“Isn’t blow-drying your hair harmful?” 5 myths that prevent you from growing long hair! (5 photos)

Read in this article:

1. Why does hair lose strength?
2. The benefits and harms of using a hair dryer
3. What are the dangers of naturally drying hair?
4. How to properly dry your hair with a hairdryer?
5. The most common mistakes when using a hair dryer
6. Useful features of a hair dryer
7. Convenient drying and healthy hair

A hair dryer has many advantages: it allows you to quickly tidy up your hair after washing and style it. But there is an opinion that such a procedure has a negative effect on curls, making them brittle and dry. Let's try to figure out whether it is possible to maintain the beauty of your hair by regularly using a hair dryer.

Why does hair lose strength?

Every girl dreams of healthy hair and a beautiful hairstyle. Many people are afraid to dry their hair with a hairdryer so as not to harm it. In fact, dryness, brittleness and other unpleasant symptoms can occur for completely different reasons that have nothing to do with drying:

• Against the background of many chronic diseases;
• Due to special climatic conditions;
• In case of insufficient intake of vitamins and nutrients into the body;
• Due to the incorrect selection of cosmetics.

It is quite possible that the real cause of hair loss is a scalp disease, and not a hair dryer at all. The same applies to other manifestations that are considered to be consequences of exposure to a jet of heated air.

The benefits and harms of using a hair dryer

Drying your hair with a hairdryer provides many benefits, primarily saving time. If you have no more than half an hour to wash your hair and style it, you can’t do without such a device. Thanks to the hairdryer, you don’t have to go outside with undried hair, for example, after swimming in the pool or visiting a water park. In cold weather, this makes it possible to prevent colds.

In addition, the hair dryer:

• Helps create various styles using special attachments;
• Eliminates hair tangles;
• Equipped with an air cooling function;
• Gives volume to hair;
• Removes static charge using ionization, making hair more manageable and silky.

Many hair dryers have overheat protection. There are folding models, indispensable for travel, and options for different types of electrical networks.

Pros and cons of thermal and natural drying

The main advantage of thermal drying is the speed of the procedure. In certain situations, you cannot do without a life-saving device - you will simply catch a cold if you go outside in the cold season with a wet head after the pool. It is worth noting other advantages of using a hair dryer:

• you can easily create different styles;
• hair dried in this way is not as tangled as when dried naturally (especially if you go to bed with a wet head, in the morning you can find a real “nest” instead of a hairstyle);
• The hair dryer can have an ionization function, it reduces the static charge, making the strands more silky and manageable.

IMPORTANT! If certain recommendations are not followed, thermal drying can lead to brittle and dry hair and the appearance of split ends.

It is believed that during natural drying, the hair has time to absorb the required amount of moisture and becomes more vibrant, and the root structure becomes stronger. But this process has significant disadvantages:

• long duration - in the modern rhythm of life it is extremely inconvenient to wait until the hair dries naturally;
• With the help of a brush and a hairdryer, many people create beautiful hairstyles and add root volume, but here this opportunity is missing;
• It is forbidden to comb wet hair, as it breaks off more easily;
• the strands get very tangled, especially if you take a bath before bed;
• going outside or being in a draft with an under-dried head can lead to a cold.

ATTENTION! It is contraindicated to dry wet curls in direct sunlight, as they are highly susceptible to ultraviolet radiation. For protection, you should wear a hat.

When drying naturally, it is worth knowing some nuances. Experts advise first wrapping your head in a warm towel for a while to get rid of excess water. Due to the length of the process, it is most convenient to leave it until the evening. However, in this case, there is a risk of finding an unsightly hairstyle on your head in the morning, after which you will still have to use a hairdryer.

Thus, natural and thermal drying have different advantages and disadvantages, and in modern living conditions it is quite difficult to completely abandon the hair dryer.

What are the dangers of naturally drying hair?

However, naturally drying your hair can also be harmful. The fact is that each hair is covered with scales that swell and open when exposed to water. This leads to an increase in hair volume and at the same time makes it more brittle and deprives it of protection from external influences.

The longer the hair remains wet, the more its scales stretch. The result is cracking of the protective layer. It is especially dangerous to go to bed immediately after washing your hair. Due to involuntary movements and friction of the head against the pillow, the hairs become thinner, lose their vitality and become deplorable.

