Does air-drying your hair really do that much damage? After all, less heat means less damage, right?
With the unbearable heat of this summer and the humidity that seems to stick to our skin, the mere idea of turning on the hair dryer feels more like a form of torture than anything else. So, all things considered, letting our hair air dry seems almost like a relief, as well as appearing to be the healthier choice for our locks. After all, less heat means less damage, right? Actually, it’s not always that simple. While improper use of a hair dryer can weaken the hair fiber, leaving hair wet for too long may not be the harmless habit we have always believed it to be. Here’s why.
Is air drying your hair really that bad?
The truth is that wet hair is more fragile
@ch33ryf4iry i can't keep up
Some studies reported by Healthline compared different drying methods, reaching a rather counterintuitive conclusion: while excessive heat can damage the hair’s surface, letting your hair dry completely naturally is not necessarily the innocent choice we have always thought it was. The reason is quite simple: when hair gets wet, it absorbs water and its internal structure swells. This swelling puts stress on the hair fiber, making the hair more vulnerable and fragile compared to when it is dry. The longer hair remains completely wet, the longer it stays in this delicate state, increasing the risk of breakage and split ends.
The best method? A balanced mix
@abbeyyung Why I never 100% air dry my hair as someone with fine, fragile hair & the step by step drying process I follow instead to reduce heat and mechanical damage and breakage as much as possible! #healthyhair #hairroutine #damagedhair #haircareroutine original sound - Abbey Yung
Apparently, then, the solution is not choosing between team hair dryer or team air drying. According to the experts cited by Healthline, the most balanced approach would be to let your hair naturally lose some of its excess water and then finish drying it with a hair dryer, avoiding both keeping it damp for hours and exposing it to overly aggressive heat. So, the perfect routine is: after washing, gently blot your hair with a microfiber towel or a cotton T-shirt, without rubbing (wet hair is already fragile enough, there’s no need to add extra stress). Once the excess water has been removed, you can let your hair air dry for around half an hour and then use the hair dryer on the lowest possible heat setting, keeping it at an appropriate distance from your hair. This way, you reduce both the amount of time the hair fiber spends in its most fragile state and the stress caused by heat.
