Is it harmful to blow dry your hair?
Every girl dreams of looking good, and well-groomed hair is an important element of any look. There is a widespread myth in the beauty industry that hair dryers greatly damage women’s curls; they become dry and brittle. Is this really true, or can you regularly use a hair dryer and maintain the beauty and health of your hair? Let's try to figure it out.
The content of the article
Is a hair dryer harmful to hair?
Opponents of the device claim that its use is harmful; it is much healthier to dry your strands naturally. At the same time, few of the girls did not smile at their reflection in the mirror after professional styling, done with a hair dryer, but by the hands of a master. Experts note that you should not blame the device for all troubles. Many reasons spoil the condition of the strands, these include:
- chronic diseases;
- climatic conditions;
- use of inappropriate cosmetics;
- lack of vitamins.
So how harmful is a hair dryer, which almost every girl has in her arsenal, really? In thermal drying, a number of negative factors can indeed be identified:
- Severe overheating. Regular exposure to high temperatures over time can weaken curls, deteriorate their color and reduce volume.
- High air flow rate.By hitting the air stream forcefully, the hair dryer can cause hair to split, resulting in severe split ends.
REFERENCE! Many modern models have the ability to adjust the temperature and air flow rate.
A hairdryer can still worsen the condition of your hair, but you shouldn’t throw it in the trash. If you choose a high-quality device and use it correctly, following all the recommendations, you will minimize possible negative consequences. In addition, the popular natural drying also has its own nuances that need to be known and taken into account.
Pros and cons of thermal and natural drying
The main advantage of thermal drying is the speed of the procedure. In certain situations, you cannot do without a life-saving device - you will simply catch a cold if you go outside in the cold season with a wet head after the pool. It is worth noting other advantages of using a hair dryer:
- you can easily create different styles;
- hair dried in this way is not as tangled as when dried naturally (especially if you go to bed with a wet head, in the morning you can find a real “nest” instead of a hairstyle);
- The hair dryer can have an ionization function, it reduces the static charge, making the strands more silky and manageable.
IMPORTANT! If certain recommendations are not followed, thermal drying can lead to brittle and dry hair and the appearance of split ends.
It is believed that during natural drying, the hair has time to absorb the required amount of moisture and becomes more vibrant, and the root structure becomes stronger. But this process has significant disadvantages:
- long duration - in the modern rhythm of life it is extremely inconvenient to wait until the hair dries naturally;
- With the help of a brush and a hairdryer, many people create beautiful hairstyles and add root volume, but here this opportunity is missing;
- It is forbidden to comb wet hair, as it breaks off more easily;
- the strands get very tangled, especially if you take a bath before bed;
- Going outside or being in a draft with an under-dried head can lead to a cold.
ATTENTION! It is contraindicated to dry wet curls in direct sunlight, as they are highly susceptible to ultraviolet radiation. For protection, you should wear a hat.
When drying naturally, it is worth knowing some nuances. Experts advise first wrapping your head in a warm towel for a while to get rid of excess water. Due to the length of the process, it is most convenient to leave it until the evening. However, in this case, there is a risk of finding an unsightly hairstyle on your head in the morning, after which you will still have to use a hairdryer.
Thus, natural and thermal drying have different advantages and disadvantages, and in modern living conditions it is quite difficult to completely abandon the hair dryer.
How to properly blow dry your hair
With proper handling, the negative effect of frequent use of a hair dryer will be minimized. The main thing is to follow some recommendations from experts:
- do not rush to dry wet hair immediately after a bath - wrap your head in a warm towel for 15 minutes so that it dries a little and stops being so vulnerable;
- choose medium and low temperatures, as overheating is very harmful;
- do not keep the device in one place for a long time, you need to move it through each strand from roots to ends;
- carry out the procedure at a considerable distance from the hair, preferably 40 cm;
- do not wait for complete drying, leave the curls a little damp;
- choose high-quality products with different temperature conditions and other useful functions.
When using a hairdryer regularly, it is recommended to use protective cosmetics and rinse your hair with herbal infusions after washing.