I Had a Baby 2 Months Ago, and My 7-Minute Dyson Airwrap Blowout Is Helping Me Feel Put Together

When I gave birth to my son this past July, my priorities immediately changed. Perhaps unsurprisingly, styling my hair shifted to a low spot on the list amid that mental reorg. My baby didn’t seem to care what I looked like, so long as I was available to tend to his every need. But if I’m being totally honest, my postpartum lack of care for my hair wasn’t just a response to my new boss’s needs; during my first few weeks of motherhood, I personally felt guilty about the notion of taking the time to wash my hair, let alone style it.

But after a stretch of time sporting a greasy ponytail that hadn’t seen a drop of shampoo in an LOL-worthy number of days, I did begin to crave a good hair day. That’s how my Dyson Airwrap ($600) quickly became the time-saving hero that allowed me to feel put together without requiring me to take too much time away from my little man.

Dyson Airwrap Multistyler Complete — $600.00

In the interest of not promoting false advertising, let me be clear from the outset: After a seven-minute blowout, I certainly don’t look like I’m leaving Drybar. On the scale of “worst hair day I’ve ever had” to “wedding hair,” my seven-minute blowout lands me at “ready for dinner at an okay restaurant.” And, for me, that’s a win, new mom or not.

I’m someone who couldn’t correctly use a round brush to save her life. Previously, my routine involved either air-drying or blow-drying and styling with a hot tool—which took 45 minutes from wet to dry. With the Airwrap cutting out the middleman of needing multiple tools, it saves me dozens of minutes after every wash and has made it easier than ever for me to get it together on the hair front.

This speedy dry time might be a result of the latest update to the Airwrap: the “Coanda” smoothing dryer. The addition, which came with the new Dyson Airwrap’s release in June, works by pulling hair toward the surface of the tool, drying it faster but with less heat. Named after the Coanda effect, which (per the brand) “occurs when air, propelled at the right speed and pressure, naturally follows an adjacent surface,” this attachment directs airflow in a way that attracts and lifts longer hairs to hide flyaways for a smoother, shinier finish.

What’s more, the device also gives me a win in the hair-health department. According to board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, removing the direct heat, as the Airwrap does, is beneficial for protecting my postpartum hair. “Intense and repetitive heat damages the cuticle and can weaken the hair,” she says. “Anytime one can find an alternative tool source for styling it may be optimal.”

You don’t have to just take my word for it, though. I have the receipts (aka photo evidence) to back up my claims.

A by-the-minute breakdown of my Dyson Airwrap quick blowout

6:21 p.m: Pre-style

After I get out of the shower, I quickly towel-dry my hair and put on an Aquis towel wrap for eight minutes as I dry off, put on some clothes, and get my Airwrap ready to go. My plan is to rough dry with the dryer attachment of the Coanda tool, smooth things out with the flat brush, and finish off with the smoothing side of the Coanda attachment to eliminate lingering frizz and flyaways.

6:24 p.m.: Mid-style

After three minutes of using the Coanda dryer attachment, my hair is still damp (the Airwrap’s attachments are meant to be used on not-fully-dry hair). Now it’s ready for the brush attachment to take me to the finish line.

6:28 p.m: All done!

Another four minutes, three of which I spend using the soft-smoother flat brush and the final using the smoothing side of the Coanda attachment, and I’m all set. Do I look ready for a formal event? No. Do I feel so much better about myself and re-energized enough to approach the rest of my night (and overnight!) with my infant with an inflated sense of having my act together? Absolutely.