How to Blow Dry Hair Men for Volume: Step-by-Step

6 min read · Glowmaxx

To blow dry hair for volume as a guy, towel-dry until damp, aim the dryer at your roots first on medium heat, and push your hair in the opposite direction from where you want it to end up, then flip it back. Finish with the cool shot to lock it in. That's how to blow dry hair men for volume in one paragraph; the rest of this post is the details that make it actually work.

If your hair looks flat in every photo and you can't work out why, Glowmaxx scores your hair from one selfie and gives you three moves to fix your lowest area today. Start my glow-up

What you need

• A blow-dryer. Any. A cheap one works, you just need to be smarter with it.
• A concentrator nozzle (the flat plastic attachment). Most dryers come with one. It focuses the air so you control direction.
• A towel or old T-shirt.
• Optional: a pre-styler like sea salt spray, and a finishing product like clay.
• Optional: a round or vent brush. You don't need one; fingers work.

Hair dryer settings for volume

With a cheap dryer that only has one setting: hold it farther away (about 8 inches) and keep it moving so you don't fry one spot.

Towel-dry the right amount

Don't go straight from shower to dryer. Soaking hair takes forever and you get bored and quit halfway.

1. Squeeze water out with a towel. Don't rub hard; that causes frizz.
2. You want hair damp, not dripping. Roughly 60 to 70% dry.
3. Optional: add a pre-styler now. A few sprays of sea salt spray gives grip. Full method in how to use sea salt spray on straight hair.

Direction is everything: roots first

This is the best way to blow dry hair for men, and it's the part most guys get wrong.

Roots set the shape. Once the roots dry flat against your head, nothing you do to the ends will lift them. So:

1. Point the dryer at your roots, not the ends.
2. Use your fingers to lift hair up and away from your scalp while the air hits it.
3. Over-direct: dry your hair the opposite way first. Want it to go right? Dry it to the left, then flip it back to the right. The roots stand up where they cross over. This is the secret to most volume.

How to blow dry hair upside down for volume (men)

Flip your head forward, so your hair hangs toward the floor, and blast the roots for 30 to 60 seconds. Flip back up. Instant lift, especially for thin or fine hair. Then shape normally.

How to blow dry thin hair for volume (men)

Thin hair is the most likely to go flat. Use medium heat, dry the roots upside down, and use a light pre-styler. Avoid heavy creams. A tiny bit of matte clay at the end, worked into the roots, adds thickness.

Volume for a quiff or fringe

Blow dry quiff

1. Attach the concentrator nozzle.
2. Grab the front section with your fingers or a brush and pull it up and back.
3. Point the air at the roots of that section, moving from front to back.
4. Repeat until dry. The front should stand up on its own.
5. Cool shot.

How to blow dry hair forward (men) for a fringe

For a textured fringe or French crop:

1. Dry the top with your fingers rubbing side to side at the roots. This breaks up any part.
2. Then push everything forward with the airflow going from crown to forehead.
3. Rough-dry the fringe so it isn't too neat.
4. Cool shot.

How to blow dry men's hair messy: same thing, but keep rubbing side to side and don't finish smoothing. Messy hair still needs volume at the roots. More fringe ideas are in how to style a fringe male.

Here's where it gets tricky: you've tried the quiff, the fringe, the messy look, and they all kind of look the same in the bathroom mirror. Glowmaxx scores your hair out of 10 from a selfie with a short note, and the same photo always gets the same score, so you can compare styles without asking the group chat. Start my glow-up

Volume for a middle part or flow

Middle parts go flat at the part line. To fix that:

1. Dry the part line in the wrong direction first: push the left side to the right and the right side to the left.
2. Then flip each side back where it belongs. The roots now stand slightly up instead of lying flat.
3. For longer hair (a flow), dry the lengths pointing back and slightly out, then let them fall.
4. Light product only. A middle part with heavy clay looks crispy.

How to blow dry straight hair for volume (men)

Straight hair needs the most help. Use a pre-styler, dry the roots upside down, over-direct, and finish with clay. If you have a taper, our guide to how to style a low taper fade with straight hair covers specific looks.

Lock it in: cool shot and product

• Cool shot: hair holds its shape as it cools. Ten seconds of cold air on the finished style makes it last way longer.
• Product after drying: a pea-sized amount of matte clay or paste, warmed in your palms, pushed in at the roots. See how to use hair clay for men for exact steps.
• Blowout hair men (like a blowout taper) usually adds a light hairspray at the end to hold the big shape.

Mistakes that flatten it

1. Drying the ends, not the roots. Ends don't create volume.
2. Max heat the whole time. Causes frizz and dryness.
3. Combing it flat afterward. Use fingers.
4. Heavy product. Gels and creams weigh hair down.
5. Skipping the cool shot.
6. Stopping when it's 90% dry. The damp roots will flop. Dry fully.

Is blow drying bad for hair?

Heat can dry hair out if you use it on max every day. Keep it on medium, keep the dryer moving, and use the nozzle so you're not overdrying the same spot. That's enough for most guys.

Check your hair in 60 seconds

Volume is one of the fastest glow-up wins, but is hair actually your lowest score? Glowmaxx takes one selfie, scores skin, hair, grooming, posture and angle, and light and fit out of 10, and gives you three moves for today on the weakest one. It's in your browser, with no app to install.

Start my glow-up

FAQ

What's the best way to blow dry hair for men?

Towel-dry until damp, dry the roots first on medium heat, push hair the opposite way first then flip it back, and finish with a cool shot. Use a pea of clay afterward for hold.

How do I blow dry my hair upside down for volume as a guy?

Flip your head forward and dry the roots for 30 to 60 seconds, then flip back up and shape normally. It works especially well for thin or fine hair.

Why is my hair flat even after blow drying?

Usually the roots dried flat, the hair wasn't fully dry, or heavy product weighed it down. Focus the dryer on the roots, over-direct and skip creams.

Do I need a round brush to blow dry men's hair?

No. Fingers work fine for most short styles. A brush helps with a big quiff or longer flow, but it's optional.

Can I blow dry my hair with a cheap dryer?

Yes. Hold it a bit farther away, keep it moving, and use the nozzle if it came with one. Technique matters more than the dryer.