Blow Dry Hair

Air drying may be healthy and natural, but blow drying, when done carefully and with the right techniques, has the ability to not only keep your locks dry, but also to improve their structure and style, without excess damage. If you're sick of wet patches on the back of your shirt and frantically rubbing your wet "do" with a towel, then ditch your old routine and improve your blow drying techniques today.

Steps

  1. Wash your hair. Use your regular shampoo, but for better blow drying effects and |protection, try washing with a moisturizing shampoo (dry hair formula, as it's often called). This type of shampoo will provide extra moisture that will protect your hair from the effects of the blow dryer. It will also protect it from any other heat caused by straightening or curling, and generally add more moisture to your locks. You don't have to buy a super expensive brand - moisturising shampoos are available just about anywhere for all kinds of prices, so look around and secure the best deal for you.
  2. Towel off your hair slightly, just enough to stop the dripping. Don't rub your hair with the towel, as the friction can cause split ends and frizzy dryness. Instead, gently wrap the towel around your hair and squeeze, like blotting the water out of your hair. If you have hair that's too short a length for that technique, wrap the towel around your head and rub very very gently using strong, circular motions. Don't rub too fast or hard, and if you can feel pain or hair breaking, then use your common sense and stop. Your hair doesn't have to be very dry at all after toweling; it just shouldn't be excessively soaked and dripping everywhere.
  3. Separate your hair into sections. The bigger the section, the longer it will take to dry. It's best to go for four to six sections, but make sure that nothing is tangled. If you have thick or longer hair, try using clips to help. If your hair's a bit too short, you may want to just part it into two sections.
  4. Start blow drying at the top/roots, about six inches (15cm) away from your scalp. Maintain this distance throughout, so nothing burns. Never blow dry in an upwards motion, as this causes more damage. Plus, by drying the hair on your scalp, it prevents the moisture from soaking the rest of your hair.
  5. Work your way down the hair sections. Remember to move the blow dryer around, again, to avoid focusing too much heat on one area. If you simply focus the dryer on one spot for too long it will dry out and may even burn the hair, rather than drying it gently.
  6. Leave your hair a little bit damp. Don't dry the hair until your whole head of hair is completely dry; Keep Moisture in Your Hair, so that your hair won't dry out, and become frizzy or damaged. Leave it tolerably damp, not so it soaks your clothes, but so it will dry naturally in about 5 to 10 minutes.
  7. Finish with a blast of cold air. This will help to to lock in Get Your Hair to Shine Using a Conditioner and Mousse Spray. Brush through your hair gently, or de-tangle it with your fingers. If needed, apply a moisturizing or anti-frizz serum and brush it through evenly. You can even use a tiny bit of olive oil for a more "natural" option. These will work to keep your locks shiny and smooth, and now, dry, all day long!



Tips

  • Never blow dry your hair when it is dripping wet, otherwise, you'll just be boiling your hair. Towel off first.
  • Never put the hair dryer too close to ends.
  • Use the cold setting to protect your hair better.
  • Use a round brush with a metal center. The metal in the center heats up as you're drying your hair and it will shape your hair better. Also, since it is round it is easier to handle your hair.
  • Leave your hair for five minutes then use a towel to dry and once you have done that, blow dry your hair.
  • Before hair drying use a heat protector.
  • If your hair is very short, you might get off with just a towel dry, or a two minute blow dry.
  • To prevent split ends and frizz keep your hair dryer at least {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} away when drying and regularly move it around your head. Make sure to keep it on the coldest setting!
  • To get more volume when blow drying your hair, blow dry upside down.
  • Don't brush dripping wet hair - generally your fingers should work for any de-tangling.
  • If you can, try not to blow dry more than three times a week. When you can afford to let your hair air dry, do so. If it's on the weekend when you've got free time, or when you don't have to be anywhere, simply comb through your wet hair gently and let it dry by itself.
  • Don't frazzle your locks. You may be late for a meeting, but you don't want to walk in with a haystack for hair.
  • Always blow dry in a downwards motion and in one direction. This will help prevent frizz and those split ends.
  • Keep brushes and combs clean.
  • Trim your hair every six to eight weeks to ward off split ends.

Warnings

  • Blow drying can cause headaches if you use the blow dryers for ages. You shouldn't use them for more than an hour-and-a-half at a time.
  • Avoid using near bathtubs - it can be deadly.
  • Never blow dry your hair when it is dripping wet.
  • Don't use thin elastics to tie up wet or damp hair, or any kind of hair in general, as these can break your hair. Try thicker bands, slides or scrunches.
  • Blow dryers are for hair, and nothing else. Don't use it to dry your body. You'll just come out with unsightly (and uncomfortable) red blotches. Maybe even burns.
  • If your scalp begins to burn, stop immediately!
  • Try to avoid blow drying freshly-colored hair. It's already dry enough.
  • Don't use a comb. Use a 'soft bristle hairbrush'.

Things You'll Need

  • Blow dryer.
  • Towels.
  • Moisturizing shampoo.
  • Moisturizing hair spray/conditioner (optional).
  • Ventilated hair brush.

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