Minimize Blow Dryer Damage
To Your Hair |
| Carrie Thayer |
| Revised Date: 10/05/07 - Original Publication
Date: 09/29/07 |
Introduction
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2007 Teen Choice Award
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08-26-07 |
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Step away from that blow dryer. Yes, it's true,
you must go cold turkey from daily hot air styling to minimize
ongoing damage and distress to your tresses.Depending on which
hair expert you talk to you may be advised to discontinue
blow drying your hair on a regular basis to
minimize ongoing damage.
Hair most likely to suffer from daily blow drying includes
tresses that have been chemically treated with bleach, hair color or
chemical texturizers such as perms or relaxers.
If you just don't have the heart to tuck your trusty blow dryer
into the bottom drawer in your bathroom but still want to minimize
damage, there are a few secret tricks you can try.
Consider the following hair saving drying tips:
1. Avoid using drying shampoo products when you clean your
hair. Always utilize
moisturizing shampoo options to add back moisture to stress strands.
If your hair is chemically treated with bleach, color, perms or
relaxers, consider using products designed to add back moisture.
For extra TLC, consider washing your hair less often or 1-2x a week instead of
every day. Another option is to use a diluted shampoo (DS) formula.
Consider mixing 1 teaspoon of shampoo in one quart of warm water and
gently splashing suds over strands rather than rubbing or scrubbin.
Another
option is to skip drying shampoo and wash with conditioner only
(C.O.).
2. Prep hair for after-shampoo blow dryer time by utilizing hot oil
pre-wash treatments, rinse out conditioners, leave-in conditioners and
detanglers.
3. Consider a clear water finishing rinse that is cool/cold to close
cuticles and help protect cuticle from environmental factors.
4. Utilize thermal protection products or utilize cream
based leave-in conditioners which block excessive heat penetration
into the hair shaft from the blow dryer.
5. Skip styling products that encourage dryness and thus
encourage additional damage. Avoid products with a high
concentration of alcohol which is
naturally drying. Avoid heavy gels or styling products with a
high level of silicone that might cause damage due to build-up.
6. Blow dry on lowest heat settings at slowest speeds.
This minimizes potential for hair to sustain heat damage.
7. Reduce potential hair damage
by positioning the blow dryer at least six to ten inches from your tresses.
Avoid holding nozzle of the dryer on the same spot longer than a few
seconds. Gentle move the dryer back and forth to evenly distribute
heat.
8. Minimize blow dryer time by
first blotting excess moisture with absorbent towel and either
wrapping hair into a "wet bun" or "plopping" hair into a towel to
enhance natural curls and waves. Once hair has air-dried 75%
of the way, finish with your blow dry.
9. Only blow dry for special hair
events. This guarantees precious strands will sustain minimal
blow dryer related damage. When possible avoid blow drying to
save strands.
10. Consider drying hair by sitting under a
hood dryer or soft bonnet dryer. These types of dryers distribute
heat more evenly minimizing hair drying damage.
11. Invest in the best blow dryer
you can afford that offers multiple features such as a variety of
hot and cold settings, speeds and attachments, such as diffusers
which provide a more gentle drying option.
12. Minimize use of hot air
concentrator which will concentrate and direct hot air directly
towards the tresses.
13. Investigate ionic and/or
ceramic dryers designed to minimize heat drying side effects.
14. When possible, give tresses a
break by letting hair completely air dry on weekends or in warm
weather.
15. Avoid using any type of brush
when blow drying. This adds stress since hair is more prone to
breakage when used on wet strands.
16. Ditch any metal hair brushes
that act as conduit for hot air and can potentially burn damaged
strands.
17. Prevent blow drying related
frizz by utilizing a defrisant product.
18. If volume is desired, utilize
soft hair rollers applied to damp strands before sitting under a
hood style dryer.
Summary
Hair dryers are tempting hair tools. Not only
do they offer a speedy way to remove moisture from the
hair, they can be used to help set in texture.
However, hair dryers can be very dangerous when used on
hair that is damaged from a variety of factors ranging
from chemical treatments to environmental factors.
Consider following the tips above to achieve dried hair with
minimal impact. |