Most of us use a hair dryer on a regular basis – ranging from a few times a week to sometimes even daily! We may be using it as a part of our beauty regime in order to get hair that is more manageable and smooth, but it could actually be having the exact opposite effect! Here are 7 mistakes you might be making while using your hair dryer – correct them stat so that you don’t end up with damaged and fragile hair!
1. Using the wrong hair dryer!
Yes, there IS such a thing as using the wrong hair dryer! The right kind of hair dryer depends largely on the kind of hair you have. If you have thick or coarse hair, try using one with high air flow and multiple heat settings. This way you can use the high air power to dry your hair quickly and use the heat settings when styling your hair. For curly hair, use one with a diffuser. For thin or fine hair, use one which has both multiple heat and speed settings. Low settings on both are best for fine hair.
2. Compromising on the quality of the dryer
Once again, this is something you don’t want to do! If there is one thing you shouldn’t compromise on, it’s the quality of your hair dryer! Most hairdryers we pick have a tendency to blow more heat rather than more air. As a result it not only takes longer for our hair to actually dry, but all that extra heat also ends up stripping your scalp of its natural moisture and damaging your strands. So make sure that you pick a good quality hair dryer which blows proportionate amounts of heat and air. Ionic hair dryers are actually the way to go when looking for something speedy and not searing hot. They tend to evaporate the water from your hair as you’re drying and also can also make your hair smoother. The Philips Kerashine HP8216/00 Hair Dryer is a great option for an ionic dryer.
3. Not using the concentrator nozzle
They give that nozzle with the hair dryer for a reason, you know! The nozzle helps concentrate the airflow to the part of the hair you’re working on rather than blowing your hair all over the place. Using the nozzle leaves your hair with a smoother finish after you’re done drying it. And you have to worry less about tangles too.
4. Setting the heat too high
Drying your hair at a temperature that is too high has a severe drying and damaging effect on your hair. Make sure when you start drying that the heat is not cranked up. When the dryer is blowing out air that is too hot, it ends up frying your strands plus causing split ends and frizz! Use a medium heat setting for drying – and a higher temperature ONLY when you have to set your hair in place. Also, if you need to not dry your hair completely, the cool setting on your dryer can do the job just as efficiently – nature will take care of the rest!
5. Holding it in one place or too close to your scalp
Holding the dryer at one place not only damages the hair in that place, but you also risk burning your scalp that way. Hold the dryer at a good distance from the scalp and keep moving it to dry different parts of your hair. You can come back to the part that isn’t dry, but holding it in one place for too long is a complete no-no.
6. Using the dryer for too long or too often
Ideally, you should not be using the hair dryer to dry your hair more than 2 or 3 times a week. Try and leave your hair open after washing to dry out naturally if possible, as often as you can. Also, when you are simply drying and not looking for a blow dry, do not exceed the 10 minute mark pointing the hair dryer at your hair.
7. Not using a heat protectant spray with your dryer
Let’s face it: we’re not likely to abandon those dryers, no matter what anyone says. But please, please, please make a good heat protectant spray, like the Toni & Guy Heat Protection Mist, your go-to product every time you reach for your dryer. It’s going to help keep your strands and follicles safe from all that heat damage we’ve been talking about. Trust us, it’s the best possible new friend your hair could make!
Images: Shutterstock
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