Those with straight hair and roots should try to pre-dry up to 90 percent of the moisture in their tresses, according to Tizzio-Marcovici. “Pre-drying is when you take your blow dryer and try to remove the majority of the excess water before going in and styling. You can flip your hair and focus on your roots, which will always take the longest to dry, especially with thick hair. Get the moisture out of the roots to mid-shaft first before sectioning,” she says.
Meanwhile, if you have curly hair and are trying to dry it straight, Crace emphasizes that you should step right out of the shower and start drying. “Do not pre-dry! This will leave you with frizzy, curly roots. Instead, add your heat protectant while your hair is moist, section the hair right away into small sections, and start blow drying with a nozzle right away,” she says. Tizzio-Marcovici adds that you should “keep steady tension with your brush.”
However, if you want to maintain your natural curls, Crace recommends using your diffuser attachment and flipping your hair around as you dry. “Flipping the hair while diffusing will not only cut your dry time down, it will always leave you with more voluminous/bouncy curls,” she says.