Article: How to safely blow dry your hair

The world only gets faster and more hectic as the years go by; sometimes it seems like there's only time to work, eat and possibly sleep in the course of a day before you have to start all over again. The faster life gets, the more tempting it is to use the quickest possible solution to every issue that may come your way.

The obsession with speed is one major factor in the wide use of hair dryers, as well as other purported "hair care" products that are very damaging to the hair. Some people are in a hurry, others simply don't like how lank and lifeless their hair is if they don't blow dry it...either way, drying with hot air is exceptionally hard on your hair.

The Importance of Hair Moisture

Moisture is extremely important to your hair's health, so letting it dry naturally will help it retain the moisture it needs after washing. While a blow dryer will deliver heat damage and dry out the hair - beyond the surface moisture you wanted to get rid of - and often tangle it, natural "drip-drying" will allow the hair to dry where the outside layer of the hair shaft, called the cuticle, can lay flat. This way, the hair is not subjected to the thinning and breakage that can occur during detangling and will shine better with a smooth cuticle.

In nearly every instance, natural drying is much healthier than blow drying...but not all the time. If you live in an area with extreme temperatures that may subject wet hair to freezing, it is better to use a hair dryer before going out. As water freezes, it expands; this can mean many split and broken hairs if the water the hair is saturated with freezes.

Benefits and Dangers of Using a Hair Dryer

Now let's look at some of the reasons blow dryers are normally used. If speed is one of your main concerns, there are some ways to still get your hair dry without causing as much damage to it (albeit not as quickly as using only a blow dryer). First, there are special micro-fiber towels on the market that are excellent at drawing water away from the hair and have a high absorption capacity. If using only a micro-fiber towel still doesn't dry the hair fast enough, you can first pat the excess water out of your hair with a normal terry cloth towel and then use a dry micro-fiber towel.

Heat is a main damaging factor with hair dryers. If you wish to speed up the process and don't have a lot of problems with tangles, try a dryer on a cold air setting.

In nearly every instance, natural drying is much healthier than blow drying...

You can minimize the risk of drying the hair too much by using a low heat and drying until the hair is only slightly damp; most of the remaining excess moisture dries during combing and styling and it significantly reduces damage.

Do you have flat hair? Blow drying may be the fastest way to make it "puff up", but it may also be part of the reason it's flat in the first place. Generally, hair that has no body whatsoever is lacking protein and needs some extra care to fix the problem. Dry hair will have even less life and the combination of protein and moisture deprivation may make the strands thin. Basically, it depends on whether you'd like to fix flat hair permanently, or mask it temporarily while perpetuating the problem.

To conclude, under normal circumstances natural drying is far better for your hair. If you have a dependence on blow dryers but would like to take some steps to make your hair care routine healthier, perhaps you can utilize some of the above suggestions to help toward that end.

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Comments

[Tee]

I need to get me a good blow dryer. How often do you blow dry?

LHDC: Hi, Tee!! I blowdry every time I flat iron - a few times a year. I'll get a new blow dryer if this Gold 'n Hot ever dies!

[valerie nelson]

thank you for the article about blowdryers.for a while now i have been air drying my hair. i like it alot better. i have a relaxer and the less heat yhe better. one question should i comb my hair when it dries or is it safe to comb when wet? also whats the best products to use when air drying? sorry one more ? do you know if i can buy anything to help soften new growth. i'm trying to stretch but this time i only made 8 weeks.

LHDC: Hi, Valerie!! I suggest detangling your hair prior to air drying. Personally, I think dry-detangling is the debil; refrain from doing it at ALL costs.

It really depends on what you're doing with your hair after you air dry, but just use your normal leave-ins when you air dry.

Try a mix of glycerin and water to spritz on your NG. That should help soften it.

Hope that helps!