September 11, 2011

Isn’t blow drying the hair bad for it? I have a hooded hair dryer and I heard that they were better for drying the hair. They take longer, but is there really a difference?

This question was recently asked of me by a friend & it’s a good question, so I thought I would share my reply here:

All forms of heat are damaging to the hair. Hood driers, blow driers, flat irons, curling irons…. but so is sun light & pollution in the air & swimming & the shampoos you buy at drug stores & super markets & hairspray & perms & relaxers & blah, blah, blah. The important part is how you care for your hair & protect it from the elements & styling tools you use. Hair burns at 451 degrees. A lot of styling tools (especially the more expensive, professional tools) can get as hot as 450 degrees, although they are rarely used at that temp. The ones you buy at dept stores don’t get anywhere near that hot. Blow driers do not typically get that hot, but if you use metal or ceramic brushes in combination with your blow drier you can easily heat that brush up to those temps. Using products that have heat protectors in them helps to reduce damage. Also, when you blow dry your hair you should always direct the stream of air in the direction of hair growth & if you use a brush or comb while drying brush downward & in the direction of hair growth. This seals & smooths the cuticle, which is the outer layer that protects your hair from damage.

Products I love to combat damage when heat styling:

*this is one of my favourite products to use in hair while cutting to add a little extra “slip” & help smooth & glide the hair through the comb

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See Post tags #Q&A #blow drying #damaged hair #flat iron #heat damage #heat protector #kevin.murphy #questions #sebastian #product recommendations