After leaving the shower, start by dabbing off excess water with a microfibre cloth. Avoid rubbing the hair vigorously, as the friction causes the strands to tangle and generate frizz. Then, keep your hair wrapped for 10 to 15 minutes.
Drying your hair after a shower may seem like a simple task. However, it's a crucial step in maintaining the health and appearance of your hair. After showering, your wet hair is in a fragile condition. It becomes more vulnerable to breakages and other damages.
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.
Hair is most vulnerable to damage when it is wet.
The results documented in the published paper referenced above show that letting hair dry naturally causes the cortex (the thickest layer of hair) to swell and become weaker, as the swelling puts pressure on the delicate proteins that hold hair together.
Using hot tools can cause damage to your hair. Using these tools often leads to hair dryness and split ends. Blow dryers can cause hair to become extra frizzy as well. Letting hair air dry is best for healthier-looking tresses.
Usually, it takes an hour or two for damp hair to dry completely. However, this time may vary depending on the hair length and porosity. Highly porous hair can take an entire day to dry. It's because porous hair quickly soaks water and takes longer to dry.
Hair is at its most fragile when wet, so if you go to bed with it damp and proceed to toss and turn against a pillow, you run a higher risk of breakage. But aside from being rough on your delicate strands, hitting the pillow with damp hair puts you at risk of developing skin infections, primarily on your scalp.
While excessive heat can cause damage to the surface layer of the hair, air-drying can cause trauma to that inner lipid layer, which will make your strands weaker as a result. Over time, something called hygral fatigue happens, i.e. repeated swelling of the hair.
Is it OK to sleep in my bra? There's nothing wrong with wearing a bra while you sleep if that's what you're comfortable with. Sleeping in a bra will not make a girl's breasts perkier or prevent them from getting saggy. And it will not stop breasts from growing or cause breast cancer.
Heat is damaging to hair, so blow drying with cold air is a healthier choice for your mane. It would take a long time to dry and style damp hair using only cold air, but cold air is great for touching up dry hair or setting a heat style.
“The best way to speed up your air dry is to reduce the amount of water on your hair,” says Leo. “Immediately after you shower, lightly twist and wring out your hair to reduce excess water. Brush carefully with a brush or wide toothed comb (I like a Wet Brush) and twist again,” he advises.
Frizzy hair is caused when hair is dry or damaged. This dryness allows moisture from the air to enter the open hair shaft and causes it to swell, which leads to frizz. Here are some common reasons for why your hair is so frizzy: Dryness and dehydration causing your hair to absorb excess moisture.
First, let your hair dry naturally, about 70-80% of the way dry. Then, with your dryer on the coolest setting (don't touch that hot setting!), blow your hair dry, keeping the dryer about 6-inches away from hair at all times and moving it around continuously. Voilà: gorgeous, healthy hair, without the heat.
On top of breakage, air-drying can also increase frizz, build-up, and mildew, especially for afro-textured and curly hair. "Hair that stays wet or damp for a long period can attract bacteria and fungus, especially if you have very dense hair," explains Jennie Roberts, a celebrity hairstylist and texture hair educator.
"If your hair takes a long time to dry, it typically means it's highly porous," she explains. "For example, if it takes a day to dry or it takes a longer time than average to blow dry your hair, then you know you have high porosity hair."
Depending on your porosity, this can take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days. The style you do also affects how long your hair takes to dry. If you have high porosity hair, you may notice that your styles dry faster. Low porosity hair may take a day or more.
Rubbing your towel on your hair is the most common cause of frizz; instead, use a T-shirt, pillow cover or microfibre cloth—these are softer on the hair and do the least damage on wet strands, which is when they're at their weakest.
When your fingers touch your hair too much, they can actually steal away essential oils, leading to dry and easily broken hair strands. Solution: don't scrunch too much — once you apply product to your hair, scrunch it in 1-3 times to enhance your hair texture and prevent frizz.
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.
Pick a Braid, any Braid
Braid your hair before going to sleep. This old trick works every time and is one of the best ways to wear your hair when sleeping. It not only protects your hair – stopping it from tangling and breaking – but also gives you gorgeous beachy waves the next day and cuts down on frizz.
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.
It is best to sleep with your hair down if your hair length is short. This also lets the air flow freely through your hair, which makes you sleep more comfortably. On the other hand, if you have long hair, it is recommended to tie your hair loosely to prevent knots and breakage.