The Blowout Haircut: What It Is and How to Maintain It

The blowout is a men's hairstyle defined by volume blown outward from the head in all directions, creating a full, rounded appearance. Unlike styles that direct the hair to one specific direction (pompadour backward, quiff forward), the blowout's volume expands outward and upward from the entire top section, producing a distinctive puffed-out profile. The sides are typically faded or closely cut to contrast with the full volume on top.

The Structure

The blowout requires a specific combination of cut and styling. The haircut itself leaves enough length on top (typically 2.5 to 4 inches) for significant volume, while the sides are cut close to create maximum contrast. The styling is where the blowout look is created: the hair is blow-dried outward and upward from the roots using a round brush or fingers to lift the sections as the dryer directs airflow outward. The result is the distinctive voluminous profile.

Origins and Context

The blowout gained particular cultural visibility through its association with the "guido" style in Italian-American communities in the Northeast US and through reality television in the early 2010s. It was popularized as a specific cultural style marker and has since been adopted broadly as a volume-forward men's style with the specific haircut-plus-blowdry technique.

CADMEN Training

Volumizing techniques and blow-dry styling are part of CADMEN's professional barbering curriculum. academy.cadmen.ca/in-person-training.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a blowout hairstyle at home?

Achieving a blowout at home requires a blow-dryer with a concentrator nozzle, a round brush, and a volumizing product. The technique is straightforward once you understand the directional principle. The step-by-step process: wash and towel-dry the hair to about 60 to 70 percent dry. Apply a volumizing mousse or lightweight styling cream to the damp hair. Distribute through the top section from roots to ends. Start blow-drying at the roots. The root lift is the foundation of the blowout. Point the concentrator nozzle at the roots while using the round brush to lift the root section upward and outward from the scalp. The airflow is directed outward (away from the head) rather than downward (which would flatten the hair). Work through the entire top section in sections, lifting each root section with the brush while the dryer directs heat and airflow outward. The motion is: brush lifts outward, dryer follows and directs heat into the lifted section. Do not point the dryer directly down at the scalp, this creates a droopy, flat result rather than volume. Once the top section is dry and lifted: use your fingers or the brush to reshape and define the final volume while the hair is still warm. Adjust the overall shape. Allow to cool while maintaining the shape. The cooling locks in the volume. Finish with a light hold spray or a small amount of pomade to set the shape without weighing it down. What does not produce a blowout at home: air-drying (no direction or lift), blow-drying with the dryer pointing straight down, or applying heavy products before or after the blow-dry (these collapse the volume immediately or within an hour). The blow-dry technique is the irreplaceable step, the blowout is a styling method, not just a product result.

How long does a blowout hairstyle last?

A blowout hairstyle typically lasts 1 to 2 days before the volume deflates and the hair returns to a flatter natural state. The factors that affect how long it holds: humidity: high humidity is the primary enemy of a blowout. Moisture in the air re-hydrates the hair shaft, causing it to relax from the blow-dried shape back toward its natural pattern. In humid conditions (summer, coastal areas, rainy weather), a blowout may deflate within hours. Using an anti-humidity spray or hold spray after the blowout helps, but it does not eliminate the effect entirely. Hair type: straight, fine to medium hair holds a blowout better than wavy or thick hair. Wavy or curly hair is trying to return to its natural pattern as soon as the blow-dryer stops. Thick, dense hair has more mass to maintain and tends to deflate faster than fine hair. Product: the product applied before and after the blow-dry affects hold. A volumizing mousse applied before the blow-dry and a light-hold spray after provides more hold-through-the-day than no product. Sleep: sleeping on a blowout compresses the volume significantly. Most men need to restyle in the morning after a blowout, at least with a light touch-up. Quick morning refresh: if the blowout has deflated but you want to re-establish some volume without a full wash-and-restyle: spray a small amount of water or volumizing spray to the roots, apply a pea-sized amount of mousse or root lifter, and use a blow-dryer (even a 60-second pass) to re-lift the roots. This does not produce the same result as a fresh full blowout but is significantly faster and restores a reasonable amount of the volume.

What is the difference between a blowout and a pompadour?

The blowout and pompadour are both volume-forward men's hairstyles, but they create that volume in different directions and have a different visual profile. The pompadour: volume is directed backward from the forehead. The hair sweeps away from the face in a defined arc that builds height above the forehead and along the top of the head. The direction is strongly backward. When viewed from the side, the pompadour has a characteristic sweep that starts at the forehead hairline and flows back. Product choice for the pompadour is typically a pomade (for the classic version) or a clay (for the modern version) that provides hold and direction. The shape is defined and controlled. The blowout: volume expands outward in all directions from the top section of the head, creating a rounded, puffed-out profile rather than a directional sweep. When viewed from the side, the blowout has a more uniformly rounded silhouette without the strong forward-to-backward directional arc of the pompadour. When viewed from the front, the blowout shows volume on both sides of the head rather than height primarily from the forehead hairline backward. The style is created by the blow-dry technique (outward airflow lifting the roots) rather than combing in a specific direction. Product for the blowout is typically mousse or a lightweight cream rather than a hold pomade, because the goal is full volume in all directions rather than a controlled directional shape. When to use each: the pompadour suits men who want a defined, specific shape with a clear front-to-back direction. The blowout suits men who want full, voluminous hair without a strongly directional shape, more of an all-over fullness than a structured sweep.

Related Reading From CADMEN Barber Academy

• The Blowout Haircut: What It Is and How Barbers Style It
• Cutting Afro and Type 4 Hair: Techniques for Barbers Working with Coily Textures
• The Blowout Haircut: What It Is, How to Cut It, and Why It Requires More Than Just Volume
• The Brush Up Haircut: What It Is and How to Style It
• The Caesar Haircut: What Makes It a Caesar and How to Cut It Cleanly
• The Comb Over Haircut: How Barbers Cut and Style the Most Versatile Men's Haircut