Blow Dry Or Air Dry?

 We all have to dry our hair after washing it.  I use the standard method of letting it dry on it’s own but it takes multiple hours due to the length of my hair and the season.  My sister always used a blow dryer but she suffered issues with split ends.  One time when I visited the hair salon  to get my hair trimmed, she asked if I dried my hair using a blow dryer or some sort of heated tool.  I said “no” and she said that’s good because too many people ruin their hair that way.

There are things you can do to help keep your hair from drying out too much or damaging it.  Air drying has been around for a very long time but if it is not done correctly, it can damage your hair.  For instance, my grandmother taught me to towel dry my hair before allowing it to dry naturally but research has shown that towel drying can cause damage.  By towel drying, I mean you rub your hair with the towel rather than just blotting it.  

Towel drying can cause the hair itself to snarl, become brittle, and fragile.  In addition, the cuticle on the hair is rubbed and it can make the hair more frizzy so it doesn’t look as good.  It is recommended you squeeze your hair first before patting it to absorb the moisture.  Do not rub, just pat and squeeze for best results.

On the other hand, many people use a blow dryer of some sort to dry their hair but that isn’t always the best solution.  You do not want to put the blow drying on it’s hottest setting because it can damage the hair fiber, the cells and the cuticle by causing the moisture in the cuticle to bubble and break which leads to split ends and breakage.

In addition, when you dry your hair with too much heat, the hair can become dull and lose its luster. Furthermore, too much heat can also suck moisture out of your hair leaving it quite brittle and breaks regularly.  It is said that if your head feels hot, then you're using too much heat. 

So if you want to use a blow dryer, the best way to use it is to make sure your hair stays healthy is to fill in any weak areas with either collagen or protein and to comb through a decent amount of leave-in conditioner before you even consider using the blow dryer.  When you choose a setting, do not choose anything higher than a medium heat and medium air but the lowest setting is considered strongly recommended.  Yes the lowest setting will cause your hair to take longer to dry but it will remain healthier. 

It is also suggested that you blot your hair about 70 to 85 percent dry before you consider using the blow dryer.  Make sure the blow dryer is kept a good distance from your head and if your hair begins to feel warm, you need to give it a break.  If your hair starts getting too frizzy, or too dull, you might want to take a break from blow drying.  Let me know what you think, I’d love to hear.  Have a great day.