A Quick Hit Of Heat May Help Your Up-Dos Stay Longer

Whether you're heading to work for what will surely be a productive day or plan to spend the night chilling out at a formal event, you might be eager to try out the latest up-do trend. Of course, along with becoming skilled at how to initially style the look, you also want it to last as long as possible — at least until you're ready to call it a day. You certainly don't want your up-do to wilt, become frizzy, or fall apart while you're still enjoying yourself. That's why you need to ensure that you're properly securing your hairstyle.

"One bobby pin can definitely work alone, but most of the time they'll need a buddy for that support and ultimate staying action," stylist Annagjid "Kee" Taylor told Allure while discussing various options for giving your up-do the best chance of sticking around. Although you could certainly take Taylor's note to heart and add more bobby pins to your hair — not to mention a fair share of hairspray, elastic bands, scrunchies, or scarves — in an effort to keep your style in place, there is another option.

Perhaps surprisingly, this particular technique involves a blow dryer and a bit of heat used in just the right way and at just the right time. Offering you a few different benefits that will definitely pique your interest, it can also give your hair the support it needs when you're showing off a potentially delicate and undeniably delightful up-do.

Maybe you prefer to let your hair air-dry in your daily styling routine. However, you will need to pull out your blow dryer if you want to give this hack a try. Frankly, you probably won't be able to resist doing so when you find out that it can do a couple of snazzy things to your hair while also keeping your up-do in ideal shape. Celebrity hairdresser George Northwood filled Net-a-Porter in on the trick, saying, "Give your hair a good blast with a hot hairdryer before styling it up. You'll get instant volume and texture — and, ultimately, more staying power from the start."

From there, you'll be able to tackle styles that might have been too loose to stay in for you previously, like a messy bun. After putting your hair up in a simple ponytail in the spot where you want your bun to be, brush your hair back and then begin to twist it into shape. Northwood pointed out, "This will act as a pin cushion, helping to hold it in place." Indeed, just like you would use the pincushion mentioned, you can now pop a few good ol' bobby pins into your bun to keep it in place. On the other hand, if you're still wary of using heat on your hair, then you might want to try a cool trick instead.

If you take a look at your hairdryer, you'll likely see a button or switch that will turn the emitted air from hot to cold. While this might be a safer option when it comes to drying your hair on a regular basis, it can also be used to give your hairstyle some extra hold. However, instead of using the hairdryer before you put up your hair, this time around, you'll want to use it after.

"Cool air is used to literally cool the hair down and lock that newly manipulated style into place," hairstylist Ashley Rubell told Well + Good. "It not only seals the cuticle of the hair shaft but can give a smooth, shiny finish, especially when used with the appropriate brush." Although you might be worried that using a blast of air on your hair after it's been carefully set in place might blow your up-do off your head, you can use a lower setting on your hairdryer that isn't as powerful.

If you want the best of both worlds, try using a blast of hot air on your hair before you put it up and then a gentle current of cool air to lock that style in. You might be surprised and impressed by how well it works on your enviable up-do.