What if letting your hair air dry wasn't so good?
I'm not the only one who wants to do it, I have several friends who enjoy letting their hair air dry as much as I do. It is a moment that transmits a good number of sensations to my subconscious, most of them associated with well-being and freedom. I have nothing against heat tools, on the contrary, they give me life on many occasions. But I have always had the feeling that stopping using them from time to time is a respite on all levels, including hair health. In fact, it's what experts have always told us about subjecting hair to high temperatures. Although anticipating a good thermal protector and with a guarantee heat tool, the hair does not suffer.
Today, after speaking with Dr. Javier Pedraz, medical director of Insparya Madrid, I have the feeling that neither the good ones (air drying) are that good, nor the bad ones (heat tools) were ever of such a ilk. "It is not usually recommended that the hair be wet for a long time, since when it is wet it is weaker and more sensitive, with more possibilities of causing damage to the cuticle, which is the external part of the hair shaft, and can cause alterations" says the expert. The same happens with the scalp, letting it stay wet for a long time harms hair health.
Therefore, prolonged exposure to humidity carries a high probability of damage to the hair since the fiber swells and weakens. It becomes more brittle due to the pressure of moisture on the delicate proteins that compose it. Furthermore, the hair denaturation temperature drops when the hair is wet causing it to lose its original structure.
how to dry hair correctly
When we are at home, the towel loses the distinction it has in the beauty salon. According to experts, the higher percentage of cotton it contains, the better treatment it will give to the hair. So the first thing you need to take care of is having the best tools at hand. When we talk about its loss of glamour, we refer to the movement that we exert with it. We shake the hair, we rub it, we wrap the mane and twist it... We forget that our trusted stylist never does that, she simply squeezes lightly to absorb excess water. That is, by means of a smooth constriction movement that avoids breaking the hair at such a fragile moment.
Afterwards, you should comb it gently. If you find it difficult, go to a detangler and do it by strands to make the job easier. If you are inclined to let it air dry, you should know that "it is not as harmful as doing it in winter, since we would spend more time with wet hair," says Dr. Javier Pedraz. If you are going to use a heat tool, it is best to apply a thermal protector to help recover the hair fiber since they provide hydration as well as protection. If you finally decide on the dryer, do not make exaggerated movements such as shaking your head up and down or rubbing your hands in an exaggerated way to avoid breakage. Remember that even if you have removed some of the excess moisture, it is still wet and therefore fragile.
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