What is the healthiest way to dry your hair? You might have been told that air drying your hair is a much better option. After all, it’s the heat that damages hair, right?
We all agree that blow drying and using heat styling tools can be damaging in the long run. As a result, most ladies simply opt for air-drying in an effort to prevent damage and maintain hair health.
Well, what if I tell you that blow-drying is actually better for your hair than just letting it air dry?
Yes, air-drying actually causes the inside of the hair strand to dry up more, and that blow-drying your hair from a certain distance may be less damaging. This research done in Korea concluded that blow drying might be the healthier option.
Now, you might be wondering how possible it is for blow drying to be better than air drying.
Here’s why..
Essentially, a hair strand is made up of an outer layer and an inner layer. The inner layer has the medulla and the cortex, while the outer layer has the cuticle. You must have heard of the cuticle before because it is crucial to the overall appearance of the hair.
When you see frizzy, dry and dull hair, it means that the cuticle is damaged. The bad reputation of blow dryers comes from the fact that they trap water in the inner layer of the hair and expose the hair to extreme heat, causing damage.
However, air drying also significantly affects the hair. The hair fiber of your hair swells and becomes weaker when the hair is wet. So, the more exposed your hair is to water in this weakened state, the more chances of it getting damaged.
What happens when you leave your hair to dry for hours is that you keep it in its swelled and weakened state. This causes damage to the proteins which make up the hair structure, causing the hair to look and feel dry and rough.
Healthiest Way To Dry Hair & Promote Growth
Air Dry or Blow Dry?
Though air drying is a great way to prevent heat damage caused by blow dryers, it takes a long time. The longer it takes, the more your hair swells, affecting your hair proteins and leading to damage.
On the other hand, blow drying your hair exposes the hair to too much heat which can cause damage. It leads to a “flash-drying” effect that removes the surface moisture of the hair as well as the hair’s in-bound water.
From this, it is obvious that air drying or blow drying alone is not healthy for the hair. It is important to avoid the risks associated with both air-drying and blow drying. The best way to do this and keep your hair healthy, soft, and luscious is to do a combination of both.
Experts recommend that you let your hair air dry for about 70% – 80%, then get it to dry completely with a hair dryer. This is a healthy method guaranteed to keep your hair looking fabulous and super sleek.
Rather than waiting long hours for your hair to air dry or stressing yourself for long with the hairdryer, leave the hair alone till it is about 70% dry. Once you’ve employed this natural method, you can now blow dry your hair till it’s completely dry. Besides, it is not only healthy; it is also super convenient.
Air-Drying Tips
As you air dry your hair, it is very probable that you may want to dry it with a towel. A towel abrasion can result in hair stripping or breakage. So, rather than rubbing your hair with a towel to get rid of excess water, use a microfiber towel or a cotton T-shirt.
There are also the struggles of dealing with messy and shaggy hair as you air dry which can tempt you to brush your hair. Your hair is most delicate when it’s wet, and brushing it will cause the hair strands to stretch, leading to splits and breakage.
However, going outside to air dry without brushing will cause knotting, which can also result in split ends. To keep your hair tangle-free, frizz-free and damage-free, you should comb your hair while you are still in the shower (or before you shower), rather than brushing it.
Blow-Drying Tips
Exposing your hair to much heat while blow-drying isn’t ideal, hence the recommendation that you should only blow dry for about 20 % – 25%. To ensure that you do not incur any damage while you do this, follow these tips:
Use a high quality blower in order to get the best results.
Never blow dry your hair with the high heat settings of the blower. Use only low temperatures.
Keep the heat dryer about six inches away from your scalp.
Work on your hair in sections in order to keep the hair dryer moving constantly. If the dryer is only on a single spot, the direct heat concentration can cause extreme damage.
Use an air flow diffuser for even distribution and to cover a large section of hair.
Always apply a heat protectant spray or a leave-in conditioner on your hair before you blow dry. This provides cuticle protection and overall hair protection, preventing split ends and long term damage.
Questions:
1. Are You Blow Drying Your Hair Too Much?
2. Are You Using Cheap Hair Tools?
3. Not Using a Heat Protectant
4. Wearing Tight Ponytails Every Day
5. Is Your Diet Good For Hair Growth or Bad?
6. Using Too Hot Water When Washing
7. Using the Wrong Brush on Wet Hair
8. Not Using the Right Hair Oiling Product
9. Drying Your Hair With the Wrong Type of Towel
9 Mistakes That Are Destroying Your Hair
In case you have damaged hair, or just want to have healthier hair, here are 9 mistakes that are causing damaged hair and ways to fix it!
1. Blow Drying Your Hair Too Much
I’m sure we all know how bad blow drying your hair can be for your hair – especially if you do it every single day! Going after your entire head with your blow dryer rather than doing it section by section can also be problematic.
How to fix it:
Try to wash your hair every other day to eliminate half of the blow drying you currently do.
Air dry your hair one day a week. (Choose a day where you have more time at home to let it dry before you style it!)
Section your hair off in sections when you blow dry it.
Use a hair dryer that promotes healthy hair using cooler air or advanced technology.
This is my air dried hair look! I add a bit of dry shampoo (find all of my tips for using dry shampoo here) to give it some texture and volume.
2. Using Cheap Hair Tools
One thing I didn’t realize was how using cheap hair tools was affecting my hair.
When your hair dryer isn’t very effective it causes you to use more heat for a longer period of time on your hair – thus drying it out and possibly damaging it even more.
Same goes for your flat iron or curling iron. If heat isn’t distributed properly or it just doesn’t work as well, you’ll be forced to go over the same section numerous times to get it styled how you want. The least amount of heat on your hair the better!
