Most guys spend a lot of time thinking about what product they put in their hair.
Clay. Pomade. Paste. Texture powder. Sea salt spray.
But if you're trying to create more volume, shape, or control, what you do before the product goes in can make a huge difference.
That's where a hair dryer comes in.
Blow drying isn't just about getting your hair dry. Used correctly, heat and airflow help you shape your hair while it dries, giving you a better foundation before you reach for your styling product.
Here's how to do it.
1. Start With Damp Hair
Don't start with soaking-wet hair.
After showering, gently towel dry your hair until it's damp. You want enough moisture left that you can still manipulate the hair as you dry it, without spending unnecessary time blasting dripping-wet hair with heat.
Avoid aggressively rubbing your hair with the towel. Patting and gently moving the towel through your hair is enough.
2. Decide How You Want Your Hair to Sit
Before turning on the dryer, think about the finished style.
Do you want your hair pushed back?
Up and textured?
Swept to the side?
The goal isn't simply to point the dryer at your head until your hair is dry. You're using airflow to help move your hair toward the shape you actually want.
3. Start at the Roots
If you're looking for volume, pay particular attention to your roots.
Direct the airflow toward the roots while using your fingers or a brush to lift your hair away from your scalp.
For additional lift, try moving the hair against the direction it naturally falls while drying. Current men's styling guidance commonly emphasizes working at the roots and against the natural fall of the hair when creating volume.
This is the part a jar of styling product can't completely replace. You're building the shape of the hairstyle while your hair is drying.
4. Keep the Dryer Moving
You don't need to hold maximum heat against one spot.
Keep the dryer moving as you work through your hair. Use controlled airflow and enough distance that you're able to style comfortably.
A concentrator nozzle can help direct the airflow toward the section you're working on instead of blowing your hair in every direction.
5. Shape Your Hair as You Dry
Your hands are often enough for shorter men's hairstyles.
Use your fingers to lift, separate, push back, or direct sections of hair while following with the dryer.
For styles that require more structure, you can use a brush or comb.
The important part is that you're not just drying your hair.
You're styling while you dry.
6. Use the Cool Shot
Once you've created the shape you want, switch to cool air and go over the style.
Think of this as the finishing stage of the blow dry.
Then turn the dryer off and take a look at your hair before adding styling product.
You should already have much of the basic shape you're trying to create.
7. Add Your Styling Product
Now reach for the clay, paste, pomade, or other styling product you prefer.
Start with a small amount, work it through your hands, and distribute it through your hair.
The distinction is important:
The blow dry helps create the shape.
The styling product helps refine and hold it.
That's why continually switching styling products isn't always the answer when your hair isn't sitting the way you want.
Sometimes you're changing the wrong thing.
How to Blow Dry Men's Hair for More Volume
If volume is your main goal, remember these four things:
Start damp. Don't wait until your hair has already dried flat.
Focus on the roots. Lift your hair away from your scalp while drying.
Work against the natural direction. If your hair naturally falls forward, for example, drying it backward can help create lift before you reposition it.
Style before adding product. Create the foundation first, then use your preferred product to finish the look.
Do Men Actually Need a Hair Dryer?
Not necessarily.
If you're happy with how your hair looks after air drying, there's no rule saying you need one.
But if you're trying to create more intentional volume, direction, shape, or control, a hair dryer gives you something another jar of styling product doesn't:
heat and controlled airflow.
That's why we think of a hair dryer as a styling tool, not just a drying tool.
And it's exactly why we built BRODRY.
Meet BRODRY
For years, men's grooming has had dedicated razors, trimmers, styling products, skincare, and just about everything else.
The hair dryer somehow got left out.
So we built one for us.
BRODRY is the hair dryer built for men.
High-speed airflow. Multiple heat and speed settings. Magnetic styling attachments. A matte-black design that actually looks like it belongs with the rest of your setup.