Want to avoid damaging your hair, yet unwilling to skip the blow dryer? There are ways to reduce the heat-related damage you do to your hair and still achieve the heat-created look you want.
It’s no secret that blow drying can damage your hair, yet finding the time to air dry your hair can be extremely inconvenient. If you can’t avoid blow-drying, you can still avoid the damage by knowing the tricks of the trade.
Hair Care and Styling Products
Choosing the best products for your hair is one of the first precautions you can take against heat-related damage. If your hair has already sustained damage, select a heavy-duty moisturizing shampoo and conditioner specially formulated for dry or damaged hair. However, even undamaged hair must be well moisturized in order to survive heat styling; be sure to use a moisture-balancing shampoo and conditioner formulated for normal hair. Special shampoos and conditioners, such as Thera-Sense, are specially formulated for heat-activated conditioning. Other products, such as Pantene Pro-V, are intended to infuse your hair with special vitamins for shine and manageability. Still others are made with nature’s best ingredients for naturally healthy hair. If you are uncertain as to which shampoo and conditioner to choose, you may want to buy small sample bottles of each; every head of hair is different, so select the product that yields the best results for you.
It is also important to select a good styling product. Using a styling product specially designed for your hair will facilitate the styling process and cut down on the time spent blow drying. Pay close attention to the hair type (curly, frizzy, normal, or limp hair) and the type of style a product is designed for. Texturizing lotions will smooth and shine your hair with only light hold, while hair gel provides more hold, but also increases drying time. Hairspray is a great way to finish off a look, but likely won’t facilitate the blow-drying process. Many styling products also contain a low-level SPF, which will prevent additional damage from the sun. Because of the drying effects of blow drying on your hair, it is especially important to avoid styling products that will dry your hair further, such as bleaching products or alcohol-based hair gel.