A blow out haircut is a haircut in which the hair is trimmed, dried, and styled. Usually, it also involves washing the hair prior to cutting it, so the blow out style will last for at least a day or two. This is as opposed to a simple haircut when the hair is just cut, and may or may not be dried and styled. Though a blow out haircut used to be standard at most salons, many locations are now charging extra for washing, drying, and styling the hair rather than just cutting it.
Some people go to the salon for a blow out cut without even really cutting the hair. This will generally be a bit less expensive, though this depends on the type of hairstyle that the client is looking for. The hairstylist will wash, dry, and style the hair in whatever way the client desires. Some people choose to do this before special events, such as a wedding or a prom, to ensure their hair looks nice and that the style holds up for the entire event.
A typical blow out haircut will involve cutting the hair as well as styling it. Again, the type of haircut one chooses is entirely a matter of personal preference, though very short hair styles might not require actual hair drying or styling. Longer hair styles often make a blow out haircut worth the extra price. Some people will add additional features as part of their blow out cut as well, such as coloring the hair or adding highlights.
Semi-permanently changing the appearance of the hair, either by perming it for added curls, or by adding hair straightener to flatten curly hair, might also be part of a blow out haircut. All of these options will generally be an extra cost on top of the base price, as well as washing and styling the hair. It is customary to tip as well on top of the set prices for these services.
Generally, when a hairstylist is styling hair in this type of cut, he or she will use a number of hair products. Customers may generally purchase these products at the salon as well. He or she might also offer instruction in styling the hair in the way the customer wants. People going for a haircut should remember that if drying and styling is extra, it is possible to save money by forgoing this extra service; this is especially true if the basic hairstyle will remain the same, and the customer already knows how to style it properly.