“The longer your hair stays wet, the more the cortex of your hair will swell and break, resulting in brittle ends and lots of flyaways.” A 2011 study supports that assertion. It found that, though hair dried with increasing levels of heat showed surface damage, hair that was air-dried showed more damage to its cortex.
When used timely and moderately, blow drying is better for scalp and hair. Air drying (like over washing) over an extended period can cause scalp to compensate, over produce oil leaving hair more oily, and causing you to fight the imbalance with more and more shampoo for oily scalp and hair.
So while direct, excessive heat can cause damage to the surface part of the hair strands, air-drying can cause trauma to that inner layer. When the cell membrane complex layer swells, it can weaken the hair over time, explains Dr. Longsworth. It can also cause something called hygral fatigue.
First, let your hair dry naturally, about 70-80% of the way dry. Then, with your dryer on the coolest setting (don't touch that hot setting!), blow your hair dry, keeping the dryer about 6-inches away from hair at all times and moving it around continuously. Voilà: gorgeous, healthy hair, without the heat.
Towel-drying your hair is important to help remove water, so hair can dry faster. Yet, the wrong technique can result in extra frizz, tangles, and poufiness. The right ways to air dry hair include gentle drying techniques. It's best to use your towel to squeeze water out from your hair.
Air-drying your hair can be a great way to give your locks a much-needed break from heat-styling. However, if your hair is on the thicker and coarser side, it may be best to start with a protective product and use a blow-dryer to keep your hair from absorbing too much moisture and causing breakage.
Hair is most vulnerable to damage when it is wet.
The results documented in the published paper referenced above show that letting hair dry naturally causes the cortex (the thickest layer of hair) to swell and become weaker, as the swelling puts pressure on the delicate proteins that hold hair together.
It turns out letting your hair air dry after you've washed it is causing more damage than you think. According to Dr Tim Moore (the Australian Vice President of Smart Devices) leaving your hair wet for extended periods of time is putting excessive pressure on your strands resulting in split ends.
You can let your hair air dry after a shower rather than spending ages with the hairdryer, likely damaging your hair. When your locks are soaking wet, blow-drying can actually trap water inside the hair strands, where the water boils.
Once you finish washing your hair, gently squeeze out excess water, starting from the scalp and moving towards the ends. Your hair will still be damp, but it shouldn't be dripping wet. Next, gather a section of your hair and gently blot it with a towel. The trick is never to rub your hair, instead gently squeeze it.
You want to gradually dry your hair instead of sucking out every bit of moisture. Always keep your hairdryer six inches away from your scalp and keep moving it around for the best results. Or you could add a diffuser attachment to your hairdryer as it spreads out the heat and creates an even air stream.
Though sleeping with wet hair won't give you a cold, Dr. Shah says that it does increase your risk of developing a fungal infection of the scalp. Fungi, such as Malassezia, can lead to conditions like dandruff or dermatitis, according to Shah, who recommends going to sleep with dry hair when possible.
Wet hair when sleeping also can cause damage to follicles and result in hair breakage. Skin conditions: Hair follicles under the skin clogged up with sebum or oil can result in acne. As wet hair harbors bacteria, this can also impact the growth of bacteria in the pores.
Unfortunately, ANY amount of heat is damaging to hair, so using a blow dryer (or flat iron, or curling wand) every day is a bad idea. Daily heat exposure can ruin hair by stripping the hair's natural oils, drying out the cuticle and causing breakage and frizz.
Hair can absorb up to 30 per cent of its own weight in water. The longer it stays wet, the worse things get, as it continues to swell. This is because repeated swelling followed by slow drying of hair causes it to crack, permanently damaging the hair.
It's a mixture of two things – humid or hot weather, and how moisturised your hair is to start with. The main cause of frizz is a lack of moisture in your hair. This causes your hair to seek out and absorb moisture from the air, causing frizz - which also explains why humidity can make frizz even worse.
Here are a few of the most common culprits of frizzy hair: Dryness and dehydration causing your hair to absorb excess moisture. Curly and wavy hair is more prone to dryness, which means it's more prone to frizz. When your hair is dry, frizz can happen when it absorbs moisture from the environment.
Rossi generally tells his patients they should wash their hair once or twice per week. But if you've had chemical treatments that can make your hair drier — such as bleach, perms or relaxers — you might want to wash it less than once weekly to avoid breaking or brittle hair or split ends, he said.
“Get as much moisture out as you can with a towel, and let your hair air-dry for a 10 to 15 minutes after you towel-dry,” advises Becca Sible, educator for amika. Brush up on the other common hair myths you should stop believing.
Well, washing your hair in the evening means getting into bed and lying down to sleep on your freshly washed hair. Some experts state that it is better for your hair if you wash it in the morning as going to bed whilst it is still wet or damp will only cause damage.
The one downside to wearing socks while you sleep is overheating. If you do overheat or feel too hot, kick off your socks or leave your feet outside your blanket.
7) Tying wet hair: Most of us do not realise it but the major cause of hair damage begins when you tie your wet/ semi-dry hair. Doing so can lead to major hair problems like hair loss, hair thinning and in extreme cases, baldness. In addition, it can lead to dandruff problems, lice and scalp infections.