Air drying causes damage?

[sourgrl]

Until I found LHC I nevet made a conscious effort to be good to my hair. But even before LHC I have heard blow drying is bad... air drying is best. I have always air dried, mostly because I'd rather spend my time doing something else. Then I came came across this link which indicates air drying can be damaging too: http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2013/08/could-air-drying-actually-damage-your.html

I feel like my ends are better from damp bunning, but after reading this I wonder if I should be concerned. I'm sure this is another one of those things that will very from person to person. I'm curious as to the initial condition of the test subjects hair and how that impacted this study. More importantly, I'd love to hear the community's thoughts on 'air drying is bad'

[goldenlady]

I've always found that my hair hates air-drying.. It just becomes a huge mess and feels really delicate.. When I blow-dry on cold my hair feels strong and shiny. Could just be my hair though!

[catasa]

I agree with goldenlady - my hair gets way more frizzy/poofy when air-dried (which of course may be expected since I guess that blow-drying even on cool can be considered as a styling aid), but it also feels rougher on the surface, more tangle-prone and generally "weaker" and less healthy.

[Salmonberry]

Weird. My hair looks and feels best when air dried and gets frizzy and dull looking when I use a blow drier. I guess there's no option that's 100% non-damaging.

[lapushka]

No matter what the hair wants. My hair's air dried for about an hour (after it comes out of a turbie towel in which it's been for 15 minutes), then it gets diffused on warm. Bottom line, it's dry in about a certain time and that's just convenient. I don't want my head wet for 8 hours. I love convenience. It's underrated. ;)

[stachelbeere]

maybe this is only relevant for curly people?

[spidermom]

This is what you need to know: life damages hair. Do you want to be dead and under glass to preserve the perfection of your hair?

[ExpectoPatronum]

I have wavy hair and my hair dries frizzy and poofy no matter what I do. Air drying is just the least damaging of the two. My hair also feels softer if I air dry it as opposed to blow drying. If my hair is going to be frizzy, I at least want it to feel soft lol.

[stachelbeere]

This is what you need to know: life damages hair. Do you want to be dead and under glass to preserve the perfection of your hair?

good point, spidermom. just airdrying my hair because YOLO!

[sarahthegemini]

Pretty much everything damages hair, just gotta try and do what's least damaging.

[neko_kawaii]

I haven't used a blow dryer in years and have never used one regularly so I don't know how my hair would look dried with one. Air dried my hair seems frizzy and dry looking but put it in a braid or bun and take it out later it will be shinny. No idea why it does that. I can let it get completely dry and then put it up and when I take it down later it looks totally different. My hair dries pretty quick so definitely not worth the work of blow drying, just leave it down for half an hour and then it is dry enough to put up.

[spidermom]

P.S: There is a line of belief that you are better off drying your hair as quickly as possible because hair is weakest and most prone to damage while it's wet, plus the cuticule is open, allowing moisture to evaporate out. We had a thread running for awhile in the past debating whether blow-drying actually preserves moisture better than air drying. There is good evidence that it does.

[jeanniet]

No matter what the hair wants. My hair's air dried for about an hour (after it comes out of a turbie towel in which it's been for 15 minutes), then it gets diffused on warm. Bottom line, it's dry in about a certain time and that's just convenient. I don't want my head wet for 8 hours. I love convenience. It's underrated. ;)

Agreed. My hair takes forever to air dry, even at the length it is now, and frankly, I'm sit of having wet hair all day and having to plan everything around it. So now I diffuse dry partway and air dry the rest of the way. Do what works and is convenient for you.

[Jerimi]

*removing my posts.*

[donnalouise]

Maybe a better solution is to stretch washes or not wash at all... but that has it's own challenges and potential for damage. Can't win. My hair responds best to air drying and stretching washes / neglect when i can, when i'm not so obsessed with my hair and i go through a phase where i'm annoyed with it i just braid it up and ignore it and don't like brushing it much even. When i fall back in love with my hair again it always surprises me how much it's grown and how good it's looking from being neglected and left alone.

