With the fêted return of the 90s and early 00s beauty trends, it’s only natural that in among the countless tutorials on sleek buns and brown lipstick, the bouncy blow-dry has had a triumphant homecoming, too.

Intensely glamorous hair is back, with leading brands including ghd and Dyson opening styling labs replete with the tools to create the styles. However, it does raise the question, does this famous style work on coily, tightly textured and multitextured hair? 

After years of hearing about the damage caused to natural hair by heat and prolonged manipulation, it’s natural to feel hesitant about trying a style that requires both. So, Stylist set out to investigate how realistic a bouncy blow-dry (with minimal damage) is for natural, coil and tightly textured hair.

Dyson has long been at the forefront of the bouncy blow-dry’s return and, according to global hair ambassador Larry King, perfecting the style on natural and multitextured hair is all about heat control. 

“Every Dyson tool is geared around intelligent heat control. When giving yourself a voluminous and big blow-dry, you should be mindful about creating intense heat on the hair as this is when damage begins to occur.”

Managing the amount of heat needed to create bouncy curls starts with how you prepare the hair:

“Make sure to get your cleansing and base drying routine down pat,” advises session stylist Joy Matashi. “Start with a deep cleanse and, unlike straight hair textures, ensure your hair is dried right down to the root before beginning to form your big curls.”

Even though blowing out natural or silk-pressed hair might seem like a self-explanatory process, there’s actually a lot you need to keep in mind if you’re trying to avoid heat damage or breakage. 

“One of the biggest misconceptions about natural hair is that it’s stronger than other hair textures but it’s actually really delicate and needs to be treated as such. A little protectant goes a long way. I love Sam Mcknight’s Multitasker Modern Hairspray because it can be used before and after styling, which ultimately helps you keep those curls in for longer.”

Adding extensions can be a seamless, temporary way to create a voluminous style that blends in seamlessly with your natural hair. 

“For a full-yet-bouncy blow-dry that melds multitextured hair with extensions, I recommend the Ruka Hair Think Silk Clip-Ins,” explains Matashi. “Part of the brand’s Stretched family, the extensions are 100% virgin hair, which means they blend in more.”

Depending on the desired volume, Matashi recommends the following: “Go for four lines of clip-ins. If you’re getting tape-in extensions, make sure to ask for layers. This will go a long way in retaining volume around the nape when styling.”

Styling your blow-dry comes down to what tools you choose. When it comes to Dyson heated tools, King has a few recommendations:

“You really have your pick when creating a 90s blow dry. There’s the Supersonic hairdryer and its five attachments; the Airwrap, which creates voluminous barrel curls that you can set with hairspray and brush through for even more body; and the Dyson Corrale to smooth any areas that need it.”

“For the people who love a leave-out or wig style, I would suggest a pre-styled wig from a specialist like Igor Hair, Issac and Virginie at Zazzah London or Papachichistyle,” advises Matashi. 

“Working with a 90s blow-dry as your base style, restyling your wig at home is a much more straightforward process. 

In order to achieve bouncier curls, I like to typically curl away from the face using the Dyson Supersonic (or another hairdryer) and a round brush.”

In order to extend the life of both the blow-dry and the wig or weave, it’s important to treat them as you would natural hair: being conscious of the amount of heat that’s being applied to the hair, the speed, distance and temperature will all make a difference.

“Finish every style with a good hairspray and use velcro curlers or rollers at night,” advises Matashi. “Roll those curls up before bed, using a silk scarf or hair net to tie them in place.”

When exercising, keep edges from curling up with a headband like the Dri Sweat Edge. 

After the initial blow-dry, King recommends that people with 4c or multi-textured hair should use heated tools (he uses the Dyson) to polish and add volume to the hair. “Embrace your natural texture and use tools at the roots to extend the wear out and create even bigger curls. Pulling and stretching out the curls using a wide-tooth attachment can help create that 90s look.”

Main image: Getty