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Weekly Innovation: A Hair Blowout That Comes To You

Hair stylists are making house calls. All you have to do is supply a power outlet.
Courtesy of Blowdry Taxi
Hair stylists are making house calls. All you have to do is supply a power outlet.

In our "Weekly Innovation" blog series, we explore an interesting idea, design or product that you may not have heard of yet. Do you have an innovation to share? Use this quick form.

Just two days ago I wrote about getting personal styling sent to your doorstep. Now, after receiving a personalized outfit selection, you can just stay at home and await an on-demand hair stylist, too. Following a trend of on-demand meals, ice cream, dog walkers and more, hair stylists are making house calls.

Soon, if you're in Washington, D.C., a stylist will come to you for a blowout or an updo, within 45 minutes of tapping an app. The service Blowdry Taxi has about a dozen stylists at the ready and for $50, you can get a salon style, without the salon.

"I'm a working mom and I look around and think I don't have time to get a blowout," said founder Sona Sut. "Women are busy with family and career but still want to look and feel good, even if rushed."

While the concept is new for the nation's capital, Glamsquad is a similar on-demand beauty service available in New York and Los Angeles. It's led by the Gilt Groupe co-founder Alexandra Wilkis Wilson.

But since Blowdry Taxi has taxi in the name, we think an even better idea would be if you actually got an updo or blowout while in a taxi, so you don't waste a single minute during your commute. Get picked up with wet hair, show up at work or an event with perfect hair. I feel like this is my Kickstarter. Who's with me?

Meanwhile, the actual Blowdry Taxi app (not the one I'm imagining) will be ready on Sept. 23, for those of you in Washington who are interested in trying this out.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Elise Hu is a host-at-large based at NPR West in Culver City, Calif. Previously, she explored the future with her video series, Future You with Elise Hu, and served as the founding bureau chief and International Correspondent for NPR's Seoul office. She was based in Seoul for nearly four years, responsible for the network's coverage of both Koreas and Japan, and filed from a dozen countries across Asia.