Did you know that on average, Americans suffer from 96 bad hair days annually? Your hair is an integral part of who you are and how you look. So it’s simply unacceptable that we spend 25% of our year feeling terrible due to our untamed locks!
One way to get your hair under control is to regulate how you dry it. You might’ve heard that drying it with a blowdryer can cause heat damage, but is drying hair naturally any better?
In this article, we’ll discuss the pros and cons you’ll get when you dry hair naturally. That way, you can make a better decision for the health of your lovely locks.
Pro: You Save Time
If you’re one of the lucky ones, your hair naturally falls into place after it air dries.
In that case, it can save you some time if you opt to dry your hair naturally. All you have to do is get out of the shower, towel off, put on your clothes, and go on your way. You won’t have to be like others who have to spend tedious minutes blowdrying and then styling their hair, often with various products.
So if you find yourself always short on time, air-drying your hair can be a fantastic option to shave some minutes off your daily routine.
Pro: There’s No Heat Damage
When you opt for air-drying instead of blowdrying, the main thing you eliminate is heat damage. The proper way to blowdry your hair is to start at the roots and work your way down. But no matter how careful you are with blowdrying, you’ll still end up with some degree of heat damage.
When you air-dry your hair, all that’s touching your locks is the air around you. Chances are, you’re not spending your time in an oven, so there should be no heat damage involved.
Of course, that’s only if you don’t use things like curlers or straighteners on your hair after you shower. The best thing you can do is to let it air-dry and then if needed, add some protective hair products before you leave the house.
Con: Toweling Can Actually Be Damaging
For many people, they towel off their hair after showering to accelerate the drying process. But the way you do so might actually be damaging!
For instance, you might rub your towel across your head. But in fact, this can cause your hair to break off more easily. This is because your hair can absorb up to 30% of its own weight when it’s wet!
So what you need to do instead is use a scrunching motion instead of a rubbing one. This allows you to get excess water out of your hair, without dragging those fragile strands around.
Con: Even Air-Drying Can Be Damaging
Remember how hair can absorb up to 30% of its own weight? When this happens, it puts unnecessary stress on each strand of hair. Basically, the longer your hair stays wet, the more damage you’re risking.
If you’re going outside soon after your shower and are doing some type of physical activity, this can help speed up drying, which can then take some unnecessary stress off. But if you’re just sitting around for hours letting your hair dry naturally, you’re doing more harm than good.
So if you’re hanging around the house for a little bit, consider using a microfiber hair towel. This special type of towel can keep hair out of your face while you get ready. Plus, it can accelerate drying without damaging your hair at all.
Con: Your Hair Can Get Frizzy
If you have straight hair, then you won’t have to worry about this con much. However, if you have curly or frizzy hair, then drying it naturally can be an issue.
When you air-dry curly or frizzy hair, you’re left at the mercy of the environment. More specifically, the humidity will greatly affect how your locks look after they’re dried off. If you like having hairstyles on a whim, then you can always throw caution to the wind and have untamed hair.
However, if you’re after a certain look, air-drying might not do it for you. Blowdrying hair gives you more control, especially if you use products along with this hair drying method.
Pro: Combined With Blowdrying, It’ll Stay Strong and Healthy
The secret to air-drying and blowdrying your hair is to combine both of these methods. By doing it correctly, you’ll speed up drying, but without the heat damage.
What you want to do is to first scrunch-dry your hair with a towel. Then, apply a heat protectant spray to your hair.
Put your blowdryer on its lowest settings, hold it at least 6 inches away from your hair, and keep it moving as you dry your hair. Whenever a section feels like it’s heating up, move to another one.
As your hair gets dryer, turn the settings up more and more. End by styling your hair with the highest temperature setting.
Do You Want to Dry Hair Naturally? Then Do It Right
As you can see, there are many pros and cons for people who want to dry hair naturally. You might be surprised to learn that some methods of drying hair naturally might be damaging for your locks.
So do yourself a favor. If you want your hair to be the best it can be, then dry it naturally, but with a blowdryer! Not only that, but do it in the right way so you don’t end up with dry and brittle strands.
In the end, if you’re careful and conscious about the way you dry your hair, you’ll have some beautiful tresses to show for it!
If you enjoyed this post on how to dry hair, then get more beauty tips by taking a look at the rest of our blog site now.