Natural drying has other negative nuances:

• With the modern pace of life, it is not always possible to wait until your hair is completely dry. As a result, all the negative factors described above are affected;
• When combing wet hair, its fragility increases significantly;
• By skillfully using a brush and a hair dryer, you can create a beautiful voluminous styling, but with natural drying this is not possible;
• Hair dried in this way becomes very tangled.

Undried hair will suffer much more from direct sunlight than hair that has been blow-dried.

Is a hair dryer harmful to hair?

Opponents of the device claim that its use is harmful; it is much healthier to dry your strands naturally. At the same time, few of the girls did not smile at their reflection in the mirror after professional styling, done with a hair dryer, but by the hands of a master. Experts note that you should not blame the device for all troubles. Many reasons spoil the condition of the strands, these include:

• chronic diseases;
• climatic conditions;
• use of inappropriate cosmetics;
• lack of vitamins.

So how harmful is a hair dryer, which almost every girl has in her arsenal, really? In thermal drying, a number of negative factors can indeed be identified:

1. Severe overheating. Regular exposure to high temperatures over time can weaken curls, deteriorate their color and reduce volume.
2. High air flow rate. By hitting the air stream forcefully, the hair dryer can cause hair to split, resulting in severe split ends.

REFERENCE! Many modern models have the ability to adjust the temperature and air flow rate.

A hairdryer can still worsen the condition of your hair, but you shouldn’t throw it in the trash. If you choose a high-quality device and use it correctly, following all the recommendations, you will minimize possible negative consequences. In addition, the popular natural drying also has its own nuances that need to be known and taken into account.

How to properly dry your hair with a hairdryer?

It turns out that using such devices is even more useful than waiting for your hair to dry on its own. However, this is only true if you know how to properly blow-dry your hair and follow a few simple rules:

• Immediately after washing, the curls should be wrapped in a warm towel for about 15 minutes to remove excess moisture, but do not wring out the curls by twisting the towel;
• When drying, it is better to choose medium or low temperature, since overheating is dangerous for the hair. It is easy to check the temperature indicator - the degree of heating should be comfortable for the back of the hand;
• The hairdryer should be applied from roots to ends, without lingering long on one strand;
• The device should be kept at a distance of about 40 cm from the hair;
• It is advisable to leave the curls slightly damp, since prolonged exposure to heated air can cause dry hair.

Curls need to be protected from negative influences. Numerous hair care products with thermal protection have been created specifically for this purpose. It is very convenient to use styling products with this property so as not to overload your hair with several different products. In addition, you need to avoid tightly tightening hairpins and elastic bands, especially for wet hair. You cannot constantly collect your curls in braids or a ponytail; from time to time, your hair should rest loose.

How to reduce the dangers of hair dryers and other high-temperature hair devices?

First, we will give basic recommendations that must be followed when using any high-temperature hairdressing tools in order to create less danger to the hair. These rules will work regardless of whether you use good tools or not. But if, of course, you supplement them with safe tools, then you can minimize the danger and not lose the health of your hair. We will return to the correct choice of tools below.

Moderation increases the safety of hair dryers and curling irons

There are many means to undermine the health of certain parts of the body. However, despite this, the body and its parts are not fragile systems at all. During his life, a person endures so many different influences that even strong steel could not endure - it would break, wear out or rust. The person is okay - he is being restored.

But any recovery does not happen instantly. The body needs time to repair damage and recover. If the damage rate is less than the recovery rate, then there will be no problems.

The rate of hair damage from hair dryers and curling irons can be reduced. Of course, we do not urge you to completely abandon the use of high-temperature hairdressing tools - firstly, this is obviously impossible, because you still live in the modern world, and secondly, this is simply not necessary; a sufficient level of safety can be achieved without giving up them.

However, every time you use a hair dryer or curling iron, ask yourself the question - is it possible to do without it right now?

That's how it is here. Many women, for example, automatically blow dry their hair after every wash. Of course, if you need to go outside immediately after washing, no questions asked, dry it. But this doesn’t happen every time. And it’s quite possible that your hair would have had time to dry just fine without blow-drying. Pay attention to this. And if you can avoid blow-drying your hair in a particular situation, don’t dry it. They will thank you.

