How to Dry Natural Hair [Secrets Nobody Will Tell You]
Selecting the right products for your natural hair to prevent hair damage for your natural hair is only winning half the battle. How you handle your hair through every step is crucial in preventing damaging your natural hair. This article presents you the tips and tricks on how to dry your natural hair.
Is it better to let your hair dry naturally?
This may seem to be a case for air drying, but consider this: Although using a hairdryer at the wrong distance and temperature can cause more damage than not using one, the study found that using a hairdryer at the right distance and temperature can actually cause less damage than letting hair air dry. Allow your hair to air dry for around 70-80 percent of the time.
When you air-dry your hair, a lot of things happen that you aren’t aware of
When you get out of the shower, you’re inclined to jump right into your most comfortable hair routine, without considering what’s best for your hair’s long-term health. Fortunately, air-drying hair is neither better nor worse than styling it with heat. All you have to do now is make sure you’re aware of the advantages and disadvantages.
For individuals who prefer a low-maintenance hairstyle, air drying is a good option. It can also help prevent long-term damage from heat styling. However, it can be inconvenient. It’s not always simple to let your hair dry naturally, as anyone who has gone out in the cold or fallen asleep with wet hair knows.
If you want to attain a specific style, air-drying your hair isn’t ideal. “The benefit of air-drying hair is that you are not using any real heat to dry your hair; nevertheless, you cannot manipulate the way it dries as you can with heat,” says Edward Tricomi, master stylist at Warren Tricomi.
“There are some haircuts that air dry better… [but] when it comes to air drying, it’s just luck of the draw.” Because it’s such a toss-up, it’s crucial to seek advice from your hairdresser and understand what happens to your hair when you air dries it.
According to experts, there are seven things that happen to your hair when you air dry it that you didn’t notice.
Mildew or bacteria could grow as a result of your actions
Sleeping with wet hair is generally not as unpleasant as you think; nonetheless, it can cause long-term issues.
Tony Odisho, president and CEO of Tony Odisho, tells Bustle, “You should never sleep with wet hair because not enough air can get through, so it stays wet much longer.” “Mildew and bacteria can form in your hair as a result of this.” While this is a worst-case situation, if evening showers are an important part of your routine, it’s worth considering.
It has the ability to keep your hair smooth
When you air-dry your hair on a regular basis, you’re helping to prevent heat damage. Your hair may appear smoother and more moisturized as a result of this method.
“When you utilize heat on your hair, the cuticle stretches, agitating the outside layer of hair,” Odisho explains. “Excessive use of heat can fade the color, dry out the hair, and make it frizzy.” Hair that has been over-stylized with heat treatments or that has been air-dried regularly without protection might produce less-than-ideal results. Your best bet is to talk to your hairdresser about the needs of your particular hair type.
It’s possible that it’ll be harmed over time
When you air-dry your hair, you extend the period of time that moisture is retained in your hair. Over time, this might be damaging to your hair.
Melissa Peverini, celebrity hairstylist and Cricket Ambassador, tells Bustle that “air drying can cause damage due to continual water exposure.” “Water makes hair swell and damages the membrane, causing hair to deteriorate over time.” Because hair is at its thinnest while wet, your haircut may lose its natural shape and body over time. Blow drying your hair once it’s near (but not quite) dry can assist to mitigate some of the damage.
When it’s cold outside, it’s easy to become dehydrated
It may seem counterintuitive that wet hair might become dehydrated, but it is a true possibility. So, while walking out in the cold may not be as dangerous as you may have imagined as a child, there are still risks.
“Do not go out in the cold with damp hair,” Peverini advises, “since this is incredibly dehydrating to the hair.” However, stepping out in the cold with wet hair is unlikely to make you sick.
You Lose Moisture at a Slower Rate
While dehydration in the cold can be a problem, it isn’t always the case when you air dry your hair. Air drying, as opposed to heat styling, preserves moisture better.
“When you air-dry your hair, it naturally loses moisture over the day, however when you blow dry it, it loses moisture right away,” Michelle Cleveland, celebrity hairstylist and owner of Hair Addict Salon, tells Bustle. “Blow drying causes you to lose more moisture.”
It’s possible that you’re preventing a breakage
Because blow drying your hair is the sole choice other than air drying it, it’s only logical to compare how these two treatments affect your hair.
Cleveland explains, “It’s more about [knowing] what doesn’t happen when you air dries your hair.” “When you use a blow dryer [or] brush to dry your hair, you get a more intense targeted heat concentration on the hair. You use a blow dryer to force air into one area and one central part of your hair. Because you’re driving hot air against the shaft of your hair using a blow dryer, it’ll break more quickly.” You’re not going through the same procedure with air drying.
