Entering ChinaAfter washing your hair, should you let it air dry naturally, or should you use a hair dryer to dry it? It’s about the health of your hair. What do you usually do? Which is healthier for hair, natural air drying or blow drying? Let’s get to know ↓
Hair dryer to dry
It is easy to blow styling, but it damages the hair
Damage to hair
The hot air from a hair dryer can make hair dry, brittle, split ends, and brittle.
From the center to the periphery, the hair strands are the medulla, cortex, and cuticle. The cuticle is a layer of epidermal cells that coats the surface of the hair like a “little armor” and forms a protective barrier. The cuticle is closed in the dry state, but it is open when exposed to water.
Cuticle of hair under an electron microscope
Use a hair dryer when your hair is wet, as the hot air will blow the cuticle opening at a wider angle. At this time, the moisture inside the hair will be carried away by the hot air more quickly, and the hair will become dry.
The high temperatures and strong winds generated by the hair dryer can also cause damage to the cuticle. When the cuticle is damaged, the surface of the hair becomes frizzy, leading to increased friction between the hairs, which can further cause hair damage.
High temperature will break the disulfide bonds in the hair keratin, which will denature the keratin, which is the main reason why the hair becomes brittle and easy to break after using a hair dryer.
The pigment in the hair is also destroyed by high temperatures, and the hair color is prone to yellowing.
In contrast, natural air-drying avoids a series of damage to the hair caused by heat and strong winds.Affects scalp health
Using a hair dryer can also have a negative impact on the health of the scalp. The surface of our scalp is covered with a thin layer of stratum corneum, and underneath it is an abundance of capillaries and nerve endings.
When the hot air from a hair dryer blows onto the scalp, the heat accelerates the evaporation of moisture from the scalp surface, drying out the stratum corneum, which can lead to itching and scaling.
Prolonged or excessive use of hair dryers may damage the stratum corneum of the scalp and damage the barrier function of the scalp.
Prolonged heat stimulation can also affect the capillaries under the scalp, causing capillaries to dilate, making the scalp red and congested, and in severe cases, it may cause scalp inflammation, pain and burning.
In contrast, choosing to let your hair air dry naturally after washing your hair can avoid these damage to the scalp caused by the hot air of the hair dryer.
It is easy to blow molding
The hot air produced by a hair dryer can change the shape of your hair. When hot air blows to the hair, the moisture in the hair is heated, evaporated, and the cuticle opens up, making the hair soft and malleable. At the same time, when the hair is in a soft state after hot air heating, turn on the cold air mode of the hair dryer, which can quickly cool the hair, style the hair, and make the special shape more durable.
Air dryCold weather may irritate the scalp
Many people like to take a shower before going to bed, and falling asleep with wet hair is not only easy to catch a cold, but also affects the hair quality. Because the cuticle is open when the hair is wet, it can also be damaged by friction as the head moves during sleep.
In winter, if you are in a hurry to go out before your hair is dry, the sudden cold outdoor temperature will stimulate the scalp by the cold, causing problems such as colds or migraines; It also causes the cuticle on the surface of the hair to close too quickly, making the hair brittle and brittle; Cold winds blow away moisture from your hair, which can also make your hair drier.
The choice of how to dry your hair depends on your individual needs:
If you have enough time to style and want to protect your hair and scalp as much as possible, natural drying is a better option for you.
But if you’re short on time, or you need to style your hair, then a hair dryer is a good helper. Occasional use of a hair dryer will not cause much damage to the hair and scalp, and it is necessary to avoid long-term, frequent use of the hair dryer.
How to use a hair dryer correctly?
Use a towel to gently absorb the excess water on your hair, be careful not to rub it vigorously, and then use a hair dryer to finish the final drying or styling when your hair is already semi-dry.
Avoid using the hot air setting of the hair dryer and the strong wind to dry your hair, try to use the cool wind and low wind power, keep an appropriate distance, follow the principle of “the wind blowing out does not burn the skin”, and avoid blowing on the same part of the hair and scalp for a long time.
Blow dry the roots first, then the ends. Even if you blow the ends first, the water from the roots will drip down the hair strands, and you will have to blow the ends again at the end, causing secondary damage to the ends.
