9 Easy-Breezy Tips for Blow-Drying Your Hair

 

When blow-drying hair there are basic steps that should be considered before and after. Having fallen victim to hair loss and damage due to bad blow-drying and not wanting the same to happen to you, here are a few tips to guide you in blow drying your hair.

Tip 1: Before you even begin to blow dry, you have to untangle the hair. When hair is wet it is easier to untangle. Use a wide toothed comb like the one in the image below and comb out your hair moving from the tips to the base of your head. Combing the hair straight from the scalp would lead to clumping which will eventually form tangles and break your hair. A useful tip in doing this is to divide your hair into sections and use this as a grid for blow drying the hair.

Tip 2: Do not rub your wet hair dry or semi-dry with a towel. The friction created by doing this removes nutrients that your hair definitely needs to be healthy and sustained. Instead of rubbing, blot out the water with a towel while pressing slightly to the scalp. This way you take out a bulk of the water without draining the hair of its nutrients.

Tip 3: Metal brushes are the last thing you want to use on wet hair while blow-drying. The metal heats up  fast, adding excess heat to the hair which promotes hair breakage. Instead of this use a round brush with nylon or boar bristles; they don’t conduct heat as easily but still get the job done.

Tip 4: It is paramount that you treat your hair after you wash and before you blow dry. To do this you can use a lightweight barrier like a leave-in conditioner, anti-frizz serum or heat activated styling lotion to protect the hair cuticle. This also boosts shine after blow drying.

Tip 5: If you have and want to maintain curly hair, avoid blow-drying your hairline with high heat; this straightens it out and even more so every time your blow dry. For the hairline you should reduce the heat to low heat or low air temperature and gently use a brush to brush it out. This would still maintain the curl and get your hair dry.

Tip 6: It would seem easier to point the drier at one part of your hair and leave it there for a faster dry but in reality it isn’t.  You have to keep the drier in motion around your head at all times. Leaving it at one location applies too much heat at once to the hair leaving it dehydrated and difficult to work with.

Tip 7: In this case the phrase “the closer, the better” doesn’t apply. Keep the drier at least 4 – 6 inches away from the scalp. Logically it seems the closer you move to the scalp the quicker it will dry, but this only damages the hair.

In summary, the closer you dry to the hair, the faster the hair dehydrates and damages.

Tip 8: Blow drying hair in all directions will not help your hair. Instead blow dry your hair in a downward motion; this movement helps bend the cuticle flat, look smoother and give off a shiny & neat appearance.

Tip 9: Give your hair a blast of cool air after applying heat from the blow-dry. The heat from the drier opens the holes on your scalp that hold the cuticles in place; this leads to strands of hair falling outh leads to strands of hair easily pulling out. Using cold air closes up these holes back up securing them once again to the scalp.

As much as a trip to the salon leaves you feeling pampered, there are parts of hair treatment that we should know and practice. Got any tips on blow drying hair? Don’t forget to share them.