One of the best & easy ways to dry your hair after washing, rather than waiting hours, is to leave it alone until it's about 75% dry. Once you've let nature run its course and your hair is slightly damp, grab your hair dryer and blow-dry your hair the remainder of the way.
The bottom line. 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.
It's a well-known fact that after a wash you should let your hair dry naturally, but unless you detangle it first, your hair might become frizzy and messy when it dries.
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.
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.
Material: According to hair stylist Patricia Morales, you want your hair towel to be made from microfiber, satin, or soft cotton. “Microfiber towels, by design, reduce the amount of friction your hair is subjected to when towel drying,” she explains, and are the best at wicking away moisture.
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.
“Braiding your hair when damp or tying your hair in bun and letting it air dry, will give your hair texture and soft natural waves,” recommends Oberoi. “Braiding holds the hair taut, which helps it dry smoother and minimises frizz.
“Air drying versus blow-drying is much better for all hair types.” Less damage is a key reason for that. "Every time you use heat on your hair, it expands the cuticle, which agitates the outer layer of hair," Odisho says.
There's no denying that towels can be harsh on your skin. This can lead to unwanted redness and can especially irritate those with sensitive skin. Air-drying your face allows you to ditch the rough, irritating towel and give your skin a much-needed breather with no rubbing required.
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.
Whether you use a tool or nature to dry your hair is really a matter of personal preference and how you plan to style it. If you want to just go with the safest choice, heat-free is always going to be the healthiest way to dry natural hair and prevent damage—but blow-drying natural hair certainly has its benefits also.
Many people believe that sleeping with wet hair can increase the risk of developing a cold. However, there is no scientific evidence that wet hair directly causes any type of illness, including the common cold.
When to wash. 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.
When you blow dry your hair every day post hair wash, the heat robs your hair of moisture making your hair dry and brittle. Plus, you should know that wet hair is already sensitive and has higher chances of breakage. So make sure you steer clear of blow drying, especially after a hair wash.
In comparison to other fabrics, microfiber towels are gentler on the hair and reduce frizz. “It actually absorbs more water without causing excessive dryness,” says Klein. “It doesn't tangle or snag the hair, which overall causes less breakage.” Klein further explains that when the hair is wet, it's in a fragile state.
"If your hair takes a long time to dry, it typically means it's highly porous," she explains. "For example, if it takes a day to dry or it takes a longer time than average to blow dry your hair, then you know you have high porosity hair."