Blow dry your hair on low heat

A common and dangerous mistake when using hair dryers is the automatic use of high air temperature when drying. This habit is based on a misunderstanding of the hair drying process. People think that it is the high temperature that allows them to dry their hair quickly. But this is a mistake.

In fact, the main role in quickly drying hair when using a hair dryer is not the temperature of the air flow, but its power. Think about it - a hair dryer does not evaporate moisture from the hair mass. Its temperature is not sufficient for rapid evaporation. The hair dryer blows out moisture particles from the spaces between the hair. And the faster and more powerful the air flow, the faster this process will go.

And its effectiveness changes very little with increasing temperature.

But hot air is much more dangerous for hair. Thus, by changing this habit and getting used to drying your hair with warm air rather than hot air, you do not lose anything, but gain a lot.

You may ask, “why do manufacturers add the ability to use hot air in hair dryers?” The answer is that hot air is really needed for hair styling; you can’t do without it. Okay - we will use it when necessary. Some damage to the hair will still remain, but this damage will be significantly less than if we continued to use hot air, even when it is not necessary.

Use heat-protective cosmetics

It is important to remember - no matter how rarely you use hair dryers, how gentle the temperature regime during these uses, and how gentle and safe your hair dryer is - to better protect your hair from the dangers associated with high temperatures, you need to use special heat-protective cosmetics.

Gels, mousses and foams designed to be applied to wet hair before drying or styling work well if you choose high-quality options and if you carefully follow the instructions for their use. Don't neglect this.

Someone will say, “Well, why pay more for special products, if I can dry my hair with a hairdryer and so on?” What can I say? Well, firstly, you can always choose products for yourself that are not too heavy on your wallet. And secondly, if you ignore this and destroy the health of your hair, then on fruitless attempts to restore its former beauty, which will begin later, you will most likely spend much more money than you would have spent on simple heat-protective cosmetics in advance, that is during. But at the same time, heat-protective cosmetics would help - but all these “remedies of last resort” often either simply do not help or cause “addition”, that is, in order to maintain their effect, you will have to repeat them over and over again.

Someone will say, “so what, damaged hair can just be cut off.” Yes, you can, of course. If your situation allows it and if you don’t get bored later. But then you can cut them off right away and not worry about it.

The most common mistakes when using a hair dryer

One of the most common mistakes when drying hair is the direction of hair flow from ends to roots. The hair dryer should move in the opposite direction so that the scales do not lift and the moisture remains inside the hair. For the same reason, drying your hair with your head tilted has a negative effect on your curls, although it temporarily gives them additional volume. In addition, after such exposure, the strands become tangled and difficult to comb, which means they are even more damaged by the brush.

Do not keep the towel on your head for too long after washing. Due to fabric friction, hair weakens. Another important nuance is how to properly dry your hair using a diffuser. This device should not be put on the hair dryer right away. First you need to style your hair with a regular nozzle at low speed, and only then switch to a diffuser. By the way, the safest hair dryer attachments are plastic and ceramic, but heated metal can damage your hair. For thin hair, it is better not to use the maximum air speed.

It is better not to dry all the curls at once, but to do it one by one, dividing the hair into about 4 zones. To obtain volume, warm air must be directed onto the strands raised by a comb. It is better to start with the curls located in front.

Useful features of a hair dryer

All modern hair dryer models have a cold air function. This is a very useful option for several reasons. Firstly, it helps protect curls from moisture loss and drying out. Secondly, cold air perfectly fixes the styling, makes it light and smooth, and ensures that it retains its shape for a long time. Thirdly, this option is indispensable for hair extensions, since it does not destroy the adhesive composition.

Another useful function of a hair dryer is ionization. Hair accumulates static tension, so its scales rise and the protection weakens. To neutralize the charge, an ion generator built into the hair dryer is used. It produces particles with a negative charge that help smooth out the scales and give the curls a healthy shine.

Static electricity attracts dust and dirt, so strands get dirty faster, especially under a hat. Ionization makes it possible to avoid this effect and keep your hair clean and attractive for longer.

An excellent solution would be the Beurer HC 30 hairdryer, equipped with the Cool Shot function for instant styling. It is made of high quality chrome, which ensures durability and stable operation. Its increased durability is also guaranteed by automatic overheating protection.