Christine walked back into the salon three days after her appointment. I was with another client but I could see her hovering near the desk.

"James, do you have a minute?" she asked when I finished.

"What's wrong?" I said. Her blowout from three days ago was completely gone. Hair was flat, frizzy at the ends, no shape.

"I tried to recreate what you did," she said. She looked defeated. "It doesn't look anything like this."

She pulled out her phone. Showed me a photo from when she left the salon. Hair was smooth, bouncy, perfect.

"What did you do at home?" I asked.

"I washed it. Dried it with my hairdryer. Used the round brush like you showed me." She paused. "It looked terrible."

I see this constantly. Clients leave here loving their hair. Try to style it themselves. It doesn't work. They blame themselves.

Most of the time, they're not doing anything wrong with technique. They're skipping steps they don't realize matter.

Let me show you what I mean.

What Actually Went Wrong?

Christine walked me through her routine step by step.

"I washed it with my regular shampoo," she said. "Towel dried it. Then tried to blow it out."

"What about heat protectant?" I asked.

She looked blank. "What's that?"

There's the problem. No heat protectant. She was frying her hair with direct heat.

"Did you rough-dry it first with your fingers?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" she said.

She'd gone straight from dripping wet hair to trying to use the round brush. Took her 45 minutes. Her arms got tired. Hair was still damp. She gave up and let it air dry the rest of the way.

"That's why it looks frizzy," I said. "You can't smooth wet hair with a brush. You have to get it mostly dry first."

Another client, Pamela, had a different problem. She came in looking embarrassed.

"I think I burned my hair," she told me at her appointment last month.

I touched her ends. They were crispy. Damaged.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I got a new flat iron," she said. "Really nice one. Expensive. I was trying to make those beach waves like you do."

"What temperature?" I asked.

"It goes up to 450," she said. "So I put it on 450."

Her hair is fine. Color-treated. Should never go above 320 degrees.

"You basically cooked it," I told her.

She didn't know temperature mattered. Thought higher heat meant better results.

Then there's Linda. She's been coming to us at James Geidner Hair Studio for two years. Gets a beautiful blowout every time. Always looks amazing leaving.

But she was frustrated at her last appointment.

"Why can't I make this last?" she said. "It looks great for one day. The next morning it's flat."

"Are you using the cool shot?" I asked.

"The what?" she said.

The cool shot button on her dryer. She didn't even know it existed.

"That's what sets your style," I told her. "Heat shapes the hair. Cool air locks it in place."

She'd been heat styling without ever setting it. No wonder it fell flat overnight.

What Changes When You Actually Know What You're Doing?

Christine came back for a styling lesson. I showed her the prep work she'd been skipping.

"After you towel dry, squeeze out the water gently," I said. "Don't rub. That creates frizz."

Then I showed her heat protectant spray. Sprayed it all through her damp hair.

"This is the most important product you'll use," I told her.

"More important than hairspray?" she asked.

"Way more important," I said. "This protects your hair from heat damage. Without it, you're destroying your hair every time you style it."

Then I showed her rough-drying. Using just her fingers and the dryer to get hair 80% dry before touching the brush.

"This part takes 10 minutes," I said. "Gets most of the water out. Then you're not fighting wet hair with the brush."

She tried it. "Oh," she said. "This is way easier than what I was doing."

Then we moved to the round brush. I showed her how to section her hair properly.

"Small sections," I said. "Like this. Maybe two inches wide."

She'd been trying to dry her whole head at once. Taking huge sections. No control.

"And keep tension on the brush," I said. "Pull it through smoothly. That's what creates the smooth finish."

She practiced on one section. It came out smooth and shiny.

"I did that?" she said.

"You did that," I said.

The cool shot was the final piece. After each section was dry, I showed her how to blast it with cool air before releasing the brush.

"That sets the cuticle," I told her. "Makes it last."

Two weeks later she came back for a haircut. Her hair looked great.

"I've been doing the blowout at home," she said. She was beaming. "It's not perfect like yours. But it's pretty good."

"How long does it take you?" I asked.

"About 30 minutes," she said. "At first it took an hour. But I'm getting faster."

Practice makes perfect.

Pamela's flat iron disaster required damage control first. We did an Olaplex treatment to rebuild her fried ends. Then cut off the worst of it.

"I'm sorry I ruined it," she said.

"You didn't know," I told her. "Now you do."

I showed her the temperature dial on her flat iron. "For your hair, stay between 300 and 320 degrees," I said. "That's it. You don't need more heat than that."

"But won't it not work?" she asked.

"It'll work fine," I said. "Higher heat just damages faster. Doesn't make better waves."

I also showed her the technique. Don't clamp and hold. Clamp and glide. Keep it moving.

"If you stop moving, you'll get a crease," I said.

She practiced on a few sections. Got the hang of it.

"This actually works at lower temperature," she said. She sounded surprised.

"Because technique matters more than heat," I said.

She's been doing it at home for six weeks now. Her hair is recovering. The waves look great. No more crispy ends.

"I was so scared to use heat after I burned it," she told me last visit. "But now I know how to do it right."

Linda's cool shot revelation changed everything for her.

"I've been using this dryer for five years," she said. "I never knew what that button did."

I showed her. After drying and smoothing each section, blast it with the cool shot for 10 seconds.

"Feel the difference," I said.

She touched her hair. "It feels more... set," she said.

