Has it ever occurred to you that how you dry your hair could actually be the reason you’re noticing more breakage and hair loss? Many of us have been drying our hair with towels since we were kids.
Most salons will blow-dry their clients. Blow drying, when done by a trained stylist, is excellent. Many of us don’t realize how damaging heat styling can be to our strands if not done properly. It may even be the reason why you’re experiencing any breakage, thinning, or patches of hair loss.
Today we’re going to cover why if you’re still towel drying or blow-drying, you may want to consider tweaking your drying routine. We’ll also suggest tips you can use to reverse the damage and set the stage for healthier damage-free hair. Focusing on how to take care of your hair does not need to be an exhaustive process. Learn more below!
Towel Drying
It doesn’t matter how coarse your hair type may feel; all of our hair types are actually quite fragile. When you dry your hair with a towel, the circular rubbing motion we naturally do is pretty rough on our strands. It doesn’t help that our hair tends to be more vulnerable to breakage when wet. Rubbing causes already fragile strands to snap and break.
Wet hair actually responds quite well to microfiber cloths. They are incredibly absorbent and much gentler on the hair. Bath towels also tend to generate static electricity, which promotes unnecessary frizz. If you don’t have a microfiber towel, no problem! An old t-shirt can be just as effective as a microfiber towel at gently drying your hair.
If you insist on using a towel but still want to protect your hair from breaking, here is what you can do. Consider changing your technique. Instead of using a rubbing motion, use a towel to squeeze, scrunch, or blot excess water out of your hair.
Excessive Heat Styling
Drying your hair with a blow dryer can be incredibly convenient and effective, especially when you’re running short on time! But it’s time to talk about heat damage. Using styling tools like flat irons, curling irons, and hair dryers can suck the moisture straight out of the hair. If you’re not careful, you could literally burn the cuticle, or outer layer, of your hair in an effort to save some time.
The easiest way to avoid heat damage is to avoid styling tools altogether. That would mean transitioning from blow-drying to air drying, which works great in the warmer months. However, we know for many adults, that banning heat altogether just isn’t practical. In that case, incorporate heat with moderation. In other words, minimize the number of days in the week you use heat on your hair.
Typically, most heat styling tools have a tiered system that delivers either low, medium, or high temperatures. Under no circumstances should you ever have to use the “high setting.” It will most likely be too hot to the touch, which means it will singe your strands. Look for heat stylers that are made out of special materials like ceramic, that way, the tools will heat your hair more evenly and you won’t have to work on the same section of hair over and over again. Before applying heat, coat your strands in a high-quality heat-protectant spray. Your hair will thank you!
Are you Guilty of Any of these Damaging Drying Habits?
Fortunately, it’s quite common to get into the habit of towel drying and heat styling. Luckily, we’ve provided you with a few quick fixes like air drying or using a low heat setting to lessen the risk of damaging your hair.
By incorporating these tips into your daily hair care routine, the health of your hair can benefit immensely. Try some of these and let us know what you think! Your hair can be thriving in no time.