It works very well on color-treated hair
What determines whether you need to air dry or heat style your hair is largely determined by the type of hair you have. Your natural hair texture, as well as whether or not you’ve recently colored your hair, are both factors.
Ted Gibson, celebrity hairstylist and co-founder of STARRING by Ted Gibson, tells Bustle that “sometimes air drying can be beneficial for the hair, especially if you color treats your hair.” “Using blow dryers and hot equipment like curling irons and flat irons to apply excessive heat to the hair cuticle can be far more destructive than letting your hair air dry.” If you’re getting your hair colored, it’s extremely vital to inquire about the process.
Finally, whether you like air drying or heat styling and which approach you choose in your daily life, is entirely up to you. Although air-drying your hair is not intrinsically harmful, if you want to do it properly, you need to consult a stylist or conduct more studies on your hair type. Drying your hair, for example, should be simple and stress-free.
Is it bad to sleep with wet hair?
Sleeping with wet hair can be harmful, but not in the way your grandmother cautioned. To reduce the risk of fungal infections and hair breakage, you should go to bed with fully dry hair. Sleeping with wet hair can cause more tangles and a wacky mane to deal with in the morning.
Is it Bad for My Health to Sleep with Wet Hair?
Have you ever skipped a late-night shower because you were too exhausted to blow dry your hair, heard your mother’s voice in your brain tell you that sleeping with wet hair will give you a cold?
It turns out your mum was correct – at least in terms of the cold. It’s true that sleeping with wet hair can make you sick, but not in the way you may assume.
Two doctors gave us the dirt on sleeping with wet hair. Here’s what can happen if you go to bed with a wet head and how to handle it properly.
Sleeping with wet hair has risks
There’s no need to worry about your mother’s warning about getting sick from sleeping with wet hair.
The dangers are minor, but there are a few you should be aware of before assuming you can go to bed wet every night.
Falling ill
Due to tradition and protective moms and grandmothers, catching a cold appears to be the most common concern.
Dr. Chirag Shah, MD, a board-certified emergency physician and cofounder of Push Health, an online healthcare platform, says that while they’re usually correct in general, they’re wrong about wet hair and colds.
“There is no proof that going to bed with wet hair causes a cold,” Shah added. “Getting a cold is caused by being infected with a virus.”
Moms, I apologize.
The common cold is caused by being infected with one of over 200 cold-causing viruses, most commonly a rhinovirus.
When an infected individual sneeze, coughs or speaks, the virus enters your body through your nose, mouth, or eyes and is spread through droplets in the air. You can also contract it by coming into contact with an infected person or touching a contaminated surface.
Colds are more common in the United States during the winter months, owing to the start of the school year and individuals spending more time indoors, in close quarters with others.
Infections with fungi
While sleeping with damp hair won’t give you a cold, it does raise your chances of acquiring a fungal infection of the scalp, according to Dr. Shah.
According to Shah, fungi such as Malassezia can cause dandruff or dermatitis, and he recommends sleeping with dry hair whenever possible.
Pillows, in addition to the fungus that naturally exists on your scalp, are a hotbed for fungus. It prefers a warm climate, and a damp pillowcase and pillow are great breeding grounds.
An older research paper
The fungal flora identified on bedding was discovered to be anything between 4 and 16 species per pillow studied, according to a reliable source.
Aspergillus fumigatus, a common fungus that causes serious infections in patients with weaker immune systems, was among them. It might also aggravate asthma symptoms.
Breakage of hair
Sleeping with wet hair has an effect on the hair. You may also do harm to your hair, in addition to the likelihood of waking up with some pretty kinked bedhead.
“When hair is damp, it is at its weakest. “The primary risk (other than cosmetic ones) is hair breakage from tossing and turning while sleeping,” said Dr. Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist in New York City.
“This is especially a concern if hair is braided or in a tight updo, which adds greater tension to the hair shaft,” Mudgil cautions. If you can’t sleep with wet hair, the best option is to leave it down.”
How to Dry Natural Hair Without Damage
Just half of the fight is choosing the right natural hair products to prevent damage and promote hair growth.
Breakage and heat damage can be avoided by taking care of your hair at every stage of your care and styling routine, particularly when drying natural hair. It may seem counterintuitive, but if you choose to air-dry your hair, towel dry it, or blow-dry your natural hair, curly strands need special care and attention.
Not only are textured strands naturally drier, but being too abrasive, overheating, or using the wrong form of heat can all lead to split ends and frizzy hair. in order to become balanced and smooth
How to Avoid Damage to Natural Hair While Drying
There’s one thing that all hair types and curl patterns have in common: hair is most delicate when it’s wet. Warm and hot temperatures expose the hair cuticle, making it more vulnerable to outside stimuli that can cause hair harm, in addition to the weight of the water itself stretching curls.