"Exactly," I said. "Heat opens the cuticle. Cool closes it and locks in the style."

Next appointment, she was thrilled. "My blowout lasted three days," she said. "It's never lasted that long."

"Because you're actually setting it now," I said.

One button. Changed everything.

What About the Tools Everyone Thinks They Need?

Christine asked me about tools at her lesson. "Do I need expensive stuff?" she said.

"Not necessarily," I told her. "But you need the right stuff."

Her round brush was too small. For her shoulder-length hair, she needed a medium-sized barrel.

"Small barrels are for short hair or tight curls," I said. "You need something bigger for smooth volume."

Her blow dryer didn't have a nozzle attachment. She'd lost it years ago and never replaced it.

"That nozzle is crucial," I told her. "Without it, you're just blowing air everywhere. With it, you can direct the heat exactly where you want."

She ordered a new nozzle online. $8. Changed everything.

"I can't believe that little piece makes such a difference," she said.

Pamela had a great flat iron. Just didn't know how to use it properly.

"Your tool is fine," I told her. "Your technique needed work."

Linda's dryer was ancient. Heavy. Took forever.

"You might want to upgrade," I said. "A newer dryer will cut your styling time in half."

She got a new one. Ceramic. Ionic. Much lighter.

"This is so much easier," she said. "My arm doesn't get tired anymore."

Sometimes it's the tools. Sometimes it's the technique. Usually it's both.

What Products Actually Matter?

Christine had been using no products except hairspray at the end.

"You need heat protectant," I told her. "That's non-negotiable."

We set her up with a heat protectant spray from our product line.

"Use this every single time you heat style," I said.

She also needed volumizing mousse for her roots. Her hair is fine. Needs help with lift.

"Mousse before you rough-dry," I said. "Just at the roots. That's what creates volume that lasts."

Pamela needed a smoothing serum for her color-treated hair.

"Your hair is porous from the color," I told her. "It needs moisture. This serum will help protect it and keep it smooth."

Linda needed finishing spray instead of the heavy hairspray she'd been using.

"You're weighing your hair down," I said. "Use a light, flexible hold. You want movement, not a helmet."

Everyone needs different products based on their hair. But everyone needs heat protectant.

"If you only buy one product," I tell every client, "buy heat protectant."

What About Florida Humidity?

Christine's blowout would last three days in Arizona. In Vero Beach? One day if she's lucky.

"The humidity kills it," she said.

"That's why the prep matters even more here," I told her. "Heat protectant. Cool shot. Finishing spray. All of that helps seal the cuticle against humidity."

Some clients opt for a Brazilian Blowout or keratin treatment to make at-home styling easier in our climate.

"That's a long-term solution," I explained to Christine. "Creates a smooth base. Your blowouts will be easier and last longer."

She's thinking about it. Might do it before summer.

Pamela already has a keratin treatment scheduled. "After I fried my hair, I want all the protection I can get," she said.

Linda gets keratin twice a year. "It's the only way my hair stays smooth here," she said.

Living on the coast means fighting salt air and humidity constantly. Some people win that fight with technique. Others need chemical help.

When Should You Just Come to the Salon?

Christine asked me if she should bother learning to style at home at all.

"Why not just come here every week?" she said.

"You could," I told her. "But that's expensive. And limiting. What if you have a date? An event? You can't always get an appointment."

Learning to style at home gives you control. Saves money. Means you can look good any day, not just salon day.

"But I'll never be as good as you," she said.

"You don't need to be," I said. "You need to be good enough. That's totally achievable."

That said, some things are worth leaving to professionals.

Linda tried to do an updo for a wedding. Spent two hours. It looked messy.

"I should have just booked an appointment," she told me after.

"For special events, yes," I said. "Come here. We'll make sure it's perfect and lasts all day."

Our bridal specialist Victoria has done hundreds of wedding styles. She knows how to make them last through photos, ceremony, dancing, humidity, everything.

"I can teach you a casual updo for dinner," I told Linda. "But formal events? Let us handle it."

Pamela's daughter's wedding is in six months. She's already booked her appointment with Victoria.

"I'm not risking my hair on my daughter's wedding day," she said.

Smart choice.

Where Do You Go From Here?

Christine can now do a decent blowout at home. Takes her 30 minutes. Lasts two to three days.

"I'm getting better every time," she told me last month.

She's not trying to be perfect. Just trying to be competent. That's the right goal.

Pamela knows how to use her flat iron safely now. Her hair is recovering. She's confident with heat styling again.

"I actually enjoy doing my hair now," she said. "I was scared after I damaged it."

Linda's blowouts last three days instead of one. All because of the cool shot button.

"Can't believe I didn't know about this for five years," she said.

All three of them were frustrated with at-home styling. Now they're not.

Not because they magically became expert stylists. Because they learned the steps that actually matter.

If your at-home styling isn't working, if you're skipping steps you don't know exist, if you're using the wrong tools or wrong temperature or wrong products, come talk to us.

We can do a styling lesson during your appointment. Show you exactly what to do for your specific hair. Make sure you have the right products to recreate the look at home.

We're at James Geidner Hair Studio at 541 Beachland Boulevard in Vero Beach. Book your appointment here or call us at 772-492-8440. Let's get your at-home styling working so you can look great every day, not just salon day.

James Geidner
James Geidner Hair Studio