Straight hair has moved away from the extremely poker-straight finish to a more credible sleek look with more life and body to it, and who better to tutor you in this trend than Charlie Taylor, current Scottish Hairdresser of the Year?

Step by step to blow-drying hair straight
Before you start, check that your hairdryer has variable speed/heat settings with a cool button to help 'freeze' the style in place. Before you start, make sure that you have the correct brushes for your required result and hair type. A paddle brush and heat-retaining round bristle brush are essential, with the size dictated by the length and thickness of your hair. Maintain the efficiency of your hair dryer by regularly cleaning the filter.

Step 1
Always prep the hair with the correct styling agent. This will control frizz and static plus it can protect the hair from the heat of the drier. One of my favourite products to use for blow-drying is Schwarzkopf OSiS Scream, £5.75 (01296 314000), which controls frizz, protects from heat and adds shine.

Step 2
Rough-dry and section the hair off with sectioning clips, allowing the hair to be dried underneath first. Ensure that each section is dried thoroughly before moving on to the next one.

Step 3
With each section, use a heat-retaining round bristle brush and dry the root area first. Direct the airflow down the hair and straight onto the brush to smooth the cuticles.

Step 4
When all the sections are dry, go over the hair with a paddle brush and join all the sections of the hair together making sure that the hair is fully dry and smooth. If the hair is not fully dry, it will go curly again very quickly and you will lose the style and shape.

Step 5
The best brush to use to straighten hair, but retain some volume is a heat-retaining round brush. This brush will heat up in the flow of hot air from the drier, and subsequently create smoothness. These brushes have a wide base diameter and short bristles and also come in various sizes for different hair lengths and textures.

What to look for in straightening irons
Ceramic plates are a must for even heat distribution Rounded edges so you can curl as well as straighten with them A clip to close the blades whilst travelling if you're the type who likes to look sleek wherever you are A heat-retardant cover for safe storage Rapid heating time

Prepping hair for straightening
First, apply a protecting product such as Schwarzkopf OSiS Flatliner, £8.95, which helps to smooth the hair before straightening and protects against temperatures up to 200°C. This lightweight conditioning spray can be used on wet or dry hair. Simply apply and comb through for an even distribution.

Section the hair. The thicker it is, the more sections you will need. Straighten from the root to the ends and once you've done each section use a paddle brush to smooth the hair.

Once the hair is straight, finish off with a small amount of serum. Lightly applied, this will smooth down any stray hairs and add shine. Go easy with this: you don't want to spoil all your hard work with a greasy-looking sheen.