Welcome to How to Hair. Think of this series as your go-to guide to achieving your best hair yet. Whether you want to master a new hair tool, work out how to wear a new hairstyle, or you're just in need of some hair inspiration, our beauty editor Eleanor Vousden is here to talk you through what you need to know, step-by-step, and with plenty of insider intel along the way. Allow How to Hair to become your trusted guide on the journey to great hair days—every day.
So, you bought the Airwrap (or you're planning to). And now you're probably wondering, "How do I use the Dyson Airwrap, anyway?" As a hair-obsessed beauty editor who has been the proud owner of the Dyson Airwrap for four years (and who has tried three different launches of the hair multistyler), I'll even admit it—the Dyson Airwrap takes a little know-how and practice to master. With more attachments than your standard hot brush, you need to get to grips with this airstyler.
In fact, I'm often asked by fellow colleagues and friends how to use the Dyson Airwrap (and my For You Page is filled with people who are unsure on how to use it, too), so I figured it was high time I put pen to paper on how to actually use it with a step-by-step guide and all the tips and tricks on getting the most from your attachments, and, most importantly, getting your curls to last. This is by far my most commonly asked question when it comes to the Dyson Airwrap—and yes, it can be done.
Plus, with the launch of the new Dyson Coandax2, Dyson's latest Airwrap model, I decided to put it to the test. I've done all the legwork and have created a step-by-step guide on how to use the Dyson Airwrap for your bounciest blow-dry yet.
How to Use the Dyson Airwrap
1. Prep Your Hair
I'd argue that this is the most important step. If you're going for a bouncy blow-dry look, I have some pointers. Firstly, ensure your hair is thoroughly shampooed (ideally with a clarifying shampoo) to rid your roots of product build-up and oil that can weigh hair down and make your style fall flat—especially if you have fine or thin hair. When hair is cleansed, your roots will have more volume, and the rest of your hair will have more bounce.
As someone with frizz-prone hair that is thick and wavy, my favourite shampoos are Ouai Detox Shampoo (£28) and Philip Kingsley Flaky/Itchy Scalp Shampoo (£31). I'd also recommend using a lightweight conditioner to avoid weighing down the ends. I love Kerastase Premiere Bond Advanced Conditioner (£41), or I like Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Hair Gloss (£30) as a hair gloss treatment for added shine.
On towel-dried hair, I like to apply a heat protector spray (I'm using Kérastase Gloss Absolu Anti-Frizz Glaze Milk (£43) and, depending on your hair type, you may also like to use a hair mousse, a hair serum or volumising products prior to styling to help give your hair extra hold, volume and bounce. Just be careful not to overload your hair with too much product.
A favourite of mine is Hair by Sam McKnight Cool Girl Volume Blow Dry Foam (£28), which has a foam texture that helps to lock in the style without weighing hair down, and I'll run a little of Dyson's Chitosan Pre-Style Cream (£26) through my lengths to help prep my hair. I also swear by my trusty Wetbrush Detangler Brush (£8) to detangle my hair before styling and help distribute the product through the lengths.
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2. Rough Dry
PSA: You want to use your Aiwrap on hair that's 80% dry, so don't go straight in on wet hair. Start by rough-drying with the hairdryer attachment, paying attention to the roots. I like my roots to be totally dry, as it's harder to fully dry your hair at the roots with the other Airwrap attachments (especially if you have thick hair), and any dampness at the roots will make your style fall out more quickly.
If you want an extra boost of volume at the roots, tip your head upside down as you blow-dry. You'll want a little bit of moisture in your lengths before using the curling barrels, round brush or paddle brush, so leave them about 80-90% dry.
If you're going for a straight and sleek look, you can use the paddle-brush attachment to smooth and stretch the hair as you dry, before finishing with the Airsmooth attachment to smooth any remaining frizz or flyaways. Or, if you own one of the older Dyson Airwrap models, switch the hairdryer attachment to the flyaway smoother setting to create a sleek look. If you're going for a bouncy look, scroll on.
3. Round Brush
The round brush attachment is one of my favourite Airwrap attachments. If you have a fringe or face-framing layers, I'd recommend using this to style them. But I'd also use this attachment throughout your entire head if you find your hair doesn't hold a curl with the curling barrels. With this attachment, you can achieve the necessary tension needed to create long-lasting styles with a bouncy blow-dry effect.
When using the round-brush attachment, you'll want to twirl a section of hair around it a couple of times, rolling your hair over it for more volume at the root, or under, like I am above for a face-framing, soft curl.
And here's the secret to making it last. Once your section is fully dry and you have run the round brush through it a couple of times, you want to roll your entire length of hair around it and use the cold shot button to cool the hair. Alternatively, you could deploy hair rollers to help your hair set as it cools.