[leslissocool]

P.S: There is a line of belief that you are better off drying your hair as quickly as possible because hair is weakest and most prone to damage while it's wet, plus the cuticule is open, allowing moisture to evaporate out. We had a thread running for awhile in the past debating whether blow-drying actually preserves moisture better than air drying. There is good evidence that it does.


I think low heat in general (VERY low heat) is beneficial to hair.


My hair looks terrible blow dried, no matter how low or high. Air-dry is the only thing that works for me, sometimes damp bunning.

[renia22]

Interesting, my hair look horrible & frizzy air dried, shiny and smooth when blow dried.

[Cherry*Tree]

This is what you need to know: life damages hair. Do you want to be dead and under glass to preserve the perfection of your hair?

Hmm. Not a bad idea.

Just kidding. My hair likes air drying in a braid. It comes out soft and silky with pretty braid waves.

[PrincessIdril]

I'm curly haired so I have two options:
1. Air dry and beautiful spiral curls
2. Blow dry and have big hair that Scary Spice would be proud of! (Ok it's not as big as hers but still comes out a lot poufer and bigger than I want!)

I think I'll stick to air drying!

[Taisyun]

My hair is loosely curled and only looks good when air dried and not brushed at all. If I use the dryer it turns straight and frizzy. I have not tried the dryer on 'cold' though.. that sounds like a waste of electricity blowing hair for what would take 20minutes at least to dry on cold.

[BlazingHeart]

If blow drying my hair didn't take so much effort, I might test it. The last time I blow dried my hair, it was not much past shoulder and took 45 minutes, and that was on high heat. My shoulders and hands are in worse shape now than they were then, so there's no way I could do that now. I don't even want to think about how much longer it would take to dry my hair on low heat...I'd be at it all day. Having my hair air dry takes longer, but takes less effort, and I only have so much energy to go around, so I'll stick with that. Ha, maybe I should get a hood dryer and try to get the best of both worlds!

Edited to add: wow, it looks like they start under $50. I had assumed they were really expensive. In all seriousness, that might be worth investing in. I do hate how long it takes for my hair to dry, particularly in the winter...

[spidermom]

I bought a bonnet dryer to use on cold days when I really need to be typing, not blow-drying for an hour. The top comes out nice and smooth from the warm air blowing down on it, the bottom wavy from being coiled in the bottom of the bonnet.

[sourgrl]

P.S: There is a line of belief that you are better off drying your hair as quickly as possible because hair is weakest and most prone to damage while it's wet, plus the cuticule is open, allowing moisture to evaporate out. We had a thread running for awhile in the past debating whether blow-drying actually preserves moisture better than air drying. There is good evidence that it does.

Sounds like that evidence supports this article. On the rare occassion that I've blow dried my hair it resulted in major poof. But that poof could also be a result of brushing while blow drying. Never used cool air blow drying or diffussing. I know personally damp bunning has made a major improvement for my ends. Being more aware of the different causes of damage has certainly contributed to my hair being in better condition. As it is with everything else the results when air drying varies from person to person. So I wouldn't be surprised that the amount of damage, if any, varies from person to person.

[DweamGoiL]

I think this study leaves a lot of uncontrolled variables. I'd like to check out the link to the actual study not a condensed blog entry. I am curious as to what textures did all the participants have and the percentages of each type, did everyone use the exact same products. IMO using sulfates without conditioner is a bad idea and even more so for anyone who has any type of texture besides stick straight.

As far as my own experience, I have stopped fighting my hair. I eventually discovered my hair is not as straight as I had once wanted it to be. I used to brush it to get rid of the wave. I don't do this anymore. Now, I embrace it by air drying it and scrunching it with a generous amount of a coneless gel that doesn't weigh the hair down. I try to get volume and promote wave and my natural spirals vs. trying to get it to be what it's not, straight and smooth. I accept sometimes I will have frizz...so what? It happens. I can't control the weather and high humidity tends to promote frizz. Some hair days will just be better than others. It's just the way it goes.

