Don't make these mistakes when you dry your hair
Many of us begin each day with a hair dryer aimed at our heads, after our shower and before getting dressed. But did you know that you could be making some of these common mistakes while drying your hair? Even if you are using the best hair dryer, some of these mistakes could negatively impact both your hair style, and the health of your hair.
Your Hair is Too Wet
Hair care experts tell us that hair should be about 80% dry before we ever point our blow dryers at it. Hair should be allowed to air dry, or be gently towel dried. If your hair is dripping wet, the effect of the heat from your blow dryer is magnified and this can result in damaging your hair. Also, if your hair is soaked through when you begin, drying will take much longer, meaning you are exposing your hair to damaging heat for a longer period of time than necessary. Even the best hair dryers will cause split ends and other damage if overused.
Your hair should be partially dried and—ideally—sprayed with a heat protectant before you begin using your blow dryer to dry and style your hair.
You are Trying to Blow Dry All Your Hair at Once
Another common mistake is to simply take aim at your head and begin blowing your hair in every direction. This takes much longer for your hair to dry, and results in unevenly applied heat, meaning some strands of hair are getting the attention of the hair dryer’s heat far more than others. This can result in uneven drying and some sections of hair getting over-dried and overheated.
Especially if you have thick hair, your hair should be dried in sections. The best way to do this is to use hair clips. Begin by drying the bottom layers of your hair first, with the top layers clipped up on your head, and then work your way up to the top layers, unclipping them and drying once the bottom layer is dried.
You are Not Using The Best Hair Dryer on the Optimal Heat Setting
While it may be tempting to save money by purchasing a less expensive model hair dryer, the higher-end brands come with multiple settings so you don’t have to over or under heat your hair. They come with helpful styling tips and ionic settings which allow you to dry your hair at lower temperatures, saving your hair from damaging heat exposure. Ceramic dryers that operate with infrared heat are good for drying thin or damaged hair without causing further damage.
You should maintain your hair dryer the best that you can, but eventually older hairdryers should be tossed out and replaced. Hair dryers are only intended to last through 300 to 400 blow dries. Eventually dust particles can block proper airflow, so your dryer isn’t vented properly. Then they may be more likely to overheat and damage your hair. So it's important to know when your hair dryer should be replaced.
Hair should generally be dried on the low heat setting. If your hair is exceptionally thick, you may want to switch to a higher setting, but otherwise the basic drying should be done on low settings, and then you can kick it up a notch at the end of your drying session for styling. Finally, do a final blow over on a cool setting. Ending your drying section with a cool shot helps your hair to cool off and gives it a healthy shine.
You are Drying Your Hair the Wrong Way
It’s always tempting to begin by drying the sections of hair that face you in the mirror—the front. According to hair care experts this is the right idea. If you start in the back of your hair, by the time you get to the important hair that frames your face, it’s likely to have already dried in a frizz.
For the best results, at the roots you should blow your hair in the opposite direction in which your hair falls. This will give your hair volume and lift. Then, the ends of your hair should be dried with the dryer aimed downward in the direction your hair falls. Drying downward around the curve of your brush will result in a smooth look.
Finally, as stated above, end your drying session with a quick cool-off on your dryer’s cool setting, and then give it a quick spray with a setting spray to preserve all your hard work, and your great look!
Resources — SouthernLiving, Self.com , LorealParis
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