler options.

Blow dryer with a round brush: is a hot-air brush easier?

For a lot of people, yes. A one-step hot-air brush is a dryer and a round brush in one, so you only need one hand. It's easier for the back of your head and for anyone who finds the two-handed method awkward.

The trade-offs: it's bulkier, it doesn't give quite the same polish on very thick hair, and it puts the heat right on the hair. Let your hair dry most of the way first and use the lower setting when you can.

Best blow dryer for frizz: what to look for

You don't need an expensive dryer to get a smooth blowout. Look for a concentrator nozzle (the most important part), a cool shot button that actually blows cool, and two or three heat settings so you can drop the heat as your hair dries. Ionic dryers are marketed for smoother, less staticky results.

Picks that help

Drybar Full Pint Medium Ceramic Round Brush

Best for: a blowout round brush that works on most lengths.

• Drybar calls its 2.25-inch barrel the "most versatile barrel size," for "volume, loose curls, waves, and smooth blowout styles on a variety of hair lengths."
• The "vented ceramic barrel helps channel heat from your hair dryer throughout each section," per the listing.
• Keep in mind: for short or fine hair and more root lift, the smaller Half Pint (1.75 inches) is the better fit.

Check price on Amazon

Revlon One-Step Volumizer Hair Dryer and Styler

Best for: a round blow dry brush you can use one-handed.

• Revlon says you can "dry, smooth, and volumize without juggling a separate dryer and round brush."
• It has a 2.8-inch oval barrel and Cool, Low and High settings. The listing says it's "best for mid-length to long hair."
• Keep in mind: it's large for short hair, and the heat is right on the hair, so start on hair that's mostly dry.

Check price on Amazon

Conair InfinitiPRO Hair Dryer, 1875W

Best for: a budget dryer with the concentrator nozzle a round-brush blowout needs.

• The Conair listing says it comes with "a diffuser for textured styles and concentrator for smooth styles."
• It has "3 heat and 2 speed settings plus a true cold shot button," and an 1875-watt AC motor with ionic technology.
• Keep in mind: an AC-motor dryer is heavier than a compact travel dryer, which you'll feel on long blowouts.

Check price on Amazon

FRAMAR Neutral Alligator Clips

Best for: keeping sections out of the way.

• A pack of 10 clips that FRAMAR says hold "large sections of hair without slipping," and that work on "curly, thick, fine, long" hair.
• The listing calls them "perfect sectioning clips."
• Keep in mind: alligator clips can leave a slight dent on damp hair. Clip above where you're drying, not on finished sections.

Check price on Amazon

FAQs

What is the best round brush for a blowout?

A vented ceramic brush with a medium barrel, around 2 inches, suits most hair. It heats up, dries hair quickly, and is small enough to shape the ends. Go smaller for short hair or root volume, and larger for long, thick hair.

Is a round brush or paddle brush better for blow drying?

A paddle brush is faster for straight, flat results. A round brush gives smoothness plus volume and a bend at the ends. Many people rough-dry with a paddle brush and finish with a round brush.

How do you hold a blow dry round brush?

Hold the brush in your non-dominant hand under the section, and the dryer in your dominant hand on top, nozzle pointing down the hair. Keep the dryer moving with the brush. It feels awkward for the first few blowouts and then it doesn't.

Should hair be wet or dry before using a round hair brush for blow drying?

Mostly dry. Rough-dry to about 80 percent first, then use the round brush to smooth and shape. Starting on wet hair takes much longer and means more heat overall.

Can you use a round brush on curly hair?

Yes, if you want it smooth. Use smaller sections, a smoothing cream, and plenty of tension. If you want to keep your curls, a diffuser is the better tool.

Why does my hair puff up after a round brush blowout?

The hair was still slightly damp, or the air was blowing up the strand. Make sure every section feels fully dry and warm before you move on, aim the nozzle downward, and finish with cool air.

Small sections, a nozzle pointed down, and cool air at the end: that's the difference between a puffy blow-dry and a smooth one.