Will Blow-Drying Hurt Your Hair?

You use your blow dryer almost everyday without hesitation. You’re late and just got off the shower so you resort to blow-drying. Or, sometimes, you want to style your hair differently so you use your blow dryer to help tame your hair. But have you ever thought of what it actually does to your hair? Sure, you’re looking good but is your hair feeling good? Here, we try to answer the question: will blow-drying hurt your hair?

The Effects of Blow-drying

The hair structure may be damaged if you blow-dry hair too long or use the high temperature setting. The results may be dry, brittle hair with split ends, and worse, an irritated scalp too. So, to make the long story short, applying heat to your already dried hair causes the damage, not blow-drying itself. The secret of safe drying is good timing and the proper use of tools and products.

The Right Hair Dryer

Using a hair dryer is a great way to enhance your style. However, it is important to take the correct steps in order to avoid damage to your hair. When choosing a hair dryer, look for one that has separate controls for both temperature and speed. This allows you to turn the heat down as your hair is drying to minimize the likelihood of over-drying. We also suggest that you choose one that uses Ion, Tourmaline or Ceramic heat source. Finally, it is important to purchase a dryer with a concentrator on the end which will help direct air flow.

The Proper Way of Blow-drying

The proper blow-drying technique is gentle on your hair and leaves the hair with plenty of bounce and luster. Here are some tips on how to do it:

• Towel dry first. Do this by pressing your hair with a towel to remove excess moisture. Follow by gently removing tangles with a wide-toothed comb, starting at the ends and working up to your roots.
• If possible, don’t use the high heat settings of your blow-dryer. The air stream should feel comfortable on the back of your hand.
• Keep the hair dryer at least 8 inches away from your hair.
• Blow-dry every individual hair strand, from the roots to the ends.
• Whenever you need to drying your hair really quick, use a higher setting for the air stream, not for the heat.