Blowing drying your hair is often the only option if you want to wash and style it before work or some other event. Put simply, if you don’t blow dry you have to let it air dry. While air drying does offer a variety of benefits for your hair, it also takes a long time.
In short, you’re going to need to blow dry. The good news is that, if done properly, you won’t damage your hair.
Prepare Your Hair First
Before you can blow dry you need to wash your hair. It’s not always advisable to wash your hair daily as this can lead to a dry scalp, excess oil production, and other issues. But, you certainly need to wash it before you can blow dry or style it.
When washing your hair it’s important to do the job properly. That means choosing a shampoo and conditioner made with natural ingredients and designed for your type of hair. It will help to keep your hair healthy and ensure it is ready to be properly blow-dried.
Choose The Right Dryer
You can’t blow dry your hair without a hair dryer. But, not all hairdryers are created equal. That’s why it’s vital you locate a good hair dryer. You can try out your friend’s hairdryers and you’ll quickly realize that it’s worth spending a little more to get the best GHD hair dryers available today, you’ll appreciate the difference when using them.
The key feature that you need on your new hair dryer is temperature control. Your hair can dry just as well with a cool setting as it can on the hottest setting.
Of course, a cool setting means you’re less likely to cause heat damage to your hair. That’s why you need a hair dryer with temperature controls. Start at the lowest setting and work up to find the setting that suits your hair best. It’s probably cooler than you think.
Absorb Excess Moisture
You need to wash your hair and this means it will be wet. However, hair is weakest when wet and most likely to break. For this reason, you should never rub your hair with a towel.
Instead, dab your hair with a towel to remove excess water. It can help to wrap your hair with a microfibre towel as this will absorb excess moisture.
The less moisture the easier it is to dry it. Your hair only needs to be damp to aid styling.
Add Some Oil
One of the biggest issues when drying your hair is removing the protective oil from the hair and your scalp. To help avoid this add some natural oil to your roots and scalp. This offers protection from the heat and the oil will coat your hair as you style it.
That will allow your hair to stay healthy and look fantastic.
Separate Your Hair
The next step is to separate your hair into sections, it will help you to dry it without using excess heat. At this stage, you can also run moisturizer through your hair if you feel the need to.
It’s advisable, if you have the time, to let your hair air dry a little before putting treatments into it. Doing it this way allows the moisturizers and any creams you use to be absorbed into your hair instead of sliding down the strands and off your head. It will also reduce the time your hair spends under a hair dryer.
Add Your Protective Spray
Your hair should be approximately 25% dry before you apply your protective spray. Heat protection spray is essential to protect your hair from damage as you dry it. The spray coats the hair but still allows the dryer and straighteners to do their job.
Good protective sprays also add vitamin E and help to minimize frizz. It’s worth finding the right one for your hair.
Use Your Dryer
You’ll want to comb a small section of your hair as you pass the hair dryer over it. Keep the hair dryer moving to ensure an even heat distribution and to avoid overheating a specific section.
When you finished one section move on to the next until all of your hair has been dried and styled.
You can run a comb through again to increase volume or ensure the hair is styled correctly. Your hair isn’t just dry, it’s styled and you’ve avoided damaging it.
You should note there are different types of dryers available:
- Ceramic
Ceramic hairdryers are designed to emit heat, effectively evaporating the water from your hair. They are effective but they evaporate all moisture, making it essential that you have heat protection spray. These are effectively the same as older hairdryers but use a ceramic plate instead of a metal heating coil. It means they produce hot air faster.
- Ionic
In contrast, ionic hairdryers are a newer innovation. They produce negative ions which effectively seal the cuticles on your hair. This traps water in your hair while evaporating anything outside your hair. It results in fuller and shiner hair.
In short, it’s the better option and can actually dry your hair faster than a ceramic or traditional hairdryer.
Add The Style
Blow drying your hair isn’t just about getting it dry, it’s about ensuring it is styled correctly. You’ll need to choose the right attachment, depending on what results in you are after.
For example, using a diffuser will increase volume and help any curls or waves you have to stay bouncier. The diffuser spreads the heat, ensuring a more even drying experience.
In contrast, the standard nozzle will concentrate the heat, making it a better option if you have straight hair. This will help to keep your hair straight while drying and help you maintain the style for the whole day.
Don’t forget, when drying your hair always start at the root and move toward the tip. This will help to seal the moisture into your hair without damaging your scalp. Of course, the hair dryer should never be closer than 4-5 inches from your hair and always finish drying when you’ve set your style. It’s better to leave a slight dampness than over-dry your hair.