Close the cuticle with a cool rinse before exiting the tub. This is your next line of protection against breakage after using a moisturizing sulfate-free shampoo and detangling carefully.
You’ll want to get as much water out of your strands as possible after conditioning with a hydrating formula like the Coco Creme Creamy Conditioner, so do a nice but gentle wringing like you’re twisting out a wet T-shirt. It’ll help you cut down on the amount of towel time you’ll need later (if any at all).
Another critical consideration is the porosity of your hair. It retains water if it has a higher porosity. Although this is generally a positive thing, it can make it more difficult to get your hair dry after washing in the long run. After you’ve squeezed out the bulk of the water, determine whether you want to air or blow-dry your hair.
Natural Hair: Blow-Drying vs. Air-Drying
If you dry your hair with a tool or by letting it air dry is a matter of personal choice and how you want to style it. Heat-free is always going to be the healthiest way to dry natural hair and avoid harm if you just choose to go for the best option—but blow-drying natural hair has its own set of benefits.
You’ll get fuller, bouncy curls faster with blow-drying, but your style can settle differently than when you air dry. Consider the following scenario: Blow-drying increases the rate at which water is removed from each strand. Though water is slowly evaporating when air drying, thirsty strands (typically curl types 3 to 4C) will stick to any moisture in the air. As a result, not only will air drying take longer, but you will notice that your air-dried curls are fluffier or even less defined than your blow-dried curls.
If you do plan to diffuse, make sure to use a heat-protectant blow-dry cream and do so on a low heat setting to avoid heat damage. It’s also possible to use a mixture of air and heat. To get the majority of the water out of your curls, lightly zap them with a diffuser, then air dry the rest for added volume.
Towel-Drying Natural Hair
Is it necessary to towel dry natural hair? The same reason you sleep with a bonnet or satin pillowcase applies to selecting the best hair drying product. Although it’s tempting to simply grab a towel and apply it to your damp locks, the texture of terry cloth can be abrasive and damaging to any hair type, particularly curly hair. It’s already brittle, drier, and more susceptible to breakage.
Stop scratching with whatever you’re using. This raises the cuticle on each hair strand, which can cause friction that weakens the hair, and a raised cuticle on a macro level can leave hair looking frizzy, particularly if not smoothed back down with a cream, oil, or other hair moisturizers. It’s best to cover the excess moisture in a microfiber towel or a T-shirt and squeeze it out until it’s gone.
How do you air dry natural hair?
It’s important to note that some people may find that their hair dries naturally without any intervention, while others require extra care. If you’re experiencing issues with your natural hair, try these tips to see what works best for you.
Try a new product every week. You never know what might work better for your hair type. Try a new conditioner, a different shampoo, or even a new brand.
Use a deep cleansing mask once a month. Deep cleansers remove dirt and buildup that could weigh down your hair.
Avoid harsh chemicals. The best way to protect your hair is to keep it clean. Use mild shampoos and conditioners that don’t contain ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate.
How to Dry Type 3 Hair vs. How to Dry Type 4 Hair
Your curls don’t need a separate drying routine based on their form. The only difference between all of the accepted methods we’ve mentioned is which natural hair products you use when drying. Of course, some formulations, such as the Pracaxi Nectar Straight Blow-Dry Cream, are suitable for all hairstyles.
Should You Skip Drying and Sleep with Wet Hair?
It can seem sensible to skip drying your hair entirely and let your strands air-dry overnight—after all, this is a heat-free process. However, now that you know how delicate wet hair can be, you can see why sleeping with it isn’t a good idea. Even if you wear a bonnet or use the correct pillowcase, your hair is still subjected to friction when you twist and turn at night.
If you have to, try slipping your wet strands into a safe style before bed, such as a Flexi-rod package or twists. This will help to reduce scratching, but it will also make it more difficult to dry your hair.
Since air doesn’t flow as freely through styled strands as it does through loose hair, drying time can be longer. When weighing the benefits of having wet hair in the morning against long-term breakage, defensive styles seem to be the clear winner. Wrap a T-shirt around your hair after twisting it and suck out any extra moisture before going to bed.
How to Repair Heat Damaged Hair
If you’ve been using your blow dryer excessively, you’re probably wondering what you can do to prevent heat damage. And the response is simple: it all comes down to finding the right damage repair items. Introduce your hair to items that will restore and transform your tresses to show it some love. Marguerite’s Magic Restorative Cream, which profoundly nourishes and restores power, is ideal for whipping your coils back into form. You should also take precautions to avoid more hair damage. Spray strands with Monoi Repairing Anti-Breakage Spray to prevent breakage.