Towel-drying your hair is important to help remove water, so hair can dry faster. Yet, the wrong technique can result in extra frizz, tangles, and poufiness. The right ways to air dry hair include gentle drying techniques. It's best to use your towel to squeeze water out from your hair.
Sounds like a case for air-drying, but get this: The study found that while the heat of a dryer can cause more damage than not using one, using a hair-dryer at the right distance and temperature can actually cause less damage than letting hair air-dry. That's because when hair comes in contact with water, it swells.
Dry your hair in sections while you concentrate the airflow down the hair shaft, on a low heat and speed setting till it feels warm. This ensures your hair doesn't overheat. Hold the dryer at least 5 inches, or as far back as you can comfortably reach from your head and use a continuous motion to dry.
Towel drying your hair with a regular towel can cause your hair to experience major frizzing and even splitting. When your hair is wet, it's in its most fragile state. It's essential that you treat it delicately while drying it for this very reason.
There's no denying that towels can be harsh on your skin. This can lead to unwanted redness and can especially irritate those with sensitive skin. Air-drying your face allows you to ditch the rough, irritating towel and give your skin a much-needed breather with no rubbing required.
“Air-drying works best when the hair is damp, but I strongly advise against air-drying straight from when it's soaking wet,” says Takisha Sturdivant-Drew, a celebrity hair stylist and the founder of hair extension line TSD Hair.
One of the best & easy ways to dry your hair after washing, rather than waiting hours, is to leave it alone until it's about 75% dry. Once you've let nature run its course and your hair is slightly damp, grab your hair dryer and blow-dry your hair the remainder of the way.
So while direct, excessive heat can cause damage to the surface part of the hair strands, air-drying can cause trauma to that inner layer. When the cell membrane complex layer swells, it can weaken the hair over time, explains Dr. Longsworth. It can also cause something called hygral fatigue.
It turns out letting your hair air dry after you've washed it is causing more damage than you think. According to Dr Tim Moore (the Australian Vice President of Smart Devices) leaving your hair wet for extended periods of time is putting excessive pressure on your strands resulting in split ends.
Unfortunately, ANY amount of heat is damaging to hair, so using a blow dryer (or flat iron, or curling wand) every day is a bad idea. Daily heat exposure can ruin hair by stripping the hair's natural oils, drying out the cuticle and causing breakage and frizz.
You want to gradually dry your hair instead of sucking out every bit of moisture. Always keep your hairdryer six inches away from your scalp and keep moving it around for the best results. Or you could add a diffuser attachment to your hairdryer as it spreads out the heat and creates an even air stream.
It's a well-known fact that after a wash you should let your hair dry naturally, but unless you detangle it first, your hair might become frizzy and messy when it dries.
“Gently blow drying with the right hairdryer on the lowest heat and speed setting until it is 90 percent dry, is actually better for the hair than air-drying,” says Mahony, adding that this largely comes down to your hair's response to being wet.
Though sleeping with wet hair won't give you a cold, Dr. Shah says that it does increase your risk of developing a fungal infection of the scalp. Fungi, such as Malassezia, can lead to conditions like dandruff or dermatitis, according to Shah, who recommends going to sleep with dry hair when possible.
Wet hair when sleeping also can cause damage to follicles and result in hair breakage. Skin conditions: Hair follicles under the skin clogged up with sebum or oil can result in acne. As wet hair harbors bacteria, this can also impact the growth of bacteria in the pores.
When your cuticles are open, moisture gets into the hair strands, expanding the hair as it dries, leading to frizz. Conditioner helps to close or seal these cuticles and lock in moisture, reducing frizziness and flyaways, which is especially important when air-drying your hair.
Ideally, you want to leave the towel in for at least 10 minutes. When you unravel the hair towel, squeeze your hair gently to remove any leftover water.
According to Colombini, healthy hair actually takes the longest to dry. While it's less than ideal, your hair may take a long time to dry simply because you maintain healthy hair practices and your strands are able to easily absorb and retain moisture.
“Braiding your hair when damp or tying your hair in bun and letting it air dry, will give your hair texture and soft natural waves,” recommends Oberoi. “Braiding holds the hair taut, which helps it dry smoother and minimises frizz.
“The longer your hair stays wet, the more the cortex of your hair will swell and break, resulting in brittle ends and lots of flyaways.” A 2011 study supports that assertion. It found that, though hair dried with increasing levels of heat showed surface damage, hair that was air-dried showed more damage to its cortex.
Use a silk scarf or cloth and tie it like a hairband to make sure your hair does not touch the pillowcase. Once you wake up, flip your hair upside down, gently separate the hair and flip it back up. Resist the urge to brush your hair, as it causes more friction and frizz,” recommends Sabanayagam.