AD. You're wondering what the healthiest way to dry your hair is. It's one of those questions where the natural way feels like it'd be the best and the most healthful option for our tresses. But what if I were to tell you that you (along with myself initially) were wrong?
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The healthiest way to dry your hair
Recent studies have shown that with the right technique (super important here) a blow dry is actually better for our hair than leaving it to air dry.
Hair science
To fully understand, let's get into the science of all things hair first shall we. Each strand of your hair is essentially like a tube with an inner and outer layer. The inner cortex is protected by the outer cuticle layer and is held together by delicate proteins.
When the outer cuticle layer of your hair is perfectly intact, the hair is glossy and full of health. Too much heat can damage the cuticle by trapping water inside the inner cortex boiling the hair from the inside out. Yikes!
Sounds like we should leave our hair to dry naturally right? Well, here's the tricky bit. Once your hair comes into contact with water it swells. The longer the swelling goes on (a couple of hours for example) the more pressure it puts on the delicate proteins keeping the inner and outer layers of our hair together. This can lead to more damage.
How to dry your hair in the healthiest way
So, what's the recipe for success? It's a bit of both options. The healthiest way to dry your hair is to both blow dry and air dry.
Firstly we should be letting our hair dry naturally around 3/4 of the way. Then with your dryer on the coolest setting, blow dry your hair keeping the dryer round 6 inches away from your hair at all times. Varying your movements with the hairdryer is the key to healthy hair too.
And hey presto! That's it. I think once we understand the science of hair and the damages both options can do to our tresses it's easy to see why we should be using the 75/25 ratio when it comes to drying.
Healthy hair habits to add to your routine
As well as choosing the healthiest way to dry your hair there are some other hair habits you can add to your routine to ensure your mane looks as lustrous as possible.
Brush your hair before you shower
When you wash your hair it becomes vulnerable with excess swelling. Brushing your hair before you shower will keep it strong through the washing process. Another benefit of brushing is that it distributes the natural oils from your scalp all the way down the lengths of your hair.
Condition with care
You actually only need to us a small amount of conditioner (something I really used to struggle with). Use a penny sized amount, firstly applying it to the lengths of your hair before working your way up to the scalp. It's important your scalp stays hydrated too!
Regular haircuts
Regular haircuts ensure your hair strands stay healthy and don't break off at the ends. It's recommended to have your tresses trimmed every couple of months just to get rid of any split and damaged ends.
Invest in great hair tools
Investing in high quality hair tools with newer, better technology works wonders on your hair. Michael Douglas from mdlondon has created the fantastic BLOW hair dryer. He aims to empower women with the knowledge, tools and confidence to enjoy beautiful hair everyday.
Turn down the temperature
As amazing as hot, steamy (oo-er) showers can be, they wreak havoc on our hair. Hot temperatures can damage the scalp weakening the hair as it grows. It's recommended to use warm water to wash your hair before a cold water rinse at the end. This seals the cuticles and gives your hair its added shine.
Be mindful of product ingredients
Understanding the exact ingredients that go into your haircare products can be overwhelming. You don't need to know the ins and outs of what goes into each product. But there are ingredients you can look out for. Things like argan oil, coconut oil, spirulina and aloe are all amazing for maintaining healthy looking hair. To make premium hair products more budget-friendly, consider using Lange Hair coupon codes when shopping for your next essentials.
Sleep on silk
Swapping your regular cotton pillowcase for a silk pillowcase protects your hair as it reduces the amount of friction and damage whilst sleeping. Silk scrunchies are also recommended to sleep in.
What tips will you be using going forward to make sure you're drying your hair in the healthiest way?
I've heard so much that regular haircuts help the hair grow, but I'm not willing to try it, because I'm scared of losing the hair I did so much to grow out. This is a nice article. I learned something new.
I have been working on my hair health. Like you I used to put so much conditioner on my hair, but learned to put a smaller amount on. I always forget to brush my hair before my shower, sometimes I remember. But I need to start doing that consistently. I actually have a really old hair dryer now, but always do it on a lower heat. But for the most part I let me hair air dry and only hair dry if I need it dry for a particular reason. I have heard the cold rinse but I haven’t done it in a while. Thank you for these helpful tips Claire!
I have been having regular cuts now (I didn’t used to as I thought it was a myth about helping it grow). I have been using a argon oil and aloe Vera repair mist on my wet hair. I need to actually buy some heat spray.
Lauren.
What a helpful post! These are some great hair habits to follow in the everyday routine. I'm still struggling with the amount of conditioner to use as I always overuse (smells too good). Also, planning to invest in a silk pillowcase before the year ends. Great reminder!! Thank you for sharing x
This is interesting, I never know that brushing before a shower make it strong. Thank you for sharing!
One thing I don't do enough of is regular haircuts; I tend to leave it a few years which I really have to stop doing. I have a new haircut I want to try out so I think this is my reminder to just get on and do it! Thanks for the other tips too!
I rarely blow dry my hair now I'm working from home. I tend to wrap it up in a microfibre towel, then leave it to dry naturally. I was combing it in the shower because I wanted to add the wave more, which worked, but my hair just looks way too scruffy like that, so I comb when wet after the towel to get rid of the tangles
These are all good ways to healthily dry your hair! I need to try a silk pillowcase and I always use the coolest setting on my hairdryer when drying my hair x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Great post! I always try to care for my hair as much as possible. I have very dry hair and I swim too, so I need to keep on top of haircare. Thank you for these tips x
I brush mine before I shower because I seem to loose so much hair while in the shower. I have tried to use a t-shirt instead of a towel while my hair dries. It's rare that I blow dry my hair (to the extent I don't actually own a hair dryer....). I plait my hair and sleep with it tied back other wise my hair gets extra tangly and feels like it's attacking me while I'm asleep lol. Also means that if I need to get up for Rex in the night I don't need to worry about my hair getting in his face or anything like that. Thanks for the other tips.
This is really interesting. For years they said air dry only but I definitely think a mix of the two noticeably works better.
I used to be a night shower person but since having the baby and realising the night sweats weren't cute, I turned into a day shower person. That means I take much better care of my hair because I'm not just sticking it up in a messy bun and sleeping with it wet. I would LOVE to invest in a silk pillow.. I recently changed to silk scrunchies and have noticed a difference!
Rosie