When I want to wear my hair down, I gel and scrunch, and then air dry. If it's close to bed, I might pineapple it. When I want it to be straighter, but full looking, I damp bun atop my head in a loose bun. I have learned I can have options with my hair, but I need to stop fighting it and accept it and love it for its own uniqueness.

I used to religiously blow dry it years ago, and as long as that blow dryer was really hot and I tugged it every which way, it looked really fab. The minute I took the fryer off scorching, it was a frizzy dull mess and dry as straw. For my hair texture, low heat does not work well. I have also learned from the first time I grew out my hair that Monoi oil is my friend. I always smooth a small amount onto wet hair.

[Leeloo]

Until I found LHC I nevet made a conscious effort to be good to my hair. But even before LHC I have heard blow drying is bad... air drying is best. I have always air dried, mostly because I'd rather spend my time doing something else. Then I came came across this link which indicates air drying can be damaging too: http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2013/08/could-air-drying-actually-damage-your.html

I feel like my ends are better from damp bunning, but after reading this I wonder if I should be concerned. I'm sure this is another one of those things that will very from person to person. I'm curious as to the initial condition of the test subjects hair and how that impacted this study. More importantly, I'd love to hear the community's thoughts on 'air drying is bad'

The way I read the article is that keeping hair wet for prolonged times is more damaging then low temperature blow drying, not that air drying causes more damage then blow drying. The longer you keep your hair wet the more likely you are to damage (swell) internal cuticle cement of the hair.

[Macaroni]

Not in my case, my hair is at its softest after airdrying.

[BlazingHeart]

I bought a bonnet dryer to use on cold days when I really need to be typing, not blow-drying for an hour. The top comes out nice and smooth from the warm air blowing down on it, the bottom wavy from being coiled in the bottom of the bonnet.

I actually meant one of the hard hood/bonnet type dryers, not the soft kind. Sort of an at-home version of the variety they have a most hairdressers - a kind of dome shaped hard plastic thingie that has jets of air, rather than an attachment for a blow dryer. Something like this guy - http://www.sallybeauty.com/bonnet-dryer/SBS-255271,default,pd.html?cm_vc=SEARCH. I like the idea of having a thing designed to sit on something rather than a blow dryer that relies on being held up in the air to prevent overheating. Though I suppose I really don't know much about whether one kind is actually better than the other! Some research for me to do before I buy (or ask for one for my birthday next month).

[Haybop]

Never actually tried blowdrying on a low temperature. My hair goes fly away when air drying but then that happens in the afternoons when I'm not going out anywhere so it didn't bother me. Interesting read, thank you :)

[Iolanthe13]

Hmm, this might justify some experimentation. My hair responds well to air-drying (soft, no frizz, nice waves), provided I don't touch it much, but the only time I can usually shower is evening. I might try blow drying on cool next time I wash my hair - probably a couple of days from now.

[Komao]

Spidermom, but what if the Egyptians were right and I need my long hair to continue my journey?:confused:

I don't want to have to start all over again. :)

[Ms. Littlefish]

I'd be willing to try cool drying vs air drying but from my own personal experience I shed entire cat after a go with a hot blow drier.

[Stray_mind]

My hair feels dry and poufy if i blow dry,so i'd better air dry...

[Stormcast]

I find that my ears hurt if I blow dry on cool. Also I hate having wet hair when I have a cold or it's chilly outside. Anyone else feel the same?

[heidi w.]

Air drying is best for good hair.
heidi w.

[HintOfMint]

Here's what I've found.

1. Airdrying after years of blowdrying shows off a lot of damage and frizziness caused by blowdrying for years. That's old damage.
2. I was told that airdrying without any product or oil in it allows the cuticle to ruffle as the water evaporates. It's like not putting lotion on your knees after a shower. I've noticed a difference in when I airdry without product (loose), and with product (both loose and damp bunned).

[Kwantslonghair]

I would think air drying would be best for most heads. I do cool dry now and then because it makes my hair have more body. Life itself is damaging. Think the idea is to do the least amount of damage while actively doing as much as possible to improve the health.

[sourgrl]

Here's what I've found.

