Celebrity stylist Christin Brown, who specializes in curly and textured hair, likes to apply hair primers on dry hair, making sure to fully saturate the hair. And since most primers are sprays, Quinlan recommends making sure you aren’t just spraying the top layer of your hair. She suggests flipping your head upside down and splitting it into a few sections before applying.

DiPietro highlights some specific steps to take:

1. To apply a primer that has a spray nozzle, hold it about eight inches from the hair. Point it toward the middle and ends of hair, avoiding roots. Alternatively, If you’re using a lotion, apply a small amount in sections, focusing on mid-lengths and ends, avoiding roots.

2. Comb through.

3. Start rough-drying hair with a blow-dryer.

Below, take a look at some hair primers to try.