Your hair makes a statement about you, so you always want it looking its best. Because of this, we invest in styling products and tools to keep our hair looking good.
Owning a hair-dryer is almost as essential as owning a toothbrush, but these can actually do more harm than good. While you don’t want wet hair all the time, you should know the dangers of hair-dryers.
You likely blow-dry your hair a few times a week if not daily. Most people just blast their hair until it is no longer wet, so don’t feel bad if you do this too.
As convenient as this is, it is not the best for your hair. There are proper ways to blow-dry your hair that can help keep it healthy. Heat in general is not ideal for your hair, but knowing the right way to dry your hair, will keep it looking its best for longer. (1)
1. Starting Off Wrong
A common technique to drying hair is to wrap the it around a brush while passing the heat over it. This not only takes longer to dry your hair by exposing it to heat for longer periods of time, but it is not good for the health of your hair. You want to use a round brush and start at the roots.
Slowly roll the brush down through your hair and then return to the roots. The blow-dryer should be concentrated at the roots first, and, by the time this area is dry, the rest of your hair will be almost done too.
You can then dry the ends quickly, which means they will not get too dried out.
2. When Your Hair Is Too Wet
Many people go right from the shower to the dryer because they are in a hurry. While this is understandable, drying your hair when it is too wet is very harmful to the health of your hair.
By the time you get to the blow-drying stage, your hair should be already 65-percent dry.
You should always towel dry your hair first, and then let it air dry or run your fingers through to air it out. Once you get to drying it, use a brush and start at the roots.
Too much time in a towel can be damaging for your hair, so you need to find the right balance. After towel-drying your hair, let it air dry before applying the heat, to give it time to dry without pulling out too much moisture with a towel. (2)
3. The Wrong Tools
When it comes to drying and brushing hair, size matters. The bigger the brush, the better your hair will look.
Beware of round brushes that have a metal core. While these brushes do give a sleeker finish, the metal is easily heated by the dryer, and this impacts your hair.
The direct heat of the metal core is more damaging to strands than the air heat because it is closer to the surface of each strand, similar to the damage caused by hot irons. (3)
If you have thick, coarse hair, you need to use a nylon bristle brush and not metal because they have more bristles and can provide a smoother pull, which means less snags and breaks.
Along with having the right brush, you also need a nozzle when drying. Most hair dryers come with attachments, and you need to use them.
When heat is just randomly blasted over your hair, you end up with a wild look and more tangles. To get a sleek finish, use the nozzles to direct the air on each strand.
4. The Wrong Products
It can be easy to apply too much product, especially when you are in a hurry. The application of too much styling products is not good for your hair.
Before drying, you should put the styling products at the roots rather than the tips; otherwise each strand gets weighed down and will look lifeless.
Another common error is to go overboard with hairspray. It is thought that a ton of hairspray is necessary to keep that perfect style in place, but too much causes build up, which will only cause your hair to collapse faster.
Apply hairspray evenly and from a distance while drying to get the best finished look and hold for your hair.
Applying a hair protectant before drying is a good idea to help seal in moisture that is easily removed with heated air. Serum is a great idea for frizzy or curly hair and natural oils can be used on any hair type.
Starting with the tips, apply oil or serum evenly, using a comb to distribute it through the strands. The coating applied to your hair will be light so as not to clump and weight hair down, but it also protects hair from the heat. (4)
5. Getting Lift
As stated before, to get lift, you need to apply products to the roots and start drying at the roots.
Since you are using a large brush as recommended, it will not be able to get close to the roots as you dry. Use your fingers to comb up the roots so the air can reach it and provide the full effect and lift you want.
To get volume, the roots need to get most of your attention, so you can use rollers as you dry if needed.
6. Slow Things Down
The typical hair routine in the morning involves washing, brushing, drying, and getting out the door. Time may be of the essence, but you need to space things out a little for the health of your hair.
If you allow hair to cool down on the brush before moving onto the next section, the style will hold for longer. This means you will need fewer products, keeping your hair more natural throughout the day.
Final Thoughts on Blow Drying
These are a few common mistakes that most women make when it comes to using blow-dryers. Understanding them and making necessary changes to your beauty routine will ensure your hair stays healthy, so you stay looking good.
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