1. Airdrying after years of blowdrying shows off a lot of damage and frizziness caused by blowdrying for years. That's old damage.
2. I was told that airdrying without any product or oil in it allows the cuticle to ruffle as the water evaporates. It's like not putting lotion on your knees after a shower. I've noticed a difference in when I airdry without product (loose), and with product (both loose and damp bunned).

This makes sense to me and I can understand how that could contriubute to damage. I don't use a blow dryer because I simply don't want to bother with it. My hair dries fairly fast anyways and I use oil on damp hair. As it seems to be with everything else, some people will be more susceptible to this kind of damage than others. Would those with hair that takes a long time to dry be more susceptible to air drying damage? If so, using a blow dryer would be beneficial to them because faster drying, in their case, is less damaging. Maybe in some cases where a LHC member is doing everything right but is still experiencing breakage or other issues air drying is causing or contributing to their issue. Air drying may not be a 'one size fits all' approach in a healthy hair routine.

[Nerine]

Pretty much everything damages hair, just gotta try and do what's least damaging.

Agreed. You could do everything necessary to baby your hair & be as kind and gentle as possible, but hair will still get damaged somewhat..
My hair feels and looks better when I airdry - when I blow dry, it's frizzy & dry.

[Vrindi]

This is what you need to know: life damages hair. Do you want to be dead and under glass to preserve the perfection of your hair?

^ Yep. You're going to get damage to your hair no matter what. My goal (don't know about yours, that's up to you) is to make my hair as healthy as I can and avoid as much unnecessary damage as possible. I will not stop my husband from playing with my hair for fear that he might break a strand, or never go swimming, or never wear my hair down just to avoid damage. If I have to go that far, it's not worth it. My hair likes to air dry. Sometimes to speed it up, I'll flip my head upside down in front of a box fan for a few minutes, but my hair hates blowdryers. For some people, it doesn't hurt them. Do what works.

[Liz_park]

I actually read a journal article that tested hair dryers on hair. They tested air drying, hair dryer at low temp and farther away, hair dryer at medium temp and closer, and high temp and even closer. Not surprisingly, the heat and closeness of the hair dryer caused damage. But they actually found that air drying caused more damage than hair drying at slightly warmer than room temperature heat.

Here is the link:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/22148012/?i=5&from=heat%20damage%20hair

And the abstract:

BACKGROUND: Hair dryers are commonly used and can cause hair damage such as roughness, dryness and loss of hair color. It is important to understand the best way to dry hair without causing damage.

OBJECTIVE: The study assessed changes in the ultra-structure, morphology, moisture content, and color of hair after repeated shampooing and drying with a hair dryer at a range of temperatures.

METHODS: A standardized drying time was used to completely dry each hair tress, and each tress was treated a total of 30 times. Air flow was set on the hair dryer. The tresses were divided into the following five test groups: (a) no treatment, (b) drying without using a hair dryer (room temperature, 20℃), (c) drying with a hair dryer for 60 seconds at a distance of 15 cm (47℃), (d) drying with a hair dryer for 30 seconds at a distance of 10 cm (61℃), (e) drying with a hair dryer for 15 seconds at a distance of 5 cm (95℃). Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and lipid TEM were performed. Water content was analyzed by a halogen moisture analyzer and hair color was measured with a spectrophotometer.

RESULTS: Hair surfaces tended to become more damaged as the temperature increased. No cortex damage was ever noted, suggesting that the surface of hair might play a role as a barrier to prevent cortex damage. Cell membrane complex was damaged only in the naturally dried group without hair dryer. Moisture content decreased in all treated groups compared to the untreated control group. However, the differences in moisture content among the groups were not statistically significant. Drying under the ambient and 95℃ conditions appeared to change hair color, especially into lightness, after just 10 treatments.

CONCLUSION: Although using a hair dryer causes more surface damage than natural drying, using a hair dryer at a distance of 15 cm with continuous motion causes less damage than drying hair naturally.

[0xalis]

Test! See what works for you! Everyone's hair is different! As for me, I've done nothing but squeeze out excess water and then air dry for my entire life. That's all I know and my hair doesn't seem to mind. Perhaps it'd like something else better, but idk!