How to fix it:
Invest in quality hair tools. This is something that may take some time because man, the good ones are not cheap! Keep an eye on sales and save your money – trust me when I say it’s worth it.
What I use: I’ve been using this styling wand trio for almost a year now and it has changed my hair! It makes it so much easier to style and I literally only do each section once. I also use the same brand’s hair dryer – Costco sometimes has them for way less money so if you’re a member, check there first!
3. Not Using a Heat Protectant
This is a super common mistake that a lot of women make and even easier to fix!
Heat protectants help add moisture to your hair which creates a protective layer for when you’re blow drying or styling with heat.
Most heat protectants are actually dual purpose so they not only protect your hair from the heat but they also add shine, texture or volume!
How to fix it:
Pick up a heat protector that is right for your hair and start using it!
There are different options for using it on dry hair or wet hair – you may or may not need both!
What I use: I’ve been using a Bumble and Bumble spray for years now and love it. It speeds up dry time, adds shine, removes frizz and is all around my fav.
There’s also 1k reviews on it from adoring fans so this one is a keeper! I also love Olaplex No. 7 Hair Bonding Oil!
4. Wearing Tight Ponytails Every Day
The life of a busy woman means lots of ponytails, am I right?
I had a friend who used to wear ponytails all day and all night (literally!). When she went to her stylist for a cut, the stylist could tell exactly where she was wearing her ponytail because of all the breakage she was getting from it.
How to fix it:
Lay off the top knots and tight ponytails! 🙂
Use a damage free hair tie or scrunchies when possible. If you like to sleep with ponytails in, the least you could do is use a scrunchie (and don’t wrap it too tight!) to eliminate some of the friction.
Opt for low, loose buns when you need to get it up.
This hairstyle is definitely not something you can carry everyday! It requires at least 1 hour to get that perfect look.😉
5. A Bad Diet
This is probably the number one thing my stylist (Jenna from Cajah Salon) says to me when I ask her how to get my hair to grow faster and be the healthiest it can be.
Eating crappy food, not enough fruits and vegetables and not drinking enough diet will show itself in more places than just your waistline! Your hair, skin and nails will reflect what you put inside your body.
How to fix it:
Obviously eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, and whole grains is key to a healthy diet.
Make sure you’re getting essential fatty acids (like omega-3s) which can be found in salmon, tuna, almonds, etc.
Eat foods with Vitamins B6 (beet root,
bananas, potatoes, spinach), B12 (meat, fish, dairy) and folic acid (fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain, beans).
Also lean meats (fish, chicken, eggs and soy) are also needed for healthy hair.
If this seems too daunting, start with one section at a time. Add in the foods in that section and then add in the next and the next!
6. Too Hot Water When Washing
I am 100% guilty of looking beautiful everyday since everyone hates the fact that I look beautiful and gorgeous. Hot water for my hair and body is not good. It can dry it out and make it more prone to breakage – exactly what we’re trying to prevent!
How to fix it:
This one’s easy – turn down that water temp! I know it’s hard to do but make a conscious effort to turn it down, even a little bit!
7. Using the Wrong Brush on Wet Hair
Wet hair is much more vulnerable than dry hair so be careful! Pulling a brush through wet hair to break it apart can cause a lot of damage.
How to fix it:
Use a wide tooth comb or Wet Brush when your hair is wet.
If your hair gets really tangly, use the comb in the shower to work the conditioner through your hair. This can help release tangles easier.
8. Not Using the Right Product
Did you know there's a product out there for pretty much every single type of hair and hair need?
So if you have thick, straight hair you probably don’t need to be using hair for fine, wavy hair. Using the wrong product will cause your hair to not look its best and oftentimes be as healthy as it could be.
How to fix it:
Talk to your hair stylist about what they recommend! They are professionals and get trained in all different kinds of brands and products. I ask my stylist every time I see her about what new product I should be using.
Your hair needs can change depending on weather, diet, how often you’re styling it, etc. so your stylist should be able to recommend if you need to add a hair mask, volumizing spray or whatever!
One thing to note – be cautious if your stylist is constantly trying to sell you tons of new products every time you see them.
My stylist is awesome about seeing what I’m currently using and only adding something I really need rather than just up-selling me on the latest and greatest. She makes sure I use up what I bought before recommending a different product that does a similar thing. That’s the type of stylist you need in your life!
9. Drying it With the Wrong Type of Towel
I did this for oh, about 34 years. I literally just bought a new towel and it has been the BEST.
Using a typical bath towel and scrubbing your hair with it can cause a ton of damage and breakage (aka not ideal especially for those of us with postpartum hair!). Using a soft towel and gently pressing it rather than scrubbing it will do wonders.
How to fix it:
Get a soft, hair-specific towel and get in the habit of pressing, not scrubbing!
What I use: I picked up a hair turban and it has been a game changer! Not only does it dry my hair better but it allows me to wrap it up without causing additional damage. At only $30, I highly recommend it.
I’m sure we have all done or are still doing a number of these mistakes that are resulting in damaged hair! I hope this helps you to be well on your way to know how to prevent hair damage and having a fabulous hair day every day!
Now go check out all of my tips for using dry shampoo! I bet you’ll learn a thing or two!
The Bottom Line
The proper hair drying method is something you want to get right as one wrong turn your hair into a frizzy mess, and even lead to worse damage. Now, you should be aware that the healthiest drying technique for your hair is to let it 75% dry naturally, and then apply a heat dryer till it’s completely dry.
If you stay consistent with the tips given above to properly air-dry and blow-dry your hair, drying your hair will surely become a fantastic experience.
Voila! You can confidently say goodbye to bad hair trouble. Step out with healthy and luscious hair that is free of frizz, tangles or breakage.
Did you know? You can curl hair with just a blow dryer.
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