Every stylist at Maximum FX gets some version of this question, and it always lands at the exact same moment. The dryer clicks off, the guest catches their reflection in the mirror, and they say, "Okay, wait. What did you just do? What do you use on my hair?"
It's the most common question asked in this chair, and most days the honest answer gets lost in the rush to the next appointment. So here it is, finally written down. Not a generic "five tips for great hair" roundup. The actual sequence, in order, with the real amounts and the real settings, the way it gets done in this chair every single day.
The One Thing That Ruins It Before You Even Pick Up a Dryer
Here's where it usually goes wrong, and it happens before any tool gets switched on. You step out of the shower and scrub your hair dry with a towel, fast, back and forth, like you're buffing out a scratch. That motion rips at the cuticle (the outer layer of every strand), and a roughed-up cuticle is the single biggest cause of frizz there is. You've set yourself up to fight your hair all morning, and the dryer hasn't even left the drawer yet.
The fix costs you nothing extra. Squeeze the water out instead. Section by section, gentle pressure, no friction. Hair that comes out of the towel smooth gives every product you put in next a clean surface to actually do its job on.
"Frizz starts at the towel, not the dryer. Get that part right and everything after it gets easier."
The Actual Routine, Step by Step
This is layered on purpose. Each product has one job, and the order is what makes the whole thing work.
Start from towel-dried, damp hair, not dripping and not half-dry. This is the window where product actually absorbs instead of sitting on top.
Warm a dime-sized amount of Smooth Infusion Perfectly Sleek between your palms and work it through the mid-lengths and ends. This is your frizz control and your heat shield in one move, rated to protect up to 450°F, so nothing that comes after can damage your hair.
Emulsify a golf-ball-sized amount of Phomollient Styling Foam in your hands and work it through from the roots down. This is what gives you real lift without the stiff, crunchy weight that cheaper mousses leave behind.
Mist Abundant Blowout Volumizing Spray at the crown, working in sections. This one is heat-activated. Spray it on now, and the heat that's coming next locks the lift in for the rest of the day.
Rough-dry to about 80%, then clip your hair into sections and blow-dry each one with a round brush on medium-high heat, pulling the brush down through to the ends. Finish every section with a blast of cool air. That's the step that actually sets the shape.
Finish with two light passes of Brilliant Medium Hold Hair Spray, held about ten inches away. This is the polish. It locks the whole thing in, adds the shine, and holds up against humidity for the rest of the day.
Aveda Smooth Infusion Perfectly Sleek
A heat-activated styling cream that smooths the cuticle and blocks humidity before any hot tool touches your hair. Plant-powered, silicone-free, and rated to protect up to 450°F. Available at both Maximum FX locations.
Aveda Phomollient Styling Foam
A featherlight foam that builds real volume at the root without stiffness or crunch. Built for fine to medium hair that needs body, not weight. Available at both Maximum FX locations.
Aveda Abundant Blowout™ Volumizing Spray
Mist it on before you dry and the heat locks it in. Built to double your volume and hold it for a full 24 hours, with humidity defense built in for Austin afternoons. Available at both Maximum FX locations.
Aveda Brilliant™ Medium Hold Hair Spray
A light, non-aerosol hairspray that adds shine and medium hold without stiffness, and stands up to humidity all day. The last step, every time. Available at both Maximum FX locations.
Better in the Chair Than on a Screen
Reading the steps is one thing. Watching them happen on your own hair, with your own length and texture, is another. Ask your stylist to walk you through this exact routine next time you're in the chair.
South Lamar · (512) 472-3331 Circle C Ranch · (512) 637-08889600 Escarpment Blvd, Ste. 920H, Austin TX 78749