[catasa]

To clarify my earlier comment that blowdrying works best for my hair:

I blowdry on cool (which actually is slightly warm but not hot on my dryer), without brushing or touching my hair (except some careful lifting at the roots to enable a little better air circulation), from above and down along the lenghts, keeping the dryer at least 10-20 centimeters away from the hair. I also concentrate to dry more at the scalp than at the lenghts. Never blowing in any other direction than from above, never using a diffuser, and as I said never brushing, as that would result in major poof! :)

I also only do this for about 10 minutes, which in my case results in hair that is dried to about half dry or a little more at the scalp, and to one third or a little less at the lenghts (I think it dries a little faster, especially at the scalp, since I never use conditioner, only mineral oil as leave in and only a very little of that at the scalp). Longer than that I don´t have the energy/time for, and I also haven´t seen that the final results get better, rather the opposite actually, if I blowdry it longer than to max about half-dry. But, blowdrying even this short time makes a major difference in my final waves/shine/softness.

Also, I started to blowdry about a year ago, before that I haven´t used a blowdryer (or any other heating tool) for, well, maybe 25 years? so in my case there isn´t any previous damage from heat. I also never found any "dependable" difference in air drying results due to which products I used.

So my conclusion is that for my hair, moisture is simply preserved better and/or cuticle disturbance is less if I blow dry as above, but of course this is not true for everyone. So as emilylightning and other have said, test! If you are having trouble getting your hair to "behave" when air dried, test blow drying on cool. As far as I know it won´t damage your hair, simply make it frizzy/poofy until next wash if it doesn´t work.

And as someone else said (sorry, don´t have the time to find the comment now), it is also a big convenience to blow dry/shorten the drying time, and I really agree - convenience is underrated! :)

[Robot Ninja]

Blowdrying makes my hair poufy, and I'm too lazy to do it anyway. I don't think having my hair wet/damp for a few hours a week is nearly as damaging as some of the other stuff I do to it, and it's worth it for smoother hair, and for the fact I can do it while playing video games or sleeping.

[Komao]

Blowdrying makes my hair poufy, and I'm too lazy to do it anyway. I don't think having my hair wet/damp for a few hours a week is nearly as damaging as some of the other stuff I do to it, and it's worth it for smoother hair, and for the fact I can do it while playing video games or sleeping.

I think being lazy has some advantages. We get to do more fun things. :D

[spidermom]

I actually meant one of the hard hood/bonnet type dryers, not the soft kind. Sort of an at-home version of the variety they have a most hairdressers - a kind of dome shaped hard plastic thingie that has jets of air, rather than an attachment for a blow dryer. Something like this guy - http://www.sallybeauty.com/bonnet-dryer/SBS-255271,default,pd.html?cm_vc=SEARCH. I like the idea of having a thing designed to sit on something rather than a blow dryer that relies on being held up in the air to prevent overheating. Though I suppose I really don't know much about whether one kind is actually better than the other! Some research for me to do before I buy (or ask for one for my birthday next month).

I understand what you were talking about. I decided on a bonnet dryer because my hair hangs too long for the warm air from the hood of a hood dryer to reach my ends.

[spidermom]

For those who complain of poufy hair after blow drying, do you pay attention to technique? I learned to blow dry in sections with the warm air always blowing down the hair shaft. My hair turns out nice and smooth and far less frizzy than when I air dry, but it takes about an hour.

[Sharysa]

For me it's a matter of preference. I used to blowdry my hair to get it straight and it looked okay.

My hair only frizzes a bit more when I air-dry it after oiling it, but the clincher for me is how it ends up with a mix of loose ringlets and waves (natural) or when I get more regular waves with braiding.

If I blow-dry it, it won't have any kind of wave at all, plus I've ruined the clumping and then it looks more frizzy than it actually is.

[faellen]

My ends sometimes go frizzy and weird when air drying. It doesn't always happen though, and i cant narrow down why. But it's made me prefer 1/2 air drying and 1/2 blow drying on warm/cool. This method works best for my hair. I just don't have the time or inclination to hang around for 6 hours with wet hair.