Cold air will help lock in the style, whereas if you release the hair too soon when it remains warm, your style will drop more quickly. Think of it like a candle: when the wax is warm, it's fluid and malleable, but when it cools, it solidifies into shape. The same goes for your hair, so get to know your cold shot button and use it for a lot longer than you think to bring your hair from hot to cool. I'd go for at least 10 seconds for each section, or longer for thick hair.
4. Curl
You have two options for the curling attachments: the larger barrel or the narrower one. The former will give you a soft, looser curl, while the smaller barrel will result in tighter curls.
If your curls drop out quickly, go for the narrower barrel. Similarly, if you have hair without any layers that's all one length, you may also benefit from using this version. The heavier your hair, the more the curl will drop, so a tighter curl is your best bet at getting your style to last. However, if you want a soft ripple through your hair, the larger barrel will deliver a much softer curl. I also like to use this size on my face-framing layers, which tend to hold a curl better and don't require so much of a springy curl.
Now you've chosen your curling barrel, you want to take a 1-2 inch section and allow the curling barrel to latch onto the ends of your hair. Smaller sections are best to allow the air and heat to treat the hair evenly—if it's too large, your Airwrap has to work harder to dry and style. Gently guide your hair as it wraps around the barrel.
Your hair thickness, texture and length will determine how long to hold the curl in place. On the newer Coandax2 model, you can pair it with the MyDyson app, which helps you determine the duration (and it will auto-sync with your Airwrap via Bluetooth, so you don't even have to touch any of the buttons, which is a really great feature of the new model). But, as a general rule of thumb, you want to hold it until your hair feels dry to the touch (usually 10-15 seconds is enough once your hair is fully wrapped around).
As I mentioned in the round brush section, it's crucial that you let your hair fully cool before releasing your section from the barrel. I like to use the cold shot button for 10-15 seconds to allow the hair to fully cool and set. This is the most common mistake I see people making with their Airwraps and will affect how well your style lasts. When you come to release the curl, ensure that the airflow has also stopped.
Your curl direction will also affect the overall result. Curling in one direction will give a face-framing, glamorous effect, while alternating the curl direction will give you a more beachy and volumised effect. I like to curl all in the same direction, and flick the direction switch on as I come to do the other side of my face.
5. Brush Out
If your end result resembles 2002 prom queen curls—don't panic. You can gently rake your fingers through your lengths to soften the curl. They will also drop out slightly throughout the day, so you don't want to disturb them too much with a hairbrush or comb. Your fingertips are enough to gently tease out the curls in any places you feel need it.
6. Smooth
If you're frizz-prone, the Airsmooth attachment (or the smoothing setting on the older Airwrap hairdryer) is great for smoothing any stragglers around your crown. I'd avoid running it down the full length of your hair to avoid disturbing your curls, but I like to use it around the roots to tuck in flyaways for a smoother result.
If you are straightening your hair with the Airwrap, however, this is a great final step to help add a polished finish to your hair. While it won't completely straighten your hair like the Dyson Airstrait will, it's great as a finishing step for extra smoothness and shine, and for topping up second-day hair that's developed flyaways or frizz.
7. Hair Products
Once you're happy with your styling, you can apply a couple of products to finish and enhance the hold. I like using a lightweight hair oil or hair serum to smooth and add a glossy shine. My personal favourites are Kérastase Gloss Absolu Glaze Drops (£39) and Virtue Healing Oil (£43), which is so lightweight even on fine hair, or the Dyson Chitosan Post-Style Serum (£50). You can also add a light touch of hairspray to each curl to keep your style in place—I like Oribe's Free Style Hairspray (£43) that adds flexible hold and prevents hair from feeling crispy. Alternatively, a texturising spray like Hair by Sam McKnight Cool Girl Texture Mist (£28) can give a cool-girl, undone look if you feel your hair is looking too polished, and will also give your lengths some grip.
Be careful not to overload your hair with product, which can weigh down your lengths and make curls drop more quickly. A light touch is always best, so go easy.
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8. The Result
There are a couple of final tips I'd like to share to make your curls go the extra mile. Firstly, I'd avoid touching your hair too much throughout the day, which can make the curls drop more quickly.
I also like to wear my hair in a loose bun overnight with a silky scrunchie and sleep on a silk pillowcase to help keep the blow-dry going into the next day. I personally feel that the most long-lasting curls come from a curling wand or tong. But, the beauty of the Dyson Aiwrap is that it uses far less heat compared to other styling tools, and you can always touch up your curls the following day if needed. You can lightly dampen any sections that need it and re-curl for extra bounce on second-day hair.
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