You want to either air or towel dry you hair slightly before applying styling products — otherwise they'll slip right off. (Note: Pat hair dry; don't rub it or you'll create frizz.)

If you have curly or wavy hair that you're blowing straight, use a straightening serum or cream like Bumble and Bumble Straight Blow Dry Balm, $29. Shoulder-length hair needs a quarter-sized dollop applied evenly through strands -- adjust amount accordingly by length. As with any styling product, if you have thin or fine hair, never apply to the roots. Instead, focus product from mid-shaft through ends or hair will fall flat.

If softness and shine is what your hair needs, use a dime-sized dollop of Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream, $36.80.

If volume is what you hair lacks, apply a palm full of root-lift mousse like R+Co Aircraft Pomade Mousse, $29, which contains papaya extract to add volume as well as shine.

After applying product, rough-dry hair at the roots with the blow dryer. Using your fingers only, pull hair away from your scalp and position the dryer so it's shooting air from the crown of your head downward. Continue until hair is no more than 80 percent dry.

Divide your hair into three sections — top, middle and nape — and clip the sections up.

If you wear bangs, leave them loose, and dry them into place first to set them so they aren't harder to tame at the end.

Put the nozzle on your dryer and, beginning with the nape section, wrap a 2-to-4 inch section of hair around the brush and pull as taut as you can.

"Keeping the hair taut is 50 percent of the battle," Ring says. "The other 50 percent is the direction of the airflow. Ensure that your dryer nozzle is pointing down the hair shaft from roots to ends."

(Expert tip: Ring suggests sitting in a chair while blow-drying — it can be easier on the arms.)

When each section is completely dry, use the "cool shot" to finish it.

When all of your hair is dry, finish with a misting of shine spray or rub a pea-sized drop of shine serum in your palms and distribute evenly from mid-shaft to ends — staying clear of roots (try Kérastase Gloss Appeal, $36).

Make sure not to overdo it. "Sometimes I will spray the brush with the shine serum to help evenly distribute the product and avoid the insta-oil slick mistake," says Ring.

Now that you know what it takes to achieve the perfect salon blow-out, here are some things to steer clear of:

Never hold the brush in one direction and the dryer in the other. The key to sleek, smooth hair is symmetry.

Don't apply too much product. Gunking up your hair won't help you get the style you crave; it will only weigh it down and prevent it from cooperating.

Don't try to dry hair that's too wet. Your hair will take much longer to dry and be unnecessarily exposed to more heat for no reason.

Don't over-dry your hair. It's a common mistake that can damage your strands. Ring says, "A lot of people think that running the dryer over the section hundreds of times will eliminate frizz — it won't — it'll make it worse!" Dry hair only until it feels dry to the touch — blast it with cold air to help you determine if it's totally dry or not.

Do not move your wrist and shake your dryer around. This serves absolutely no purpose. Keep your dryer as steady as possible.